Item - 2019.EX7.30

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council endorse the Toronto Public Library Board draft resolution outlined in Attachment 1 to the letter (June 19, 2019) from the City Librarian, requesting the City of Toronto to:

a.  indicate the City of Toronto's support for Canadian Urban Libraries Council's/Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada's efforts to increase access to ebooks and other econtent for library users in Toronto and across Canada;

b.  call on the Federal government to investigate the barriers faced by libraries in acquiring ebooks and other econtent and the problems that poses for vulnerable demographic groups in Canada; and

c.  ask the Federal government to develop a solution that increases access to ebooks and other econtent across Canada and assists libraries in meeting the cost requirements to acquire e-books and other e-content.

Toronto Public Library is a member of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council/Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada. Members of Canadian Urban Libraries Council/Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada spend approximately $100 million in public funds annually on library acquisitions. Despite that significant expenditure, libraries increasingly struggle to develop their digital collections (ebooks and eaudiobooks) due to prohibitively expensive pricing models. Moreover, some important titles, including Canadian ones, are not made available to Canadian libraries by multinational publishers.

Those restrictions and costs make it difficult for libraries to provide important services that contribute to thriving and engaged communities, including vulnerable groups like seniors, low income families, youth and new Canadians.  

Canadian Urban Libraries Council/Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada is asking municipal leaders to recognize the important role that libraries play in our communities and to help to advocate for a solution to the barriers that Canadian libraries face in accessing ebooks and other econtent. Accordingly, it is requesting that municipalities formally indicate their support of Canadian Urban Libraries Council's/Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada's campaign to improve Canadian public libraries' access to ebooks and other econtent by passing a resolution and forwarding notice of that resolution to local Federal Members of Parliament and candidates in the October Federal Election.

Although libraries are governed provincially, the Federal government is being targeted as it is best placed to provide a comprehensive, Canada-wide solution to the digital access issue.

At the June 17, 2019 meeting of the Toronto Public Library Board, the following motion was adopted:

1. That the Toronto Public Library Board seeks Toronto City Council's endorsement of a draft resolution outlined in Attachment 1, requesting the City of Toronto to:

a. indicate their support for Canadian Urban Libraries Council's/Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada's efforts to increase access to ebooks and other econtent for library users in Toronto and across Canada;

b. call on the Federal government to investigate the barriers faced by libraries in acquiring ebooks and other econtent and the problems that poses for vulnerable demographic groups in Canada; and

c. ask the Federal government to develop a solution that increases access to ebooks and other econtent across Canada and assists libraries in meeting the cost requirements to acquire ebooks and other econtent.

I ask for your assistance in obtaining Toronto City Council endorsement of the attached draft resolution. 

Your consideration of this request is appreciated.