Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, July 28, 2011

What’s going on with Toronto Libraries?

Nothing raises the ire of a neighbourhood like the threat of library cutbacks. Or so it seems, since the mere suggestion recently that library hours be scaled back or branches closed has spurred book lovers into action. The campaign to protect Toronto’s vast library system, “Project Rescue,” has gained momentum, benefiting from the high-profile support of author Margaret Atwood. The Post’s Natalie Alcoba takes a closer look at circulation, cutbacks and controversy.

Busiest library system in the world
In its most recent annual report, Toronto Public Library boasts it is the “busiest public library system in the world.” More than 18 million people visit the 99 branches, taking out more than 32-million different items. Circulation has been on the rise, increasing by 3.4% in 2010 over the previous year. Borrowing e-titles jumped an impressive 70%, but still only represents 0.8% of overall circulation. The circulation of print materials was stable, while audio books and DVDs increased. Since 2006, visits to the libraries website have increased by 26%. A survey shows that 73% of Torontonians use the library, said KPMG, a consulting firm that provided councillors with several reports on what services the city might consider cutting for budget reasons. The Toronto Public Library offers more than 27,000 programs, most of them for children, that support early literacy and book clubs.

So how does it stack up?
In North America, Toronto’s library system has the highest circulation and per capita visits when compared with other large cities. Brooklyn, which serves a similar number of people, has 58 branches, and a circulation of 17 million, while Chicago boasts 78 branches and lends out almost 10-million items a year. Closer to home, Montreal has 44 branches, Calgary has 17 and Ottawa has 33, but they don’t serve nearly as many people as Toronto. Toronto’s library budget is about $183-million, about $170-million of which is paid with property taxes, and most of the rest by provincial and federal grants, and fines.

Taking sides
Karen Stintz, a key member of Rob Ford’s administration, came out on Wednesday in opposition to library cuts. In a tweet, Ms. Stintz, who represents Eglinton-Lawrence and is chairwoman of the Toronto Transit Commission, wrote “I value the Toronto Public Library… these are not the types of cuts I will support.” She elaborated on her blog, where she described libraries as “an integral part of our community” and gave a shout out to the three branches in Ward 16 — Armour Heights, Locke Library and the Northern District Branch. “Each of these branches serve the local community, are a part of our history and support the city’s literary talent,” she wrote. “My kids have also benefited from the services of the libraries in the community. They each have library cards and love the library.”

The Ford focus
Councillor Doug Ford, the mayor’s chatty older brother, drew the wrath of library lovers as soon the words “I have more libraries in my area than I have Tim Horton’s” escaped his lips on a radio show. With those comments debunked, Mr. Ford told reporters he would vote to close a branch in his ward, at Kipling and Rexdale, because there are two other locations nearby. In that same interview, he dismissed Margaret Atwood’s online campaign to protect libraries, saying “I don’t even know her, she could walk by me I wouldn’t have a clue who she is.” Mr. Ford clarified his comments on Wednesday, saying of course he knows about Ms. Atwood. “I think she’s a great writer and I look forward to her input. And saying that, we have to look for $774-million and we have to look at efficiencies right across the board.”

The future of libraries
Former Progressive Conservative leader and radio talk show host John Tory weighed in on the library debate, lamenting the “dialogue of the deaf” which seems to be presenting only two options: shut ’em down, or don’t touch a thing. “I ask myself, why is that the choice? Isn’t it not only appropriate but necessary we have a thoughtful discussion about the future of libraries simply because, nothing to do with the city’s finances, the way people get written information and get books is changing,” said Mr. Tory in an interview on Wednesday. “That prompts a whole bunch of important questions: Do we need more branches or less in an increasingly electronic world? Do we need bigger branches, with fewer of them, or smaller branches and more of them, do we need more staff or less? Are we going to start lending Kindles and Kobos to take home instead of books? These all sound far-fetched, but they’re not.”

Privatization
The save-the-public-library campaign soared to new heights when Ms. Atwood retweeted “Toronto’s libraries are under threat of privatization. Tell city council to keep them public now” and pointed to an online petition that has more than 33,000 signatures and counting. But the report from KPMG makes no mention of privatization, restricting its suggestions to ones such as “rationalizing the footprint of libraries, closing some branches” and scaling back hours. But given past comments from the Ford administration about its inclination to privatize where possible, the president of the Toronto Public Library Workers Union believes the threat is real. Maureen O’Reilly, a longtime librarian, says municipalities in the United States have already outsourced the operations of their libraries to a private company. The latest was in Santa Clarita, Calif., which contracted out the operation of its three-branch system to Library Systems and Services LLC. On its website, the private company says it provides library management services in 13 U.S. jurisdictions, and 63 branches. Private companies offer a range of other library services, from back room cataloguing to book selection. “If anybody thinks that the Fords do not know about these trends, they’re fooling themselves,” said Ms. O’Reilly. Toronto Public Library outsources cleaning and security at its branches. As for the potential for more, Toronto Public Library spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins says an efficiency review is “looking at everything.”

Origin
Source: National Post 

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