Story Hours in the Slums

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House Movement, 1910-1959 Elisa Sze, Librarian

1 Story Hours in the Slums Re-examining the Toronto Public Library s Participation in the Settlement House Movement, Elisa Sze, Librarian Inforum Library University of Toronto ischool May 30, 2018

2 Andrew Carnegie arriving at City Hall, 1906 Photograph: Philip Figary Source: Toronto Public Library TRL

3 Free libraries have a special claim on every ratepayer who desires to see our country advance to the front, and keep pace with the world in art, science, and commerce, and augment the sum of human happiness... They are a literary park where all can enjoy themselves during their leisure hours, to all lovers of books and students, to the rich and poor alike, the doors of these institutions are open without money and without price. John Hallam, Transcription of the Address of John Hallam, Chairman of the Toronto Public Library Board of Management, February 28, 1883, 1883, 13.

4 Two Competing Identities Librarians as Apostles of Culture *: Refined, genteel, cultural elites who enable social reform and moral uplift through curated collections. Librarians as Social Workers : Progressives interested in community outreach (particularly to vulnerable people) and organizing programs based on community needs. *Term used by Dee Garrison, Apostles of Culture: The Public Librarian and American Society, (New York: Free Press, 1979.

5 Thesis While the Toronto Public Library (TPL) began as a riskadverse institution, it grew into its role as a social equalizer because the expansion and survival of libraries and the library profession required outreach to a broader, more inclusive community. The TPL remade itself from an apostle of culture to a neighbourhood-based social service in order to expand and survive. Emblematic of this was its debut into services for immigrants and the poor by way of settlement house libraries.

6 Method References to libraries within settlement houses: City of Toronto Archives: Central Neighbourhood House (CNH), St. Christopher House, University Settlement TPL Archives University of Toronto Archives: University Settlement University of Illinois at Chicago: Hull House Archives Digitized resources: TPL Annual Reports, the Ontario Library Review, and back files of the Toronto Daily Star Exclusion: Memorial Institute

The Influence of Chicago s Hull House Settlement houses = Houses organized in neighbourhoods in need, offering programs and services to the poor and to immigrants.

7 The Influence of Chicago s Hull House Settlement houses = Houses organized in neighbourhoods in need, offering programs and services to the poor and to immigrants. Staff often settled and lived in the neighbourhood. Image: Hull House, Chicago, House#/media/File:The_Hull_Hous e,_chicago_(front).tif.

8 Photos of Hull House Museum by Elisa Sze

9 Conditions Leading to the Toronto Settlement House Movement Rapid industrialization, urbanization, and population growth Increase in non-anglo-american immigration Widening gap between rich and poor 1897: National Conference of Charities and Correction held in Toronto 1911: Dr. Charles Hastings published his Toronto slums report City remained reluctant to fund substantive solutions to address poverty and homelessness

10 Looking north from Queen and Bay Streets, 1910 City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 10083

11 Old houses (rear view) 152 Centre Street (1912) City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Subseries 32, Item 31

12 Children living in the Ward, circa 1911 City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 8028

Three Settlement Houses Images (left to right):

Fonds 200, Series 372, Subseries 32, Item 881. St.

13 Three Settlement Houses Images (left to right): University Settlement, August 25, 1914, Fonds 200, Series 372, Subseries 32, Item 306. Teaching English, Central Neighbourhood House, Fonds 200, Series 372, Subseries 32, Item 881. St. Christopher House Baby Clinic, Fonds 200, Series 372, Subseries 32, Item 334.

14 University Settlement Library Image source: Goad s Fire Insurance Plan, 1913,

15 Library of University Settlement, circa 1911 City of Toronto Archives. Fonds 1024, Series 709, Item 67

16 Central Neighbourhood House (CNH) Library Image source: Goad s Fire Insurance Plan, 1913,

17 Map of selected settlement houses and all 16 TPL branches in 1920 Courtesy of Sean Marshall

18 St. Christopher House Library Image source: Goad s Fire Insurance Plan, 1913,

19 The over-crowding is such that it is almost impossible to work under present conditions, and at the same time we feel that, over-crowded as we are, we have not begun to reach the vast number of children in this district whom this Library should serve but cannot because of the lack of space. Lillian H. Smith, in Toronto Public Library Annual Report, 1920, 18.

