My North York Public Library Card from the “Metropolitan Toronto” Days of the 1990s

This is my library card which I use every time I visit the Toronto Public Library to take out a book or 3.  It looks nothing like the current Toronto Public Library card and is from the early 1990s when North York was technically a city unto itself and a part of Metropolitan Toronto.  I am pretty sure this meant that I could use any library in Metropolitan Toronto but never really tried to because when Toronto amalgamated into the “megacity” and North York became fully a part of the city of Toronto it was 1997 and I was 15-16 years old. Still, I have kept this library card because

New York Public Library: I Have A Slightly Overdue Book… Part II: The Return

People who have read my blog for a while will remember that in June 2011 I wrote about a book taken out of the New York Public Library in 1971 which I found in Toronto. For those who don’t remember the post, here’s a link to it. As I mentioned in the previous post, the book was The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and it was due back at the library on June 23, 1971. I wrote of how I intended to take it back to the Mid-Manhattan Library: Literature & Language Department at 5th Ave & 42nd St in Manhattan the next time I was in New York City but I didn’t foresee it taking this long! 

2012 Book A Fortnight Summary & Happy New Year!

Happy New Year 2013. Remember my Book A Fortnight Challenge? Well not only did I complete it, I killed it! The goal was to read 26 books in the 52 weeks that were 2012 which ends up being a book a fortnight (a fortnight being 2 weeks). My final count for the year? 43 books read! That means that I read approximately 80% of a book each week (on average) throughout the course of the year! I have the full list of books read below but I didn’t include a 44th book I read – Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card – because I have read it a bunch of times before so wasn’t sure it should be included in the final tally.

I have organized the below in my own categories and subcategories. I have grouped together some books by series and kept books by the same author close to each other. As well, the links I have provided for the books – for anyone who wants to read them themselves – link mostly to the Toronto Public Library.

Without the Toronto Public Library this would have been an extremely expensive challenge and so I encourage anyone reading this who lives in Toronto to check them out (the library system as well as the books from the library). It is so simple to do that you don’t even have to go browse to find books anymore! Assuming you already have a library card/account just go to the link (or search the library site yourself), click “Place A Hold,” tell the system where you want the book to be held for you, and then just wait for them to email/call you (your choice) and go pick up the book(s) on a special hold shelf. Done! In and out of the actual, physical library in under 5 minutes!

I have also put books I highly recommend everyone check out in bold. Other books I have added my own $0.02 in on what I thought about them if I thought they were especially good or otherwise.

Better Picture Describing Barbara Frum Library Front Entrance Area

When I was writing the blog post about the Barbara Frum Library the other day I didn’t feel as if I was really getting across the way it was set up with the picture I had attached so I decided when I went back I would get a better picture and explain it all better. To give you a point of reference the picture in the previous post was taken from the left hand side of this picture looking toward the librarian/clerk desk from across the room.

As well, I looked to see if there was any large and prominent signage indicating where everything was and there absolutely was not anything of the sort. The closest thing to signage was right above the actual return slot there was an 8×11 piece of paper hung horizontally with the word RETURNS in a large font. Because of the pillars and the size of this sheet of paper ir was completely invisible from the front doors of the library which is the point where any rational person is most likely to be looking for the returns slot.

• Purple Arrow Entrance guarded by RFID detectors like you see in stores.
• Red Arrows (Left) 2 self checkout stations. (Right) 1 self checkout station.
• Green Arrow Librarian and clerk desk.
• Blue Arrow Badly signed return slot.

Hope that gives you a better understanding of the remodeled main floor of the Barbara Frum Branch of the Toronto Public Library.

RFID Self Checkout At Toronto Public Library’s Barbara Frum Branch

 

You probably remember my mentions of my return to the Toronto Public Library (and using it) as of late. I walked in to the Barbara Frum branch of the Toronto Public Library, the branch I have used since the early 90s when they opened it at Bathurst and Lawrence, the other day to pick up my books and was stunned to see how drastically the front area inside had changed. Gone was the giant desk that had dominated the central area in front of the entrance. In its place were some recommended books on tables sort of like you see in a book store. There were ‘shoplifter detectors’ at all the entry/exit doors which they put in to replace the turnstiles that we encountered in the old set up where we were funneled around the front desk – east side in and west side out.

To my right (with my back facing the doors) I saw 2 computer terminals and to my left I saw the desk that used to be the place where there would only be one librarian on occasion for the kids’ section was fully staffed.

Pre-Holiday Trip To The Library!

Today, I stopped off at my local library because a Harry Turtledove book I had ordered was in and waiting for me. While I was there I did a little wandering and found two more books. I am stockpiling these books as the holidays season approaches. I will be well prepared for a whole ton of reading this holiday season. There are only so many television show marathons and movies a man can watch after all! More books I ordered are on the way too! I am excited.

New York Public Library: I Have A Slightly Overdue Book…

The other day I found this book – no I am not getting into where – and just by the look of it I knew this tome was OLD.
Yes, it does say it is a book of the Complete Works of William Shakesepeare but I wasn’t ready to believe it was THAT old. But how old was it? And where has it been in its life?

I opened it up to see if I could find a copyright or published on date and lo and behold I found something much, much better!

As you can see in the picture this book had a computer punch card, wow they were quaint back then! When is “back then”? The due date of the book “June 23, 1971” – is exactly 40 years ago today!

Also if you look to the right of the punch card, on the punch card pocket there’s a note sticker that says a “fine will be charged for each overdue book at the rate of 10 cents per calendar day for adult books…” Given that it has been exactly FORTY YEARS since the book’s due date that’s:

40 (years) * 365 (days in a year) = 14,600 (days this book is overdue).

Multiply 14,600 by $0.10 for each day and you get….
….ONE THOUSAND, FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY DOLLARS ($1,460) IN OVERDUE CHARGES!!!

This of course assumes that the fine remained constant which it may not have because I just checked the NYPL website and adult books are charged at $0.25 per day currently.

I have to bring this book back and see what they say to me. Will they try and charge me for the late fees? I’d like to see them try and prove that I – a 30 year old – should be responsible for a book that was due 10 years before I was born! Next time I go to New York City I know I am definitely going to have to stop in by the library. Mid-Manhattan Library: Literature & Language Department at 5th Ave & 42nd St here I come!

(Although according to your website you are now the “Stephen A. Schwarzman Building”.)

I wonder if the book is still on file? I wonder if they’ll even take it back!