Equity Statement

Approved: December 5, 2022

Toronto Public Library (TPL) is committed to creating and maintaining work and public service environments where everyone is welcomed, included and supported, and that are grounded in tolerance and mutual respect, so that library customers, partners, staff and the public can freely and equitably access or deliver library services which meet the changing needs of Torontonians.

Equity is about understanding, acknowledging and removing barriers that prevent the full participation of any individual or group. It focuses on making fair treatment, access, opportunity, advancement and outcomes possible for all.

TPL's intersectional and inclusive commitment to equity extends to everyone regardless of race, ethnic group, nationality, immigration status, socioeconomic status, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, language, religious affiliation, beliefs, age or any other prohibited grounds.

TPL recognizes in our work and approaches that reconciliation and justice are not the same as achieving equity and Indigenous Peoples are not seeking equity but rather seeking to have their distinct Aboriginal and Treaty Rights recognized and protected.

Part of TPL's commitment to equity is providing a public space where people feel free to share controversial and challenging ideas in an environment that encourages and values a diversity of thoughts, ideas and opinions. TPL welcomes diversity and supports equity and inclusion by welcoming everyone, without judgement, to pursue their interests at the library, provided they do not violate TPL's Rules of Conduct, the Ontario Human Rights Code, or Canada's Criminal Code. This is noted in TPL's Intellectual Freedom Statement and reinforced in this Equity Statement.

To fulfil these commitments, TPL will actively pursue the following Goals:

• Improve relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to better understand our obligations and responsibilities, and to take active steps towards reconciliation;
• Eliminate racial and social equity barriers in library services, policies and practices by using an Equity Lens in their review and development;
• Ensure TPL's workforce represents and reflects the diversity of Toronto's population, through recruitment, hiring, and development practices, and by ensuring that TPL provides a welcoming and respectful working environment for all;
• Increase awareness of unconscious and systemic biases and the need for continued development of equity, reconciliation, cultural, and human rights and inclusion competencies through educational opportunities for leaders and staff;
• Increase accessibility in the design and delivery of employment practices, services, collections, and physical and online spaces to reflect the diverse needs and voices of our city, including those required of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act;
• Ensure spaces, collections, and services reach, engage and reflect equity-deserving groups and help them express and amplify their voices; and
• Advocate for and actively break down barriers to information, information literacy and platforms for expression.