Lillian H. Smith Collection

The Lillian H. Smith Collection was established in 1962 to mark the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of children’s libraries in Toronto. When she was hired by the Toronto Public Library in 1912, Lillian Smith was the first trained children’s librarian in the British Empire, and children had only been allowed in the Toronto Public Library for 4 years. Lillian Smith retired in 1952.  The Collection established in her name comprises creative books of literary and artistic merit, published in English from 1910 onward, and includes early and first editions of many modern children's classics. There are also manuscripts and archival materials pertaining to a number of authors, letters, and extensive resource material and several delightful examples of early and modern moveable books.

images courtesy of the Toronto Public Library