Library Tech Confidential

 It’s always interesting to see public libraries try lending novel, non-book, non-audiovisual materials. While seeking information about a recent extreme heat alert, I caught the following in a press release from the City of Toronto:

Toronto Public Health and the Toronto Public Library are teaming up with community partners to make pedometers available for loan at 18 library branches throughout the city. This initiative is part of a new Walk into Health program to encourage people to build physical activity into their daily lives. In 2007, over 2,000 pedometers were lent out at 12 branches. Those who borrowed last year stated that pedometers helped them continue walking for exercise.

Last year, SunLife Financial began sponsoring the Musem and Arts Pass, which allows patrons to ’sign out’ tickets good for admission to a number of large and small cultural attractions all over the city.

What other cool stuff do — or could — our public our libraries lend?

Read the rest of this entry »

I previously blogged about Wifi at the Toronto Reference Library, but neglected to note that the Toronto Public Library now offers free wireless internet access at 31 of its 99 branches. They’ve even got a Google map showing wifi-enabled branches.

That reminds me, now that TPL has its own decent Google map of branches, I should either comprehensively update or decommission mine. 

Soon, the City of Toronto will release a final report detailing its highly-anticipated and long overdue redevelopment of Union Station (our downtown subway, regional bus and regional/long-distance rail terminal).

Plans that the City has made available so far emphasize expanded retail space to complement the mostly food-centric vendors already onsite. Local transit whiz Steve Munro has a great overview of the station’s present and possible future.

You know what I think would be great? A storefront-style branch of the Toronto Public Library.

The idea(s):

• Beefy holds pick-up desk for commuters to pick up reading material for their trip home, an upcoming weekend at the cottage, or to help their kids with homework.
• Information desk, maps and a reference collection tailored for tourists and other travellers to augment the Travellers’ Aid booth that never seems to be open.
• With the ability to place holds well in advance online, it’s very convenient for patrons, and materials could be transferred in from other branches and checked out at the Union Station branch like any other.

The problem(s):

• By definition, commuters passing through Union aren’t from Toronto. This is a lot of effort to serve the clientele of other municipalities’ library systems.
• Optics (and ethics) of rolling out new services aimed at white-collar, middle-class adult commuters from the exurbs at the percieved expense of disadvantaged children in the City’s own priority neighbourhoods.
• Any bookstores that move into the new retail space will strenuously object, potentially demanding some kind of exclusivity arrangement with the City.
• Difficult delivery truck access to the branch for pickups and deliveries of materials coming in from other branches (though this doesn’t seem to stop the other storefront operations in the station).

Oh, well. It seemed like a good idea for about five minutes.

Photo credit: “Union Station, Toronto” by Flickr user StarbuckGuy
(Creative Commons)

Library cuts may have backfired, board says [Toronto Star] : “Library board officials said they were notified last week that the Toronto Civic Employees’ Union (CUPE Local 416) had won a grievance filed against the board over the Sunday closings.”

Ever since a planned crucial revenue-raising tax measure unexpectedly failed to pass earlier this year, various departments of the City of Toronto have tried to find ways to cut costs the TTC offered up a slew of ‘poor performing’ bus routes plus a fare increase, the police insisted it couldn’t spare a penny, and the library resigned itself to closing on Sundays.

Now TPL may have to pay it’s staff for Sundays either way — that is, whether their branches are closed or not — because their legal advisors apparently failed to acount for the effect of the collective agreement. The 11 branches located in ‘priority’ (read: disproportionately impoverished) neighbourhoods were to remain unaffected. With luck, if this development negates much of the hoped-for cost savings, perhaps the city will relent and revert to normal hours of operation.

UPDATE: Subsequent media coverage confirms the reversal on the Sunday closures.

• Library branches to reopen on Sundays [Globe and Mail]
• Ruling overturns library closings [Toronto Star]

Oh my. TPLfinder, my Google map of Toronto Public Library branches, found its way onto nerd-web uber-blog BoingBoing today, via a roundup of other Toronto-oriented maps on BlogTO. I can’t wait to play around with all of them.

The BoingBoing post wasn’t just a quick mention, but a screen capture! Hopefully I won’t be choking on an absurd bandwidth bill before sunset…

From Spacing Wire:

Toronto Reference Library finally has Wifi. While this is one of Toronto’s most wonderful places, the lack of wireless internet has been the only drawback, as laptops get lonely when they can’t connect to anything, and sometimes books just aren’t enough…

Torontoist reports that most Toronto Public Library branches will be open earlier on weekdays as of today. Details are available from this post on TPL’s site.

My TPL Finder map of Toronto Public Library branches rated a mention over at Google Maps Mania, along with some other great Canadian-oriented projects worth trying.

I’ve slapped together a Google Map of Toronto Public Library branches using a wonderful tool called Map Builder.

All 99 branches are represented, with small blue pushpins for neighbourhood branches, large blue pins for district libraries and large white pins for reference libraries.

Clicking on any icon brings up an infowindow with (in most cases) a photo of the library plus a link to TPL’s profile of the branch for hours of operation, etc. I plan to add wheelchair accessibility and special collections information soon.

I might even spin it off into it’s own domain name, tplfinder.com or somesuch.

If you notice anything incorrect or awry, please let me know!