TPL AT THE CROSSROADS: A FIVE-POINT PLAN TO REJUVENATE TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY
Library negotiators have told the Union that new City Librarian Jane Pyper wants to find ways to “rejuvenate” the workforce at Toronto Public Library. We agree.
The key to rejuvenation at TPL, and in public libraries in general, is to strengthen what libraries do best, serving all Toronto residents with strong library collections, modern information resources and skilled full-time workers.
Here is a five-point plan that will rejuvenate the TPL workforce and bring a made-in-Toronto solution to the challenges facing the world’s busiest public library.
1 Good Quality Full-Time Jobs
The creation of more good quality full-time jobs is the key to rejuvenating the TPL workforce.
For years TPL has been reliant upon part-time employment to save money at the expense of good quality full-time jobs.
In general, part-time jobs are not economically viable, and offer very little incentive for workers to feel a true sense of engagement with TPL and its mission.
Many workers at TPL, including pages, choose to work part-time and contribute greatly to the library. However there are many others who want full-time jobs but work part-time only because they have no other option.
New library school graduates hired into part-time jobs often leave at the first opportunity, or they spurn TPL altogether to seek full-time employment elsewhere.
Other Canadian employers are beginning to see how the long-term effect of this policy hurts not only workers, but also the employer and society as a whole.
2 Alternative Career Paths
Another consequence of this over-reliance upon part-time jobs is the resulting lack of career and promotion opportunities for experienced long-service employees.
It is time for the library to act with the union to develop alternative career paths for our members based upon a recognition and development of job specialization. A revitalized approach to Children’s Services, for example, would have major benefits for TPL patrons.
3 Mentorships and Training
A comprehensive plan based upon mentorships and other forms of training would help to re-engage frontline workers in the library’s mission. TPL management needs to bring us and our ideas into an innovative and participatory rejuvenation process.
Management negotiators have made a few tentative proposals in this area, but nothing to indicate a level of commitment that has been completely lacking since amalgamation.
4 Reject business service models like the “San Jose Way”
TPL was founded in the mid-1800s as a Mechanics Institute to educate ordinary workers to participate more fully in a fairer society. TPL has continued that tradition by providing free public library services to all the residents of Toronto.
This is not the time to turn away from the free public library to embrace business-oriented, cost-cutting service models like the “San Jose Way”. We need a made-in-Toronto plan to revitalize TPL, not one that will dispense with good full-time jobs in favour of part-time,Walmart-style “greeters”.
5 New technology and experienced workers
Since the early 1990s TPL has lost over 20% of its permanent workers, including close to 200 full-time equivalent jobs since amalgamation.
At the same time, library service statistics have sky-rocketed. This indicates a highly productive workforce.
Technology should complement and not replace such a skilled and productive workforce. Yet TPL management wants to use RFID self-service checkout to achieve up to 90% of future circulation. In other Ontario public libraries, this has led to the elimination of good full-time jobs and even more reliance upon part-time workers.
Toronto Public Library and all of its workers can be rightfully proud of our long history as one of the world’s premier public library systems.
Since amalgamation service statistics have continued to grow, new and renovated buildings have provided welcoming spaces for city residents to use and enjoy, and new computer technology and other infrastructure enhancements have been introduced.
The missing ingredient at TPL has been attention to the needs of a modern state-of-the-art public library workforce.
Local 4948 is prepared to work with the Library Board to implement a comprehensive plan to rejuvenate the TPL workforce, based upon the creation of more full-time jobs and other ideas such as those advanced in our five-point plan.
We have been told the new City Librarian wants to re-juvenate the library workforce. Will TPL rise to its own challenge?
