Brentwood Branch is open!

Thank you to everyone who attended our re-opening yesterday. With over 1200 people through our doors in the afternoon and evening, it was a lively and exciting event. I will be posting pictures of the event in the next few days, but this is just to let everyone know we are back in business and open regular hours.

We are open:

Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 8:30 pm.

Friday 9 am to 6 pm

Saturday 9 am to 5 pm

Sunday (in season) 1:30 pm to 5 pm

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Brentwood KidsStop

For the past few years Toronto Public Library has been installing KidsStop early literacy spaces in selected branches around the system. Brentwood's KidsStop has been designed in honour of Sophia Lucyk, a resident of the Brentwood area who left a bequest to the TPL Foundation to support creativity, literacy and writing skills in children from a young age. We have taken her passion for writing and literacy and transformed it into an area that celebrates the alphabet, writing, reading and learning. This picture shows the entrance to that area, which is located at in the northeast corner of the first floor.

 

The alphabet whirligig located at the entrance of the KidsStop is an inviting tower of letters that children will be able to manipulate to see the letters spin around. One side of the installation has all lower case letters while the other side has only capital letters. If you note the letters on the top of the whirligig, you will see that these letters are able to be read in both directions, so that when the top spins children will see either a "d" or "p", a "u" or "n". The other letters in this part of the whirligig stay the same whichever way they are read. This can lead to some lively discussions with young children about our alphabet and the way we see letters.

 

 

At the front of the KidsStop area we have installed a kiosk with interactive panels, a puppet play area and words on two of the sides. The following pictures are all taken from various angles of this kiosk.

 

 

 
There are many other aspects of the KidsStop area that will keep babies and very young children engaged and actively exploring. We are looking forward to welcoming you into this space, but we ask you to be patient. Staff are hard at work preparing the library for the public and it will take a while longer. But the wait will be well worth it. We will post signs about the opening as well as keeping this blog up-to-date.

 

THE CIRCUS IS COMING - YOU'RE INVITED!

HUMBER BAY LIBRARY
PRESENTS

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CIRCUS SHOW!

A TPL TD-Summer Reading Club Event
at Stonegate Community Health Centre - 150 Berry Rd.
CALL 416-394-5300 for INFO

AUGUST 31st 1:00 PM - sharp!

This is a FREE* show!

*To get a FREE ticket, all you need to do is be a KID 12 or under and be signed-up to our Summer Reading Club (also Free!). Your ticket allows one adult to come with you, but they are not allowed to have too much fun!

 F E A T U R I N G

A PROFESSIONAL JUGGLER!
AMAZING DOG TRICKS!
UNBELIEVABLE BIRD TRICKS!
AND A REALLY FUNNY FAT CLOWN!
Or a really fat funny clown!

Get your FREE ticket by joining the TD-SUMMER READING CLUB Today at the Humber Bay Library, 200 Park Lawn Rd

IMPORTANT NOTE!
The Show will be held at
STONEGATE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE - STONEGATE PLAZA
150 Berry Rd., Toronto (10 minute walk from the library)
August 31 1:00-2:00 PM

Brentwood Branch - interior pictures

As you can see from this picture, the drywall is installed and taped, ready for painting. This is a view of the KidsStop area of the branch, at the front of the branch, on the north side. With windows on both the front and side (looking out onto what will become the Reading Garden) this is a bright and airy space for children and their caregivers. Very soon, the Burgeon group  and Holman Exhibits will be installing bright and vibrant letters and interactive learning modules that emphasize that early literacy is fun! When it opens, this will become the "go to" space for all the under 5 year olds (and their friends).

 

Also located on the first floor, and adjacent to the KidsStop area, is the area for the registration desk and the self-serve express check out. This picture was taken looking directly at the express check out area on the far wall (behind the pillar). If you look closely at the picture, where the scaffolding is tucked away is an area designated for parking strollers once the branch is open. This "off street" parking will be a great advantage for parents as they enjoy the spaces that the library has to offer without having to worry about their strollers.

 

This is the stairway leading up from the first floor. The elevator can just be glimpsed in the right hand corner. The elevator will make all the floors of the branch fully accessible for all patrons. As well, just to the right of the elevator (not pictured) are the fully accessible washrooms and community board area.

The workers are painting the decorative steel structure that lines the staircase from the first to third floor. When finished, it will be a blue/grey colour. The steel feature is repeated in front of the windows on the landing (just noticeable in the picture at the top of the first flight of stairs).

The first floor of the building will house the urban living room, a community program room, the registration desk, and of course, the KidsStop and Children's area. It will be light and airy and a welcoming place to while away a few hours.

 

Interior views of Brentwood Library as renovation proceeds

The architect in charge of the Brentwood Library renovation invited a team of managers inside the Brentwood library for a look at the progress, recently. Work is progressing well, and the individual rooms in the branch are taking shape.

This picture shows the randomly placed coloured glass in the windows of the second floor adult reading area. The window faces south, and equivalent windows are on the north side. This part of the building is the centre of the branch which will house shelving for Fiction and Non-fiction for adults.

The architect explains a particular point about the building, in the same room, here looking North. Eventually the ceiling will be covered by wood, which will match in colour the old ceiling of the branch.

The steel support structures, prominently protruding from the ceiling will remain in view as ceiling sculptures!

 

The only parts of the old branch building that remain are the fireplaces and the magnificent ceiling with Douglas Fir beams. They were exposed in the previous building, but they were stained with a grey stain. The image shows how test spots have been sanded to expose the original wood. Eventually the whole ceiling will receive a similar treatment to highlight the natural wood, which will give the ceiling a warm feel.

