[2] During the late-19th century, TPL absorbed a number of Mechanics' Institutes Toronto, reorganizing them into public libraries.

[2] On 8 September 1909, TPL officially opened the Toronto Reference Library at a building on the northwest corner of College and St. George streets.

[2] In addition to the reference library, a TPL branch with a circulating collection was completed in the basement of the building in 1930, and was opened on 21 April.

[4] Additionally, the board viewed the original building was situated far too west for it to properly serve as a library for the metropolitan region.

[6] Moriyama eventually choose a location on Asquith and Yonge Street, partly due to its proximity to Bloor–Yonge station.

[6] A direct access point that connected the library's main lobby to Bloor-Yonge subway station was planned although it was not incorporated in the final design.

[2] The former reference library building was closed in 1977, and is presently used as the University of Toronto's Koffler Student Centre.

Renovations and expansions to the library during this time includes the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon, and a new glass-cube entrance for the building.

[4] At 39,626.4 square metres (426,535 sq ft), the five-double-storey building is the largest TPL branch by area.

[6] The open-space curved central atrium features a skylight and is also designed to allow air to circulate freely.

[4] Several social spaces were built into the library during the renovations, including an event centre and the special collections rotunda.

[12] However, the Toronto Reference Library's collections do include a small number of circulating books, DVDs, and musical scores that may be loaned for outside use to TPL members.

[16] The collection was named after Robert Baldwin, leader of the Reform movement in Upper Canada during the mid-19th century.

The items are held in a Victorian-esque room modelled after the study at 221B Baker Street, the home of Doyle's fictional character Sherlock Holmes.

[17] The collection has since expanded to include thousands of original manuscripts, photographs of Doyle, as well as translations of his works.

[19] It addition to access to its collections, the library also provides a number of technical services and facilities to the public.