I’m writing in response to Noah Richler’s editorial Toronto Public Library sadly embraces ‘culture of free’ in defense of the public library.
Toronto Public Library has launched a new pilot program to allow patrons to sell books to the library to supplement popular adult fiction titles in the library’s collection.
The goal of the pilot program is not to reduce the number of copies that Toronto Public Library purchases as new, but to test the value and practicality of supplementing the collection so patrons won’t have to wait as long to read the most desired books. To date, only about 14 books have been purchased and the library already has a longstanding practice of accepting donations of books from customers.
Toronto Public Library is not cheap. In 2014 alone, Toronto Public Library spent almost $18 million on materials from publishers, across all formats including print and digital – and further increases to that budget are proposed. We will continue to purchase new releases as they are published so the books are available to patrons as soon as they are available to consumers.
The Toronto Public Library doesn’t reduce opportunities for publishers to make a living; in fact, it has been increasing them. For example, in 2013, we introduced a ‘Buy Now’ feature on the library website that allows visitors the new option to purchase books online, and at the same time generate revenue for the library. The TPL’s beloved and innovative author’s reading series, which Mr. Richler calls for a boycott of, is another excellent occasion on which the library facilitates the introduction of writers to large audiences and more books are sold as a result.
Michael Foderick
Chair, Toronto Public Library Board