Fun Facts – Know How, the blog of the Great Library

19th Century Winter Wonderland

While it certainly felt like winter a few weeks ago when we had a huge fall of snow for some in Ontario, and a few centimetres closer to Toronto (though Toronto itself barely saw any), the current rainy weather is making it feel more like spring. We thought this would be a perfect time to conjure up some winter scenery from the past that you can read while you cozy up near a fire with a warm beverage of your choice.

Two Dances at Osgoode Hall

Doors Open is happening in Toronto this coming weekend and Osgoode Hall is once again opening its doors to the public. The theme of this year’s event is Hidden Histories, where the public can uncover untold stories from across the city.

We thought this would be a great opportunity to share a little-known fact about the Great Library: it was the location of two balls (as far as we are aware), 122 years apart.

Spring has Sprung! The Books are Getting Clean!

As the winter melts and spring flowers bloom, many people take the opportunity to do a bit of spring cleaning. It’s no different here at the Great Library, where the increasing warmth and sunshine have inspired us to give our books some extra attention. Books gathered in one place tend to create a lot of dust. One of the duties of library workers is to make sure that the books (and the shelves) are cleaned every so often so that dust and other particles don’t cause damage, either to other books or to people’s lungs.

Have you ever wondered what the process is for cleaning library books? Well, look no further for the answer!