Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection
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About the Collection
The Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection features over 19,000 books, DVDs, CDs, newspapers and magazines for adults, children and teens. Materials focus on the Black and Caribbean historical and cultural experience, with a special emphasis on Canadian content.
Recognized as one of the most significant Black and Caribbean heritage collections in Canada, it is an invaluable resource for the Black and Caribbean community as well as students and researchers.
Topics
Topics include history, social science, and the contributions and achievements of Black people in Canada. The collection also includes a small selection of titles about world figures in Black history and culture.
Formats
Formats include books in regular and large print; newspapers and periodicals; CDs and DVDs.
Locations
The collection is available at four branches across the city:
Smaller collections, identified with an orange Black and Caribbean Heritage label, may also be found at some other branches.
Who is Rita Cox?
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Recognized as a Canadian icon, community activist and admired leader in the Black and Caribbean community, Dr. Rita Cox joined Toronto Public Library as a children's librarian in 1960. In 1974, she became the head of Parkdale Branch, where she remained until her retirement in 1995.
During her tenure, Dr. Cox launched literacy programs and other initiatives that promoted multiculturalism and literacy throughout Toronto.
Her work touched the lives of the entire community, particularly children and newcomers.
In 1973, Dr. Cox pioneered the Black Heritage and West Indian Resource Collection, which was renamed the Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection in 1998. It soon became one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in Canada. Today, it continues to be a source of pride in the community.
Dr. Cox is a renowned storyteller who has enchanted and entertained audiences across North America, Europe, Brazil and the Caribbean. She has also maintained the Library's storytelling legacy by training a whole new generation of storytellers, many of whom are current library staff.
Awards and honours
Rita Cox has won numerous awards, including:
- Canadian Library Association Public Service Award and Black Achievement Award (1986)
- Honourary degree, York University (1993)
- Honourary degree, Wilfrid Laurier University (1994)
- Order of Canada for outstanding work in storytelling and literacy (1997)
- Rita Cox Park named in her honour (2008)
- Caribbean Tourism Organization Lifetime Achievement Award (2019)
The Rita Cox Endowment Fund
To ensure the enhancement and growth of the Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection, the Rita Cox Endowment Fund was established.
Donate today to support the Endowment or contact the Foundation at 416-393-7123.