 

As you can tell, there will be lots of space in this area for books and for individual study spaces. A relaxed seating area is planned around the fireplaces on both the first and second floor, and comfortable chairs with tablet sized tables attached will line the windows in this room.

Health and safety measures are designed into the fabric of the building. One such feature is the sprinkler system, which is clearly visible on the two last pictures.

The main staircase on the west side of the building takes you up through the building. Here is a view of the metal lattice running alongside the stairs. The picture is taken from the third floor and shows the neighbouring church viewed through preserved trees that will offer a green screen.

Windows and exterior coverings emerging

Much is happening both inside and outside the new Brentwood Library building. The outside walls are receiving  exterior finishes. Here the limestone blocks are shown decorating the north wall of the building.

This corner window will look into the pre-school area called KidsStop with special furniture and interactive stations designed to encourage early literacy.

 

 

On the main floor people will enter into a big "urban living room". It will have soft chairs, so that customers can enjoy the newspapers, magazines and best sellers planned to be housed in this room.

The fireplace is meant to create a cozy feel. The hearth will have an electric fire.

 

This image of the front of the building shows the many windows in the east wall. The windows are larger than in the previous building and will allow much more light to enter the library.

The surface will have subtle "fins" protruding between the windows to add a decorative element. 

                                                                                                                                                     The windows are almost all in place - just in time for winter! This image shows the second and third floors seen from the south. The windows to the left on the second floor illuminate the group study area and the teen zone, and the windows above them are for staff offices.

The centre section will have green glass mosaics inserted. This glass will complement the dark  zinc cladding planned for part of the exterior walls.

 

 

Lots happening inside the new Brentwood branch

It may seem to some that all work has stopped at Brentwood's new library branch. That is not so, however. The project is still on time, but it may be more difficult to spot exactly what is happening.

The heating /cooling ducts are being run throughout the branch. This picture also shows the sprinkler system. Electricians are hard at work stringing wires throughout the building. All of this infrastructure will naturally be hidden when the branch is finished.

 

 

 

 

 

The first curtainwall (window) panels arrived on site last week. Soon window installation will commence. The masonry work is ready to start and progress will be made with stone and brick laying, shortly.

 

In the "old branch", the ceiling's Douglad Fir beams were stained a greyish colour. That has been stripped off and we will get a chance to admire the magnificent beams "au naturel".

 

 

The upper roof is almost finished externally. On the inside, wood will adorn the flat surfaces of this interesting ceiling.

 

This image is taken from the third floor (staff offices) looking south over the area destined to house the adult print and audiovisual collections. There will also be a number of computers and a cosy living room space in front of the fire place.

 

Apart from these architectural features, furniture has been ordered, and designers are busy preparing sketches of the preschool area on the main floor.

Keep your eyes peeled! There is a lot more happening than it appears. You will get a chance to see it when the branch opens in late summer 2012.

The interior work starts!

The pictures in this update are from Sept 1, 2011. Throughout the Summer, work has continued on the new Brentwood Library. 

All the exterior walls are built and it is time to work on the  the many features of the interior. While construction moves inside, planning continues for details such as layout of shelving and for arrangements of furniture. A lot is going on "behind the scenes". 

 

 

 

In order to prevent rusting and "rotting"of steel beams over time, they are coated in a layer of foam. This ghost-looking worker is well protected by his mask and uniform.  

 

 

 

 

    

On the third floor the walls of the offices facing south have been framed. These offices are for the Branch Head, Operational Supervisor and the Library Service Manager.

 

 

 

 

Electrical wires running through conduits are protected against accidental damage. This building requires many outlets for computers - both library owned and laptops brought in by library users.

The back wall shows that framing has started for future drywall.

                                                                        

                                                                               

 The second floor has retained the beautiful douglas fir ceiling beams from the old building. Those and the fireplace are all that is left of the old materials. The bright light from the many larger windows show off the wooden beams well.

The adult fiction and non-fiction shelving will stand under this ceiling. There will be soft chairs in front of the fireplace for a comfortable reading area.

Quick summer work!

Over the course of a month, Brentwood Library has "grown" its walls and the interior space of the building no longer has to be imagined. The walls constructed from steel beams and cement blocks are almost complete:

 

 

Someone kindly wrote "patience" on the fence support. The project is developing according to  forecast timelines, however, so at this point we predict a late spring 2012 opening.

 

 

 

The main floor shows where the larger-than- original windows will be. It will be a brighter and bigger branch!

 

This corner is the future children's area, which gives easy access for families with young children.

 

The central part of the library in the adult area on the second floor has a special roof with several angles. The angle brackets are meant to create architectural interest as well as give support.

This image taken from the north side shows the angled roof, which will be covered by a wooden interior finish.

The image also depicts how the building steps up gradually from Brentwood Avenue. This design makes the building less imposing.

The new walls are going up!

The following pictures, taken on July 20, show great progress on the walls of Brentwood Library.

The extension to the west is almost fully clad, and the outline of the windows show clearly.  The building is seen here from the south west. The new community room on the main floor wiill be directly under the walls shown.

 

 

 

The basement has been fully filled in and covered. The main floor shown here has been poured on top of all necessary drain and plumbing work. 

 

 

 

 

 

The chimney and the roof of the original library still stand and will be an integral part of the new building.

 

The work is on schedule and developing according to plan!