Resumption of Services
(Updated April 4, 3:30 pm)
When do library branches re-open?
All library branches re-opened on Friday March 30th at 10:30am, and all library programs and services resumed at that time, with some exceptions. Regular branch hours resumed on March 31.
When can I start returning items?
Materials can be returned as soon as the branches re-open. Book drops are now open.
When will the bookmobile start again?
Bookmobiles began regularly scheduled stops on Friday March 30th at 10:30am.
When will Home Library Service begin?
Home Library Service resumed Friday March 30th, but it will take staff a few days to get back onto the regularly scheduled visits. Library staff will be contacting customers with delayed orders to let them know when they should expect their order. Customers whose deliveries were scheduled during the labour disruption will receive their delivery on the next scheduled visit.
When will Answerline and online library assistance services begin?
All library services resumed Friday March 30 at 10:30am, with a few exceptions. Answerline, Ask-a-Librarian and online library assistance services are all available now.
Late Fees
I have items that were due during the time the library was closed due to the labour disruption. Will I have to pay fines on these items?
No. Library customers will not be charged for any materials that became overdue during the labour disruption, and library customers have 2 weeks to return overdue materials without being charged fines. Any fines accrued prior to the labour disruption are still the responsibility of library customers to pay.
I cannot get to the library on the first day it re-opens to return my items that were due while the branches were closed. Does this mean I will have to pay fines for my overdue materials?
You have two weeks from the time branches reopen to return any materials that came due during the labour disruption. This means that you have until Thursday April 12 to return your overdue library materials. Overdue items received after April 12 will be charged fines from April 13 until the date they are returned.
I went away during the labour disruption and didn’t return until after April 12, 2012 and I have accumulated fines. Will I have to pay those fines?
When you return, please take your overdue materials to a branch and discuss your personal situation with library staff.
I have a Best Bets book, DVD, magazine or Book Club Set that was due during the labour disruption. Will I have to pay fines on these items?
The library will not be charging fines on any library materials due during the labour disruption as long as items are returned by Thursday April 12. All library material will have the same fines exemption.
I have library material that was already overdue when the labour disruption began. Will I have to pay fines for the period before the strike?
Yes, fines will be charged for any days the material was due prior to the closure of branches on March 18, 2012. No additional fines accrued during the labour disruption period.
I returned library material in the book drop before the libraries closed but they still show on my record. When will it come off my record? Will I owe fines on this material?
Library staff began checking in material that was returned in book drops before the labour disruption as soon as service resumed. It may take a little while for all items to be checked in and when it is checked in, it will come off of your record. No fines will be charged on this material, unless it was due before March 18, 2012. We appreciate your patience as library staff resume services and process any backlog of materials.
Holds
I had items that I had requested ready to be picked up at the library but did not get them before the strike. I was supposed to pick them up within one week but could not because the library closed. What has happened to my hold? Do I have to request this item again?
All items that were on library shelves waiting to be picked up have had their expiry dates extended. This means that you have 2 weeks from the date of the re-opening of the branches to pick up your hold item. If you do not find your hold on the shelf, please speak to library staff.
The item that I requested has been in transit since the beginning of the labour disruption. When will I get it?
No library material was moving between branches during the labour disruption. Material will start moving again now that service has resumed. You will be contacted as soon as the item arrives at your chosen pick up location.
What has happened to the items that I had on hold before the labour disruption?
Your holds are still in place and items will be sent to you when they become available. Your position in the holds queue has not changed. If there are items that you no longer need, please go into your account online and cancel the holds.
Programming & Events
Q. Are community meetings, events etc. starting up again immediately?
A. All library programs and services resumed on Friday March 30, with a few exceptions. Please check the website, or call your branch or Answerline to get the most up-to-date information about branch programs and events.
Q. Is programming—like ESL, Ready for Reading—starting back up in the branches right away?
A. All library programs and services resumed on Friday March 30, with a few exceptions. Please check the website, or call your branch or Answerline to get the most up-to-date information about branch programs and events.
Q. I had an event booked in a library theatre (meeting room) during the labour disruption and it had to be cancelled. Will I get a refund?
A: Room rental charges will be refunded, as appropriate. Please contact room bookings at roombookingunit@torontopubliclibrary.ca or 416-397-5969 between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday – Friday.
Q. What about library events in the Appel Salon? Are they back on?
A. All library programs and services resumed on Friday March 30, with a few exceptions. You can check the library website at torontopubliclibrary.ca/appelsalon to find out if any Appel Salon events have been cancelled or rescheduled.
Q. What about deadlines for artist applications?
A. The deadline for applications for branch art exhibits has been extended. For more information, contact the Art Exhibits Office at (416) 393-7224 or by email at:
artexhibits@torontopubliclibrary.ca
Q. What about the deadline for Business Inc. applications?
A. The deadline for applications for Business Inc. has been extended. You can check the library website at torontopubliclibrary.ca/businessinc for more information.
Q. What about the deadline for Young Voices 2012 submissions?
A. The deadline for submissions for Young Voices 2012 has been extended to Saturday April 7, 2012 (online submissions will be accepted until April 14). For more information, visit Young Voices, opens a new window.