Irishmonk
Senior Member
I'm not sure I've ever been in a "government" library, but I use my local public library on a frequent basis.
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Save Our Libraries!
- Thread starter Irishmonk
- Start date
I'm not sure I've ever been in a "government" library, but I use my local public library on a frequent basis.
cdr108
Senior Member
unless you're a foreign student, you're still getting a subsidized university education by the taxpayers.
using your logic, i'm sure universities can work for people who want them and not at the expense of others who do not want them.
hence you should be willing to pay the full tuition cost, which is 3-4x what a Canadian student pays (ie what international students pay)
uptown
Active Member
I'm not sure why libraries are seen as sacrosanct. Surely there are a few branches that could be closed to address the budget deficit. Nominal user-fees (something like a $10 annual "membership" for adults, $2 for children) could also be imposed on a yearly basis on people who check out materials from the library to contribute to the cost of running them.
Tacoma
Active Member
Many discussions in this thread talks about the pros and cons of a public library system but getting rid of the public library isn't the issue at hand. I live where there's a library within 10 minutes walk, another within 20 walk and a third within 25 min walk. It wouldn't be a devastation to literacy within the community if one of them were to close.
Irishmonk
Senior Member
If all of the branches are being heavily used, why close any of them? The city is growing so, if anything, we'll need more libraries in the future to keep up with demand.
Justin10000
Banned
Downtown Toronto has a severe lack of libraries. TPL is opening a branch to serve the new condos downtown, but not until 2014? We definitely need more libraries. A lot of people do not realize many branches are small "community" branches that are very small, and cater to local demand. It's not like every library is the size of North York, or Northern District.
Tacoma
Active Member
The point of closing some library branches is to look for savings so that we can be fiscally responsible. If the population is growing then presumably more people to pay taxes increasing revenues thus offsetting increasing expeditures needed to open new branches, then I'm all for it. However, if it means raising taxes, then I have a problem with it. If the the need for new branches is due to population shifting more so than growing, than the option of closing of branches should be on the table.
I'm not as convinced as some of you that demand is increasing because I have not seen the data. Surely population is growing but as others have already said, with the eBooks and Internet use growing, the need for physical libraries decreases. I can go to TPL right now and download an eBook online 24/7 or find out the population of Austria on the Web without stepping foot in a branch.
I assume the library keeps metrics on borrowings through the years and would be interested in seeing this to confirm assertions of increasing overall demand. Anecdotally, I don't see that crowds at my main library to be any greater than 20 or 30 years ago. In fact, I see less.
I'm not as convinced as some of you that demand is increasing because I have not seen the data. Surely population is growing but as others have already said, with the eBooks and Internet use growing, the need for physical libraries decreases. I can go to TPL right now and download an eBook online 24/7 or find out the population of Austria on the Web without stepping foot in a branch.
I assume the library keeps metrics on borrowings through the years and would be interested in seeing this to confirm assertions of increasing overall demand. Anecdotally, I don't see that crowds at my main library to be any greater than 20 or 30 years ago. In fact, I see less.
Torontovibe
Senior Member
It could be devastating for a busy student who already has to wait 30 minutes to use a computer. With fewer libraries, people will have to wait even longer. If drivers on Jarvis, can't take 5 minutes longer to get home, why should library users have to wait much longer than that, to use a library service? Why are drivers treated special? Isn't that why we are paying 200,000 dollars to take out the cycling lane? I'd call that a double standard.
toraerach
Active Member
More people are living in smaller apartments in more crowded areas. Having a nice, open, and above all quiet place to go and escape is invaluable, especially in winter when you can't really hang out outside for long periods of time. I rarely go to the library for the purpose of borrowing a book or using a computer, but I end up there a lot just to get away from the hustle and bustle, grab a comfortable chair and do some reading or writing.
One of the best parts of the library is stumbling upon books you would never really find otherwise. The type of book that catches your eye so you open it up, flip through a few pages, and decide is interesting enough to check out. The type of book you might not find using an e-reader, or the type you wouldn't want to spend money on, but enjoy nonetheless.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
If you have a library card you can get a free family pass every week to either the ROM, AGO, Black Creek Pioneer Village, Gardiner Museum, Textile Museum, Bata Shoe Museum, or City of Toronto historic buildings such as Spadina House, Colborne Lodge, Gibson House etc. without ever looking at a book in their collection.
nfitz
Superstar
How would you do this without violating Section 23(1) of the Ontario Public Libraries Act. which clearly states "A board shall not make a charge for admission to a public library or for use in the library of the library's materials"
Tacoma
Active Member
The cycling lane issue is a strawman to this discussion, not touching that with a 10-ft pole. If a branch is so busy that people are waiting 30 min to use a computer, it's not going to be a candidate for closure. But are all 98 branches so busy? Maybe not. Probably not.
I'm not saying that libraries absolutely need to be in play, but we're told that the City need to cut about $380 million to balance, so if not consolidating some library branches and TPL is completely off the table, then other services will have to sacrifice a greater share. Maybe it's deeper cuts to police or less firemen or daycare? It's zero sum and I'm just saying if we can find savings by consolidating some branches that are within walking distance of each other or other reasons, then it may be a lesser evil to go this route.
Chinese Jamaican Bloke
New Member
I stopped watching Anglo-American TV and Hollywood movies which are filled with racism and promote white supremacy nor listen to north American music which are unoriginal. my main source of movies and music are from the library and my other source of entertainment is the Japan foundation library near Bay and Bloor. the music on my mp3 player between 1900 and 2000 are from the libraries. music which cannot be found in record stores in Toronto that mainly sell north American crap, unoriginal music
ibhattac
New Member
Check out the Toronto Public Library website and the Toronto Public Library Board minutes. All the data you of which you speak is publicly available.
Tacoma
Active Member
I checked a long time ago, it's quite superficial (less than what you'd get in a corporate annual report) and not sufficient to make a meaningful decision on library closure on a branch-by-branch basis.