I thought that title (from an article at Inside Toronto) was so ironic. Like Terri Schiavo when her parents tried to “save†her life, the Toronto library system has been “spared†by mayor Ford. Functionality will be stripped, but at least Mr. Ford is sticking to the letter of his (eventual) stand not to close any libraries. Our mayor made campaign promises not to cut any services while not raising taxes. Now the the rubber meets the road (or the books hit the road) we see what his real priorities are. Not that we should have been surprised.
According to the Star, service cuts will proceed along the following lines:
an almost 30 per cent reduction in the number of hours that neighbourhood branches will be open on Sundays.
At least 25 neighbourhood branches losing some morning service from Monday to Saturday.
Nearly 20,000 fewer open hours from Monday to Saturday
Two research and reference libraries will lose two mornings each.
A reduced acquisition budget, meaning more than 106,000 library items won’t now be bought.
He promised not to raise taxes. So instead he's “taxing†our libraries. That's what these services cuts are, really. Instead of the rich and the powerful suffering a little by paying a bit more in direct taxes and knowing what they are supporting, our youth and our poor are being punished by having these cuts at one of the times they are most needed. Sunday is one of the times when I can actually fit the library into my schedule, since I'm working the rest of the time. It is very busy, since I'm not the only one in that boat.
As a geographer, one thing that I will find interesting is to see where these cuts are expressed. “Wellbeing Toronto†is a website that presents geographic representations of a variety of demographic data over space, specifically for the city of Toronto. (I'd love to see one for the whole province.) A few of these happen to include “Library Open Hoursâ€, “Library Activity†and “Library Spaceâ€. We've been assured that “Library Space†won't change. But the other two will. I'll be interested to see where the libraries are reduced: will it be in areas where youth can use the libraries, or where adults find them convenient? Will it be were the poor can use them as alternatives to gangs, or where the rich consider them a resource? Nor that I have anything against either adults or the rich, but both groups have more capacity to find open libraries if they're not convenient. I hope that as Mr. Ford is making these choices that affect people he can't relate to, that he doesn't hurt them too badly.
Unfortunately, we probably won't find out what areas are getting the cuts until it's too late to do anything about it. That will be Mr. Ford's legacy, no matter how he and his supporters try to squirm out of it. I just hope the rest of us will remember. Now that geographic data is more available through sources like “Wellbeing Torontoâ€, we can analyze over time as well as space. It'll be too late for this generation, but perhaps we can learn from the mistakes Mr. Ford is making and improve the next.
recommend
Facebook
Twitter
bookmark 
print
Comments: 11
Question:
Does the library have a good Interlibrary Loan System - through other Ontario libraries?
Can people access title, author, keyword searches online and can they order books this way? Does the library have a good supply of audio and video media? Are there museum tickets at discount available?
Does the library have computers for people to use?
I used the library here most days when the kids were little. Especially the Reading Program for kids up to age 13. We went after swim about 3 times a week for 4 hours. I would read picture book after picture book to the kids; then they would read them when they were over 6. Each three books they read they got a 'prize' like a pencil or a sticker or a temporary tattoo. For years, they/I/ read 100 books each. When they graduated to chapter books, each chapter boook read was awarded a sticker.
I rarely go into the library now to read or look for books, but I have been downtown at the research library with my daughter, which is the library I spent days at when I first moved to Boston, researching American Lit.
And I order dozens of books and A/V media online, which is retrieved from the library network we have here and I pick them up at the library.
If people have online access, cutting hours is not so much of an issue. Libraries will always be necessary, but we don't need to spend hours IN them as often as we used to do.
If they don't have online catalog access OR a great ILL system, then they need to set that up.
You didn't mention online, which is why I am wondering. That is truly the way to go. If TO doesn't have it, well ---------------- they are 10 years behind the time.
I think Kathyn has a point, does your libray have online service? If not, they should get hooked up to that!
I would like to see Politicians get the same percent cut in their paychecks. That would be real human of them and they would live to bite the bullet like the rest of us!
I can not imagine that any librays should be closed because of budget cuts. I hope and pray for all of them to keep up with the times and provide for those who need these services in a crucial time like the depression we are in. Anyone cutting these libray budgets needs to justify the move and we all should hold them accountable. Great post getting the attention where needed. Lets hope Mr. Ford can run better than the Ford truck...they usually crap out when you least expect it!
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474980605805