Special Collections – 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.

Devil’s Night

The librarians’ favourite season has come around again – Halloween! This year we have focused on depictions of the devil in our collection, in honour of Devil’s Night, or All Hallows’ Eve (Oct. 30). Each of our three librarians have picked a book (based on the title) from our rare book collection to highlight.

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.