Recent Acquisition at Mizrahi Bookstore: The Albert and Tammy Latner Jewish Public Library of Toronto

Mizrahi Booksore is proud to announce it's recent acquisition of the Albert and Tammy Latner Jewish Public Library in Toronto, consisting of approximately 50,000 Jewish Books, Periodicals and Newspapers.

The Latner Library, founded by Ben Zion Hyman in the 1930s, began as an independent library located in the bookstore of Hyman, until 1941 when the public library was formally established and moved to a set of rooms in the College Street and Spadina Avenue area in the 1940s. It then moved to the intersection of Markham Street and Harbord Street and then Glen Park and Glenmount Avenues. In 1983, it settled in its final location in the Lipa Green Building at 4600 Bathurst Street.

The library closed in 2008, “due to a lack of resources and a decline in circulation of books being taken out”. The books were carefully stored for 8 years awaiting an institution or library to acquire them, but no such opportunity availed itself, unfortunately. Mizrahi Bookstore has now acquired the library, and we are in the process of finding good homes for each of the books in the collection.

The library consists of an excellent collection and very wide range of Jewish interests. All the classics you would expect are present, as well as endless fine scholarly works, and many unusual titles. Local publications and periodicals are a strong point as well, with full runs of many Journals and Newspapers rarely seen.

The books are now in NY at our storefront and have been shelved in our newly expanded upper level of the store, visitors are more than welcome to browse and enjoy. With the numerous closures of Jewish public libraries, and the changing habits of the book reader in the modern age, there has never been a more crucial time to build your personal collection. Gone are the days when you would travel hours on a train to a library and spend what felt like eternity roaming the stacks of books. In an era when we must steal time to hide from our devices and read a book, our books must be near and dear to us, thus the importance of a home library. All are welcome to visit our store and develop your interests among our 150,000 books now in stock.

Many thanks to Dara Solomon, Bill Gladstone, Mariana Botezatu, Peter Oliver, Barry Sullivan and the endless other people who assisted in the transport of the book, without whom this would have been impossible.

A glimpse at our upper level, housing the Latner Collection

A glimpse at our upper level, housing the Latner Collection

A glimpse at our upper level, housing the Latner Collection

A glimpse at our upper level, housing the Latner Collection