visit our new exhibit, on display here atthe toronto reference library's td gallery. to explore an alphabet of curiosity from thetoronto public library's special collections. from arctic exploration to zero gravity. youmight be wondering, what do we mean by the library special collections and just whatmakes them so special? since 1884, the library has amassed a collection of over 4 millionitems. this includes rare books, artwork,
toronto public library 3d printing, manuscripts, maps and much more. they're kepthere at the library so that they can be studied, and accessed by people today and for generationsto come. three of our special collections are housed here in the marilyn and charlesbaillie special collection center on the 5th floor of the toronto reference library. let'stake a look.
did you know that the library has one of theworld's largest collections of material by and about sir arthur conan doyle? here youcan find everything and anything sherlock related. whether it's the first appearanceof sherlock in beeton's christmas annual from 1887 through to posters, games, film and stageadaptations, memorabilia, and much much more. as its name suggests the baldwin collectionof canadiana includes important material related to the history and culture of canada. thisincludes books, periodicals and newspapers written about canada or by canadians priorto 1900. you can also find letters, diaries, maps andother unpublished documents. a window into the lives of prominent canadians. there'salso a fascinating collection of ephemera.
things like posters, ads and other materialsoriginally meant to be discarded after use. it also includes the canadian documentaryart collection. a collection of over 15,000 paintings, prints, and drawings. 3,000 postcards and over a million photographs which document toronto and the country from coastto coast. we're here in the stacks where our special collections in the arts is housed.here you can find material related to the visual and book arts. as well as an extensivecollection related to music, dance and theatre across canada. our last two special collections are housedat the lillian h. smith branch, located near spadina and college. lovers of all thingssci-fi and fantasy should be aware of this
research and reference collection featuringover 80,000 items, including limited edition books, graphic novels, role playing games,pulp magazines, periodicals and original artwork. it was founded in 1970 thanks to a donationby sci-fi author and editor, judith merril. last, but not least the osborne collectionof early children's books consists of rare and notable early modern and canadian children'sbooks. the collection was founded in 1949 thanks to a donation of british librarian,edgar osborne. since then the collection has
grown to more than 80,000 items. you neverknow what treasures you'll find here on exhibit or here inside the reading room. whatever your interest, there's always somethingnew to discover here at the td gallery and
in the library special collections. you mightbe surprised by what you find.
