Toronto Public Library Board Meeting Highlights
TORONTO (September 24, 2013) – The Toronto Public Library Board met on September
23 at the Toronto Reference Library. Key topics discussed include:
2014 Operating Budget Submission and Potential
Service Enhancements
The
Board approved Toronto Public Library’s operating base budget
submission
of $167.48 million net ($184.05 million gross), which represents a $2.12
million or 1.3% net increase over the 2013 budget. Half of the 2014 net budget
increase is due to operating costs of the two library branches currently under
construction and anticipated to open in 2014 – Fort York and Scarborough Civic
Centre.
The
Board also endorsed two potential service enhancements in addition to the
base operating budget: standardized open hours at district branches (Albert
Campbell, Albion, Barbara Frum, Brentwood, Don Mills, Maria A. Shchuka and York
Woods) and research and reference branches (Toronto Reference Library and North
York Central Library), achieved by the addition of Monday morning and/or Friday
night hours. These large, busy branches offer the largest collections and most
services so being open longer would benefit the most people. This expansion of
open hours would cost $260,000 in addition to the operating base budget.
The
second potential service enhancement is after hours study halls, which are a
new initiative for Toronto Public Library. These study halls offer comfortable,
secure spaces for study, reading, and working late at night. Beginning when
regular library service ends, study halls would be open until midnight Sunday
to Thursday from September to June. They would be piloted at four locations in
2014 (Toronto Reference Library, North York Central Library, Agincourt and
Richview branches) and then assessed for potential further implementation. The
pilot would cost $140,000.
The
City’s Budget Committee will meet in November and December 2013 to review
recommended 2014 budgets. The City’s
Executive Committee will meet on January 22, 2014 to review recommendations
from the Budget Committee. City Council will approve 2014 operating budgets on January
29 and 30, 2014.
Live Webcasts of Board Meetings and Alternate
Meeting Locations
Starting
in 2014, the Board will hold its meetings at branches other than the Toronto
Reference Library in order to provide greater accessibility to Torontonians. The
Board also directed staff to further investigate the option of a shared service
arrangement with the City of Toronto to deliver live broadcasts of the Board
meetings.
Both
webcasts and
alternate locations
would make the meetings more accessible to city residents, and would allow
Board members to connect with Torontonians by convenient and diverse means.
Youth Participation
The
Board approved a pilot project to appoint two youth advisors to work with Andrea
Tagalakis, who was appointed as Board member liaison. The advisors will consult
with Toronto’s youth, including the 1,600 members of the Library’s Youth
Advisory Groups and informally advise and provide a youth perspective on
strategic directions, policies, services and issues. The pilot will begin in
2014 and be reviewed after June 2015.
Paid Parking Pilot at Fairview Branch
The
Board decided not to proceed with a paid parking pilot project at Fairview
Branch after considering information provided by Toronto Parking Authority.
Staff were asked to investigate how to better restrict access to the parking
lot for library patrons, including the possible installation of a gate.
Shared Services Study
The
Board endorsed principles for the
Library’s participation in the City of Toronto’s shared services initiatives, stipulating that
Toronto Public Library maintain control over collective bargaining while
continuing to work collaboratively with the City. The Library will report to
the Board on discussions with the City in January 2014.
Serving Canadians with Print Disabilities
The
Board is working with the Canadian Urban
Libraries Council (CULC) and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind
(CNIB) to develop a plan to transition library
service currently provided by CNIB to a newly established organization that
will provide public libraries with the resources needed to serve Canadians with
print disabilities directly through their local public libraries. Toronto Public
Library is participating in the working group established to advance this
project.
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Media contact:
Ana-Maria Critchley, 416-393-7212, media@torontopubliclibrary.ca