The Toronto Public Library's newest branch is shaking up expectations of what a library's supposed to be. A bright, glass-walled structure designed by Bruce Kuwabara's KPMB studio (whose previous projects include the Bridgepoint Active Healthcare centre and the Gardiner Museum), the new facility's expected to be a big draw for the condo-dwellers who will flood the community in the next few years. The new branch has a lot more than just book stacks; it also houses multimedia presentation rooms and a huge kids' area with oversized alphabet blocks to lounge on. There's also the Digital Innovation Hub—one of three expected to open in TPL branches this year—where members have access to DJ equipment, audio/video production and green-screen technology, and a 3D printer. Expect a lot of shushing.
· New hi-tech public library branch set to open in Fort York [National Post]
· TPL goes digital with 3D printing, technology hubs [Toronto Star]