John W. Graham Library

Did you know that the Graham Library has the earliest books to be given to UofT?

In a sense, the Trinity Library is older than both Trinity College and the University of Toronto. The library's story begins in 1827 when John Strachan, the first Bishop of Toronto, wrote to the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) requesting assistance in creating a divinity library for the university he was founding in Upper Canada. The Society agreed, and the books were presented to the University of King’s College in 1828. When Kings College became the non-sectarian University of Toronto, Strachan founded the Anglican University of Trinity College in 1851. In keeping with the SPCK agreement, U of T Senate authorized the transfer of the theological SPCK collection to Trinity College. The SPCK books span a range of theological disciplines and were part of the library’s working collection for years before being incorporated into the rare book collection. Bishop Strachan also made two personal gifts to the library. Strachan’s collection reflects his interest in a broad liberal education, with texts in science, classics, history, literature, mathematics, philosophy, and theology.

Find out more in our current exhibit “Of Making Many Books: Celebrating 175 Years of the Trinity Library" on the lower level of the library until December.

⏳It's that time of year again and Graham Library is open again for our fall term hours. Make a note of these important opening and closing times, click the link in our bio for more hours information, or check our website to stay on top of it all! See you at the library!

Mondays to Thursdays:
8:30 am to 10:45 pm
Fridays: 8:30 am to 7:45 pm
Saturdays: 9:15 am to 7:45 pm
Sundays: 1:15 pm to 10:45 pm

📰See what we've been up to at the Graham Library and Trinity College Archives! From cyanotype printing to hosting SEE UofT students and the Bibliographical Society of Canada conference; from orientation sessions and books we loved reading this summer, it's all in this month's newsletter!

Find the link in our bio!

Did you know that the Trinity Library was once located in this cozy space?

This year marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of Trinity College by Bishop John Strachan in 1851. The Trinity Library’s first home was in the Trinity College building on Queen Street West, where Trinity-Bellwoods Park stands today. The College ran out of resources during construction, and the space intended to be a library was repurposed as a chapel when the building opened in 1852. When the chapel was completed in 1884, the library occupied its intended space, next to a museum of natural history, though access remained quite restricted (the library was known as the Provost’s lecture room), and the space was shrouded in mystery.

Find out more in our current exhibit “Of Making Many Books: Celebrating 175 Years of the Trinity Library" on the lower level of the library until December.

🍅September 12-20 is Urban Agriculture Week! We've curated a selection of titles that will get us to start thinking about urban gardens and the future of food. Drop by the Graham Library circulation desk to find these and other exciting titles. Want to know more about what's happening at Trinity next week? Check out the Lawson Centre for Sustainability and .fsl for upcoming tours, workshops, and kitchen events taking place throughout the week.

📚It's that time of year! The Graham Library will open for regular hours beginning Saturday, September 12th! Find all hours details on our website or in the link in our bio.
We look forward to seeing you at the library.📚

⏳The Graham Library will be closed on Monday, September 7th for Labour Day and reopen on Tuesday, September 8th at 9am.
Please note opening hours:

⏳Current hours:
Spring/Summer (Monday, May 4th, 2026 – Friday, September 11th, 2026)
Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays: CLOSED

⏳Fall Hours (Starting September 12, 2026):
Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am to 10:45 pm
Friday: 8:30 am to 7:45 pm
Saturday: 9:15 am to 7:45 pm
Sunday: 1:15 pm to 10:45 pm

The John W. Graham Library houses the Canadian Parish History Collection, a unique collection of Anglican Parish guides. Originally formed from the combined holdings of Wycliffe College, Trinity College, and the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, the collection has grown to over 600 titles. These histories - ranging from professionally bound books to hand-stapled pamphlets - serve as vital social documentation, chronicling the evolution of religious communities across the Canadian landscape.

🔎Explore the collection! Find the link to the interactive map in our bio.

📝This month at Graham Library we're diving right into academic writing! Sharpen those skills and learn to write with impact, with style, and often! Pick up any of these titles and more from our Circulation display. Just ask one of our amazing staff for help.
⌛Check the link in our bio for library hours.

Welcome to The John W. Graham Library! Discover all the great things about Graham by dropping by during our regular library hours:

⏳Graham Library summer hours continue until Friday, Sept. 11: Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:45 pm.

⏳Graham Library hours for fall/winter term 2026-2027 begin on Saturday, Sept. 12.
• Monday to Thursday: 8:30 am to 10:45 pm
• Friday: 8:30 am to 7:45 pm
• Saturday: 9:15 am to 7:45 pm
• Sunday: 1:15 pm to 10:45 pm