Dufferin/St. Clair

1625 Dufferin Street,
Toronto, ON M6H 3L9

Hours

Monday	10:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Tuesday	12:30 pm	to	8:30 pm
Wednesday	10:00 am	to	6:00 pm
Thursday	12:30 pm	to	8:30 pm
Friday	10:00 am	to	6:00 pm
Saturday	9:00 am	to	5:00 pm
Sunday	Closed

Wheelchair Accessible
Free Wifi

General Inquiries

To speak directly with staff at Dufferin/St. Clair Branch during branch hours, please call the number listed above.

For general questions about Toronto Public Library, your account, and quick reference help, email Answerline using the link below.

Email Answerline

Directions, TTC & Parking

View on map

Closest major intersection Dufferin Street and St. Clair Ave. West. Located on the east side of Dufferin Street, 1/2 block south of St. Clair Ave.

Public Transit

TTC Dufferin bus routes from Wilson subway station and from Dufferin subway station. All stop at Dufferin and St. Clair intersection, walk south to the library.
TTC streetcars from St. Clair subway station or from St. Clair West subway stations. All stop at Dufferin and St. Clair intersection, walk south to the library.

Parking

Paid - parking lot - 1 block north of St. Clair Ave. on the west side of Dufferin.

Upcoming Programs

Featured Programs

Thu, May 16

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Henna Art workshop

Discover the festive and traditional art of Henna. Learn about its history and adorn beautiful Henna designs, applied by p...

Thu, May 23

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Ebooks, magazines and newspapers

For those who want to learn more about e-resources at the library such as Press Reader, Libby, or Overdrive. Please brin...

Sat, Jul 20

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

NatureTO: Trees Around the Branch Tour

The Dufferin/St. Clair branch and its neighbourhood is home to a variety of trees. Join City of Toronto Urban Forestry sta...

Regular Programs

Mon, Apr 29

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

EarlyON Baby Lap Time

Ages 0 to 11 months. Join us for weekly discussions on parenting and infant care. Meet other parents, learn new songs, rhy...

Wed, May 01

10:30 am - 12:30 pm

EarlyON Family Fun Time

Ages 0 to 6 years. Join us for a fun and interactive play program. Children and their parents/caregivers can access a vari...

Sat, May 04

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Family Story Time

Join us for Family Story Time. Enjoy songs, stories, rhymes and bounces for children ages 0-5. Drop-in. No reg...

All Branch Programs and Events

Branch Features

General Features

Equipment for persons with disabilities

Book stand
Computer with screen magnification software (Zoomtext)
Large print keyboard
Large trackball mouse
Magnifier
Natural spectrum lamp
Page turner
Wheelchair accessible furniture

Technology

Collections

Adult Literacy Materials
Audiobooks on CD
Large Print Collection
Local history collection

Language

Medium collection in French-Children , Italian
Small collection in Portuguese-Adult , Spanish

Meeting Rooms

History

Year	Details
1911	Deputations from Earlscourt, annexed to Toronto in 1910, ask the Toronto Public Library Board "for the extension of library privileges."
1913	Earlscourt Branch opened 19 December. Named for its local community, the library and reading room are located in rented premises, 48 x 32 feet, in the old Boon Avenue Methodist Church, Boon Avenue, northwest corner of Ascot Avenue.
1919	Toronto City Council provided funds "by a special appropriation of $100,000 for the purchase of sites and the erection of library buildings for the districts of Earlscourt and East Toronto". (TPL Annual Report, 1919).
1920	Present site acquired. Construction began 13 July.
1921	Opened, 27 January. Charles J. Gibson, Architect. Total cost of the library, including site, building and equipment was $78,864.
1925-1932	Interior murals painted by George A. Reid, principal of the Ontario College of Art, and by two of his former students, Lorna Claire and Doris McCarthy. Mural decorations in the Earlscourt Branch history panel (PDF).
1954	Toronto Public Library Board receives consent from City Council to sell southernmost 20 feet of land flanking Dufferin Street at the site of Earlscourt Branch Library (retaining 55 feet of open space) to the Salvation Army for the sum of $4,000 and use proceeds to repair the roof in the main library building, 28 June.
1964	Renovation planned by Toronto Public Library staff begins 6 January. Murals painted out.
1973	Renamed Dufferin/St. Clair Branch to indicate more clearly its location, 27 January. Sunday service started.
1979	Renovation and expansion. Baird Sampson Architects. Officially opened 17 March.
1990	Closed 11 June for carpet replacement and asbestos removal. Reopened 24 June.
1992	Closed 6 July for HVAC retrofit. Reopened 14 September.
1999	Sunday opening discontinued, 25 April.
2004	Mural panel, The Family by G. A. Reid, restored through the leadership of local residents, spearheaded by the Regal Heights Residents Association, 21 April - 12 May.
2006	Included on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties (PDF) adopted by City Council, 23, 24, and 25 May.
2007	New open hours, 8 January. Number of open hours per week unchanged. Closed for renovation and expansion 7 July, Makrimichalos Cugini Architects. G. A. Reid and Doris McCarthy murals restored.
2008	Reopened, 28 October, with public presentation of Heritage Toronto plaque commemorating Earlscourt Branch. Toronto's Historical Plaques. Earlscourt - Dufferin/St. Clair Branch history panel (PDF).
2009	Winner of the City of Toronto’s 2009 Toronto Heritage William Greer Architectural Conservation and Craftsmanship Award of Merit.
2010	Winner of the Ontario Library Association's Library Building Award, 2010.

Land Acknowledgement

Dufferin/St. Clair is on Indigenous land. This is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee (ho-den-oh-sho-nee) Confederacy (aka. the Six Nations Confederacy), the Wendat, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Toronto Public Library gratefully acknowledges these Indigenous nations for their guardianship of this land. We'd also like to remind and reaffirm, as Torontonians and Canadians, our accountability to these Indigenous nations, and to all Indigenous peoples and communities living in Toronto.

This land is also part of the Dish with One Spoon territory, a treaty between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (aka. The Six Nations Confederacy), the Anishinaabek (Ah-nish-nah-bek) and allied nations, to peaceably share and care for this land, its waters, and all of the biodiversity in the Great Lakes region. All those who come to live and work here are responsible for honouring this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship, and respect. About Land Acknowledgement Statements