Dear Friend, at 5 pm today the Budget Committee at City Hall concludes its hearings. Please read my message below and take action. We have only a few more hours to make our voices heard during this part of the budget process. Thanks!
Dear Friend,
For some reason, bureaucrats at City Hall are telling Our Public Library to roll back plans to invest in more community librarians and to help seniors learn about digital technology.
Our Public Library asked for a very small amount of money to fund these programs but the bureaucrats at City Hall turned them down, recommending instead that City Council approved a 2021 budget that does not include the funding needed to offer these services.
I invite you to join me to urge members of the City’s Budget Committee to add what is needed by Our Public Library to fund its Digital Literacy for Seniors and Community Librarians Outreach programs.
The budget proposed by City bureaucrats does include a small boost, but just enough to maintain existing service levels and manage the resumption of services as we emerge from the pandemic.
We have seen far too many examples of inequality in our society being magnified during the pandemic. Our Public Library is one of those things that helps to lessen inequality. It is one of the great equalizers in our City. I know you agree that investing in Our Public Library – especially in programs like the Digital Literacy for Seniors and Community Librarians Outreach programs — is both wise and necessary, especially now.
Please send your message to the City’s Budget Committee right away. We only have a few weeks to try to get these cuts turned around.
Thanks!
Yours sincerely,
Brandon Haynes
OurPublicLibrary.to
PS I thought you might be interested in checking out this site from Social Planning Toronto which includes information about City budget-related events.