The starting push to establish library schools in Canada came from George Locke, chief librarian of the Toronto Public Library from 1908–1937. When Locke started his reign as chief librarian at TPL, training for librarians was still limited to on the job training. He believed, however, that librarians should be formally trained in educational programs like those of the US. He favoured librarians that had a formal educational background in librarianship. In 1909, Locke recruited Winnifred Barnstead, a Canadian graduate of a two-year training course for librarians at Princeton University, to head the cataloguing department.Boone, Elaine. "Cross Border Influences for Librarianship: The Toronto Experience." Journal of Educational Media and Library Sciences, 41, no. 2 (2003): 164. Locke also hired Lillian H. Smith, a Canadian graduate from the training school at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, to head the Children's department.Boone, Elaine. "Cross Border Influences for Librarianship: The Toronto Experience." Journal of Educational Media and Library Sciences, 41, no. 2 (2003): 165. With the help of Barnstead and Smith, Locke began his own training program through the Toronto Public Library.