20 Letter from Lillian H. Smith to St. Christopher House Head Worker, Ethel Dodds, 1920 City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1484, Series 1679, File 4

St. Christopher House Library (circa 1919-1923) City

21 St. Christopher House Library (circa ) City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1484, Series 331, File 13

22 Stories Told at St. Christopher House, January-February 1919 Greek mythology: Atalanta s Race The Three Golden Apples Ulysses and the Cyclops Rudyard Kipling: The Elephant s Child How the Rhino Got His Skin Image source: t/justsostoriesfor00kipluoft.pdf, p. 29

23 Stories Told at St. Christopher House, January-February 1919 Folk tales and fairy tales: The Lad Who Went to the North Wind Nimmy-Nimmy-Not Snegourka Story of Leif the Lucky Image source: p. 8

24 Stories Told at St. Christopher House, January-February 1919 Controversial titles: Little Black Sambo Little Black Mingo The Feast of Eat- Everything Image source: title page

25 Map of St. Christopher House, TPL school libraries, and all 20 regular TPL branches in 1957 Courtesy of Sean Marshall

26 Themes Arising

27 Disputable Records Photos by Elisa Sze

28 Mutual Advancement Both professions dominated by women Hurdles: seeking professional recognition and workplace equity Making program decisions based on getting in contact with the people themselves rather than statistics alone

29 Inability to Ignore Poverty and Immigration [S]everal young vagabonds found their way into the library. Most of the children are from the poorer homes judging from the outward signs, namely, uncombed hair, dirty face and hands on the whole they have an uncared for appearance. College St. Daybook , November 23, Boys and Girls House Archives, Series 2, Box 40, Item 4. TPL Osborne Collection.

30 Nationalism & Expansion Waiting for the Story Hour. Toronto Public Library, Central Library, College St., n.w. corner St. George St., 1921 Toronto Reference Library, Baldwin Collection, X Cab

31 [W]hen I see our children gathered around the hearth for the story-hour, with the flickering flames lighting up their little foreign faces I realize that if many of these children are to have their golden egg it is the Library which must don the plumage of the golden goose. Ruth Soward, in Toronto Public Library Annual Report, 1933, p. 31

32 These little libraries, being in the districts where foreigners are found in such numbers, are the means of rapidly educating these non-english citizens, and are thus rendering a great national contribution. Lillian H. Smith, in Toronto Public Library Annual Report, 1926, p. 42

33 Librarians as Social Workers Slum houses, ca City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, Item 3032

34 Librarians as Social Workers The old traditions die hard, and it is difficult for our modern and popular social movements to grasp the idea that a library when living up to its privileges is really the centre of the social movements of any community. George Locke, in Toronto Public Library Annual Report, 1927, p. 8.

35 If it is not going to be possible for us to build more branches then I should like to see the outpost libraries further developed. I have visited the outpost libraries in schools and Settlement houses, and I feel they are doing a great piece of work for those children who need it most. Edith M. Davidson, in Toronto Public Library Annual Report, 1931, p. 10.

36 Conclusion

37 Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for their support at various stages of my research leave project: Barbara Myrvold, Toronto Reference Library, TPL Elizabeth I. Hanson, retired librarian, Indiana University Library Leslie McGrath, Osborne Collection, TPL Toronto Reference Library, Baillie Centre Staff City of Toronto Archives Staff University of Toronto Archives Staff University of Illinois at Chicago Special Collections & University Archives Staff Siobhan Stevenson, ischool, University of Toronto Nalini Singh, ischool, University of Toronto Sean Marshall Kate MacDonald, Trinity College Library, University of Toronto

38 Questions & Comments Elisa Sze ischool web:

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