May 31 – OCADU Digital Day of Action

May 29, 2021

Dear colleagues,

On Monday, May 31, 2021, starting at 8:30 am, the post-secondary sector across Ontario and Canada will hold a digital day of action to support the four librarians who have been terminated by OCADU Administration. The four librarians officially lose their jobs on June 1, 2021.

We are seriously concerned about the lack of collegiality and transparency in OCADU Administration’s decision to lay off the librarians. OCADU Faculty Association has been ramping up its campaign in support of the librarians – you can read letters of solidarity here.

We are alarmed that this situation seems to reflect a growing trend in the post-secondary sector. OCADU Administration’s decision comes on the heels of Laurentian University’s financial crisis and the unfolding situation at University of Alberta.

We want to show our solidarity with the OCADU librarians as well as start vocalizing our concerns about this troubling sector-wide issue during the Digital Day of Action on Monday, May 31, 2021.

Please consider sharing this document with your colleagues across the country. Ask them to post on social media and use the hashtag #weloveOCADUlibrarians.starting Monday May 31, 2021 at 8:30 am.

We also have shared two links that go with the shareable graphics below:

1. An op-ed written by:
   • Min Sook Lee (@minsooklee), President of OCADU Faculty Association
   • Harriet de Sonnes Torrens, Chair of UTFA Librarians Committee and
   • Terezia Zorić (@terezia_zoric), President of University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA)
2. A petition to OCADU president, Ana Serrano
   • Note that this second graphic (with three calls to action) must be posted with the petition link.

Please see attached graphics and word document with the links needed for the two graphics and suggested accompanying texts (taken from op-ed in MEDIUM).

Please tag faculty associations, university unions, and other relevant post-secondary groups in your social media posts. We need your assistance, please share widely.

Thank you for participating.

Harriet (Chair, University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) Librarians Committee and member UTFA Executive)

Suggested Text For Graphics

Style 1:

Gutting libraries is a bad move for any educational institution. #weloveOCADUlibrarians

https://utfa.medium.com/ocadus-decision-to-terminate-four-librarians-reflects-a-troubling-trend-in-the-post-secondary-4fdf11043cf1

Style 2:

University administrators need to stop operating like corporate CEOs. They need to respect collegial governance. #weloveOCADUlibrarians

https://utfa.medium.com/ocadus-decision-to-terminate-four-librarians-reflects-a-troubling-trend-in-the-post-secondary-4fdf11043cf1

Style 3:

Provincial and federal governments must step up and invest in post-secondary education so we can stop the corporatization of universities. #weloveOCADUlibrarians

https://utfa.medium.com/ocadus-decision-to-terminate-four-librarians-reflects-a-troubling-trend-in-the-post-secondary-4fdf11043cf1

Style 4:

I’m signing the petition to tell OCADU Administration that they should reverse the decision to terminate 4 senior librarians. #weloveOCADUlibrarians

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/172/609/882/we-love-and-respect-ocadu-academic-professional-librarians-sign-our-petition-to-support-them/

Style 5:

I’m signing the petition to tell OCADU Administration that they cannot trade seven decades of institutional expertise for trivial cost savings. #weloveOCADUlibrarians

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/172/609/882/we-love-and-respect-ocadu-academic-professional-librarians-sign-our-petition-to-support-them/

Style 6:

I’m signing the petition to tell OCADU Administration that they must not make decisions behind closed doors and without meaningful consultation from faculty, librarians, staff, and students. #weloveOCADUlibrarians

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/172/609/882/we-love-and-respect-ocadu-academic-professional-librarians-sign-our-petition-to-support-them/