[URBAN NOTE] Two Toronto Public Library notes

[rfmcdonald]

Two articles on Toronto's excellent--famed, even--public library system appeared. Each undermined the other.

Torontoist's Hamutal Dotan observed that the system will be facing severe cuts indeed. Not only the Urban Affairs branch at Metro Hall downtown will be closed, depriving neighbourhood residents of a convenient place to pick up books, but acquisitions are going to be hit. The only hope is that the city government won't approve these cuts.

The acquisitions budget—which is what pays for new book, periodical, and other item purchases each year—will not see an "economic" (i.e. inflationary) increase, meaning that the library will be able to purchase eighteen thousand fewer items this year than last, since books will cost more this year than last due to annual increases. An additional reduction has been requested by City staff, which would further reduce book purchases by another twenty-three thousand volumes. TPL staff is recommending that the library board accept the inflationary freeze but not the additional cut; their report to the library board states that "[t]his would result in longer wait times for popular materials, lower customer satisfaction, and may result in 305,000 fewer books borrowed."

Meanwhile, at the Toronto Star Vanessa Lu's article "Toronto's library system adapting to modern needs made the point that the system was a roaring success, as a source and as a public place where Torontonians can meet.

While Rob Ford is considering cutting the library budget and even closing one branch, Toronto’s libraries are experiencing a renaissance. Branches are not only bridging the digital divide, but are adapting to become more welcoming spaces, which staffers like to describe as “the city’s living room.”

Gone are the days of librarians shushing people. Now people can drink and eat in the branch. Comfy chairs are a must. Some branches even feature fireplaces; outdoor reading areas are being added to others.

In renovated branches, desks have lots of electrical outlets to accommodate laptops. Televisions are cropping up so people can watch everything from World Cup soccer games to the latest breaking news.

The library is no longer just a place to borrow books. People get audio books, DVDs and downloadable e-books. Gaming programs to lure youth into branches are also being considered.

[. . .]

City librarian Jane Pyper says people like to be around other people.

“People want to be alone together. They come to the library,” she said. “They are actually seeking out in an individual pursuit, but they still want to be in a room with other people, where they can look up and be distracted on occasion.”

Plus Pyper believes increasingly there is less space in Toronto, “whether that’s at home or the workplace or in other public spaces