Nunziata says she won’t let libraries close

Frances Nunziata says the library union is “fear mongering” when it alleges that the libraries in her ward are vulnerable. She says

Residents of Ward 11 can rest assured that the Weston and Mount Dennis libraries will not be closed and any suggestion to the contrary is absolutely false.

The Toronto Public Library Workers Union put out a press release earlier this week that said the Weston and Mount Dennis libraries were threatened by the current cost-cutting at City Hall because they are in the ward of a councillor who is sympathetic to Rob Ford. Recently, Doug Ford, the mayor’s brother, said that he would cut libraries “in a heartbeat“.

Nunziata says

As we are still in the early stages of reviewing all City operations, there will be rumours surfacing regarding cuts that will be made.  The review of the existing library system is one such example of how rumours have spread… The Weston and Mount Dennis libraries are not in any danger of being closed; if this was ever being considered, which it is not, I would fight tooth and nail to ensure that it did not happen.

Author: Adam Norman

I am raising my two children in Weston.

2 thoughts on “Nunziata says she won’t let libraries close”

  1. Okay I agree with Frances that a lot of what the library union is saying in the media is just fear mongering however what Doug Ford is saying too like “Tim Hortons vs Libraries or I don’t know Margaret Atwood” is just dumb and just fuels more rhetoric on both sides of the debate.

    However Im a frequent visitor to the Weston branch and have been since I was a little kid. I even remember it before 1980 expansion. I do think think there’s needs to be changes at TPL. Weston branch seems to have too many employees at times. It’s not a research library, most of the people who come there do use the computers or come with laptops now. There’s no self checkouts yet, I think this would great cause it would cut the lineups at the front desk. Where’s the security machine at the front door? There used to be one, I wonder sometimes how many books or magazines are taken from the branch without checking it out..There’s hardy any current magazines in there,, some are very old issues. Plus I do believe the late return fee is too low! It should at least $1 or more cut down on wait times for book holds.

    These are just little things but this talk get lost in the debate cause of this nonsense talk from both sides in the media. Also I would consider closing the Weston branch if an alternative was presented such building a much larger library. I really like the Barbara Frum library in Bathurst&Lawrence area, it has I think 3 or 4 floors with large areas for reading & tables for laptops. Plus lots of rooms for community events. We need that kind of library in our neighborhood. TPL needs bigger libraries not lots of smaller ones. However I hardy doubt they will close the Weston branch just like Frances said above. So I wouldn’t worry about it. I don’t think our “teflon” councillor will survive closing of Weston branch politicly !Report

  2. I applaud our Councillor for her stance on the libraries. I for one do not use the Weston library as much as I once did, however there are a lot of young children and young adults who do use it.

    I agree with the staffing issue and the need for more automation. We have automation in nearly every grocery store in the city, so why not in our libraries. It makes sense to automate and cut jobs when you are cash strapped so long as the automation doesn’t increase costs.You don’t have to pay benefits or pensions to machines.

    The one thing I do not agree with is the libraries stance on book donations. They do not take donations anymore and I think that is wrong. If a patron donates books that are in good condition I don’t see why the library wouldn’t accept them? We live in a poor community according to the statistics and yet the library system turns down donations? They can’t be that cash strapped then can they?

    I had a huge collection of once read books last year that I tried to donate to the library in Weston and was rejected. I thought that it was a case of the library staff being to lazy to inventory them, so I trekked over to the Richview library only to be met with the same attitude…”Thanks but no thanks”. These were almost new books in excellent condition and of general interest to the average reader. I ended up donating them to a thankful Goodwill.

    Our Councillor should be looking into the rejection of donations by the library system.Report

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