New Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) report on library funding

November 12, 2024

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) released a new report on library funding. Much More Than Books: The case for robust funding for the Toronto Public Library makes four recommendations to shore up the Toronto Public 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.

Much More Than Books: The case for robust funding for the Toronto Public Library
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Executive Summary

The Toronto Public Library is a vital institution that is deeply integrated into the cultural, social, and intellectual life of Torontonians. It not only provides access to knowledge but also plays a crucial role in supporting the community through programs that enrich lives, improve digital literacy, and help residents navigate the complexities of modern life.

Despite its critical role, the Toronto Public Library’s budget has been stagnant at a time when the system faces growing pressures. Library funding has not kept pace with increased social needs and rising operational costs, leaving the library vulnerable as it confronts challenges such as aging infrastructure. At the same time, as population grows and unmet social demands rise, library staff are being asked to do more with limited resources, stretching the system’s capacity to serve the public effectively.

Currently, the library depends overwhelmingly on the City of Toronto for its operational and capital funding. Over the past decade, provincial transfers have decreased, leaving the library increasingly reliant on constrained municipal resources.

• In 1992, the Provincial Library Operating Grant provided 6.3 per cent of the Toronto Public Library budget. In 2013, that number was just 2.4 per cent.

While investment from the City of Toronto has kept the library’s overall inflation-adjusted revenue (although not its revenue per Torontonian) roughly unchanged, the over-reliance on city funding imposes several constraints on the Toronto Public Library. Like every Canadian municipality, Toronto has few tools available to raise revenue, putting it in a vulnerable position when it comes to funding investment in services, including library systems.

At the same time, the Toronto Public Library is a beloved and popular institution, receiving more in-person visitors annually than the city’s top tourist attractions. In 2023, data shows that:

• Toronto’s libraries lend more materials overall and have a higher per capita circulation rate than those in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
• 90 per cent of city residents agreed that the Toronto Public Library is “an important resource” for the community.
• 81 per cent of city residents use city libraries’ services and facilities.
• The use of library services is highly democratic, with usage cutting across all income lines.
• Library branches had over 12 million in-person visits in 2023 and almost 1.2 million registered cardholders.
• The Toronto Public Library attracts more annual visitors than the Distillery District, the CN Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Casa Loma and the Hockey Hall of Fame combined.
• Seventy-five per cent of users accessed its collections, while 50 per cent used branches for reading, studying, or access to technology.
• Over 740,000 participants attended more than 34,000 in-person and virtual programs and events.

Libraries play a crucial role in communities by fostering learning, civic development, and intellectual freedom. They provide educational spaces for all ages, support disadvantaged groups through digital literacy and skill-building programs, and serve the public’s interests in ways that private platforms cannot. In cities like Toronto, where income inequality is evident, libraries act as inclusive spaces that bring together diverse populations.

As a cultural and intellectual asset, the Toronto Public Library also has a significant impact on Toronto’s economy and productivity. Indeed, studies have shown that:

• The Toronto Public Library generates over $1 billion in economic impact for the city.
• Each dollar invested in the Toronto Public Library returns $5.63 in value to city residents.

For the Toronto Public Library to continue thriving and serving city residents, the provincial government must align its financial support with its professed enthusiasm for libraries. Queen’s Park has consistently emphasized economic growth as a priority for the province, and the Toronto Public Library is a key agent of economic development within Ontario’s largest city. By allocating more resources to libraries, Ontario can ensure the Toronto Public Library continues to serve as a pillar of the community, fostering inclusion, education, and productivity.

News Release

Biggest attraction in Toronto? Taylor Swift has a quiet competitor, new report shows

November 12, 2024

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 https://monitormag.ca/reports/much-more-than-books/

(Via Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)