Two women sitting on a beige couch, smiling at the camera, wearing matching light blue pajamas with white cloud patterns, in a cozy room with a picture on the wall in the background.

Every Library T.O.

In April 2026, I will walk to all 100 Toronto Public Library branches to honour my late mother and raise funds for the TPL. Send Band-Aids.


Here’s how you can join in the fun:

  • Interior of a modern library with multiple floors, bookshelves filled with books, and seating areas for reading and study.

    Donate to help me raise money for the Toronto Public Library

    Whether you give $5 or $50, it adds up. Honestly, it all counts. I'll be tracking our progress right here, and we'll celebrate every milestone together.

    IMPORTANT:
    1. Please check the box that allows you to share your name/info with me so I can thank you properly (and send you a custom bookmark!). The TPL cannot share any info with me otherwise!

    Donate
  • A park with people gathered around a table, trees on either side, and the CN Tower in Toronto in the background.

    Join me on the walk!

    I’d love company! Join me for a kilometre, a day, or just a coffee at the halfway point. Bring your dog (Tess would love a friend), bring your kids, bring your own library memories.

    I'll be posting the daily routes and times here as April approaches. Show up when you can. (Please note: This is an independent fundraising event organized in support of the Toronto Public Library Foundation and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Foundation.)

    Sign up for notifications!
  • A green tote bag hanging on a window latch with the word "LIBRARIAN" printed on it.

    Tell me your story

    This walk is about more than my mom and me. It's about every person who found refuge, inspiration, or just a good book on a library shelf.

    What's your library memory? First library card? A librarian who changed your life? The book that found you at the right time?

    Drop a comment on Instagram [@beingmarci], send me an email, or tag me in your story. I'll be reading them all as I train—and they'll keep me going when my feet want to quit.

    Share on Instagram!

I'm calling it Every Library T.O.

I may rename it Every Blister T.O. We’ll see…in any case, this is a very long, overdue and novel thank you.

An elderly woman with gray hair, wearing a gray hat, glasses, a blue jacket, and a green tropical print shirt, sitting at a table in a cafe with ice cream in front of her.

About the walk

My mother held a Toronto Public Library card for 50 years before she died this past April. A few days before she passed—literally in the same conversation we had about her funeral—she reminded me to return her library books so that “other people can enjoy them too."

Growing up, my mom brought me to story hour most weeks and let me check out far too many books. Those visits taught me that libraries are more than buildings—they're proof that access, curiosity, and community matter more than what’s in your wallet.

Now, one year after losing her, I'm walking to all 100 Toronto Public Library branches to say the thank you that's long overdue (please don’t tell my knees).

This walk is my thank you to her, to the Toronto Public Libraries and to everyone who believes public spaces still matter.