TORONTO—When it comes to attracting fans in Toronto, only one performer comes close to Taylor Swift: the Toronto Public Library.
“The Toronto Public Library averages about 34,000 in-person visits per day, which means more people are likely to visit a library branch than see the biggest musical artist in the world over the 10 days she is here,” says Carolina Aragão, author of a new report on library funding from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). “The Eras tour could draw up to 11 million fans in 21 months, but the Toronto Public Library will see twice as many visitors in that time. It never goes out of style.”
But despite its popularity—81 per cent of Torontonians use the library—the Toronto Public Library needs more funding from the city and the province to meet the huge and growing demand for its services, Aragão says.
“Libraries play a crucial role in communities by fostering learning, civic development, and intellectual freedom,” Aragão says in her report, Much More Than Books: The case for robust funding for the Toronto Public Library. “On top of that, the library generates over $1 billion a year in economic activity, and every dollar invested in the library generates an estimated $5.63 in value to city residents.
“As a vital service with no entry fee, the Toronto Public Library is a haven of learning and connection that builds community, helps welcome new immigrants, and holds our city together,” Aragão says. “The case for boosting funding could hardly be stronger.”
The CCPA report makes four recommendations to shore up the library and help it thrive now and into the future: 1) the city should continue to recognize the key role of the library in city life and use the tools it currently has to boost revenues; 2) the city should explore other own-source funding options, such as a municipal income tax, sales tax, or other mechanisms; 3) the city should work with other municipalities to advocate for increases in the provincial Public Libraries Operating Grant and the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund; and 4) Queen’s Park should recognize its historic role in supporting public libraries and fund them accordingly.
“If Taylor Swift had a song about Torontonians and the Toronto Public Library, it would be ‘Love Story,’” Aragão says. “Governments at every level can help keep the relationship strong.”
To download Much More Than Books, visit policyalternatives.ca/news-research/much-more-than-books
For more information and to arrange interviews please contact Amanda Klang, CCPA Senior Communications Specialist (Media & PR) at [email protected]
