Canada: Toronto Library Board Leaves Room for More Staff Cuts

From Quill and Quire:

At a meeting that stretched over five hours and saw more than 100 community members in overflow seating, the library board discussed its options for attaining a 4.3 per cent cut to its 2012 operating budget in order to reach the 10 per cent total reduction demanded by Mayor Rob Ford. The board had previously approved eliminating 100 full-time staff positions and implementing new technologies, amounting to a savings of $9.7 million, or 5.7 per cent of the budget. On Monday, chief librarian Jane Pyper proposed trimming hours at 59 of the system’s 98 branches and shaving from collections to bridge the remaining gap.
According to the Toronto Star, board members rejected any changes to service hours, claiming it would go against public interest.

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Filed under: Libraries, Public Libraries