About the Library - Library Closed for Redevelopment Until Fall 2013

The Library will be closed for redevelopment until Fall 2013.

RCMI Library: Steeped in History

  When a group of Toronto area Militia officers decided to found a military institute in 1890, they included in the Charter that it was for "the promotion of Military Art, Science and Literature" among other aims and objectives.  The Library was started with a donation of 200 volumes from "the late Militia Institute".  A further large donation of 733 volumes came in 1925 from the estate of Colonel George T. Denison, so that by the mid-1930s, through donations and purchases, the collection stood at well over 10,000 volumes.  Since then the collection has almost doubled.

  The collection forms a corpus of military history, science and art maintained as a reference source, the largest privately funded and maintained library of its kind in Canada, and one of the larger in North America.  It is for the study and enjoyment of those whose interest lies in the broadest sense of "military" and supplements the more modest or restricted military literature holdings of public or other libraries.  It is unique, being supported largely through the RCMI membership and the RCMI Heritage Fund, plus money raised from in-house book auctions and sales.  Its wide range of subject matter: Army, Navy, Air Force, training and equipment, tactics and strategy, uniforms, medals, war art and poetry, allows a detailed study of subjects not readily found elsewhere.

The Library as a Research Centre 

  The Library is available for use by the public for research projects and to anyone with an interest in military affairs or history.  Research projects cannot be undertaken by the Librarian, but help will be given including making material available to the user.  Non-members by appointment only.

How to Use the Library

  The Library uses the Library of Congress classification system.  The Library is fully automated, and searchable from this website.  See "Search the Library" for the link.  An Interlibrary Loan service is available to members and will be available to other libraries when we reopen.

Staff Librarian On Hand to Help

  The Library is but one part of the RCMI and, under the Board of Directors, is administered by a Chairman, an Honorary Librarian and a Library Committee of volunteers who are members of the Institute. 

  A professional Librarian, Penny Lipman B.A., M.L.S., is on staff to design and maintain the database, catalogue the collection and fulfill interlibrary loan requests.  Penny also handles day-to-day operations, responds to reference queries, and ensures the safekeeping of the collection.  She is also responsible for implementing new Library projects.  

  With his vast subject knowledge, Mr. Arthur Manvell, the RCMI Honorary Librarian, is available to answer research questions and process donations.

Book Donations Welcome

  New books from publishers, authors or members are always gratefully received.  

We are pleased to accept used book donations but we are not able to accept every book offered.   In particular, we do not accept non-military books, novels, textbooks, newspapers or magazines.  Military books cannot be Library discards, or books that have been underlined, highlighted, worn or damaged.

Not every used book accepted becomes part of the collection.  Volumes that are duplicates or that don’t fit into our mandate are sold in the library auction or book sale as a fund-raiser for the Library.

The Library is unable to accept unreviewed donations.  Please contact the Librarian with a list of books in your proposed donation. The Library Committee must evaluate donations as to their suitability to the collection, and we reserve the right to decline offers based on suitability.  Tax receipts are provided only for those books deemed suitable for the permanent collection. 

Funding Donations Welcome

  The Library is constantly looking for donations to purchase new books and to help fund new and ongoing projects.  These include  making digitized copies of rare or fragile books available through Internet Archive Canada and accessed through the catalogue.  http://www.archive.org/