Whether to cut Sunday library openings at 27 locations or slash the budget for purchasing books and other library materials by up to $325,000 could be off the table, if the city's budget committee can find $208,000 to boost the Toronto Public Library's 2010 operating budget.
The committee agreed to look at a motion from councillor and library board member Janet Davis to give Toronto's library system a tiny break and let it increase its budget by 1.9 per cent, rather than 1.8 per cent as city staff are recommending.The tenth of a percentage point makes a difference, according to Chief Librarian Jane Piper.She said it would either mean cuts to the purchase of library materials, or shutting down 27 library branches for five Sundays in 2010.Davis said that wasn't acceptable."We should find some way to achieve 1.9 per cent," she said. "I understand that the budget may seem like a large amount of money but I can assure you that the library is running efficiently and has absorbed unbelievable growth. It's so busy, and gets busier every day, and we have to absorb it. The Sunday closures I think are unacceptable and I hope that you'll consider granting us the 1.9 per cent increase this year."The motion will be going to the budget committee's wrap-up meeting on March 12 along with other motions from councillors on changes to the $9.2 billion operating budget.Council will vote on the budget April 16.