That makes it important to acknowledge good change.

Recently, the City of Toronto announced an increase in library hours for all branches by 2026. This will come with an $18 million allocation to the Toronto Public Library budget over the last and upcoming 2025 budget. With the new increases, all branches will operate seven days a week for two years. 

With 26 million items in circulation, the Toronto Public Library (TPL) is the largest public library system in the world - according to books per resident. In 2023 alone, there were 46 million visits to the TPL, across the cities’ one hundred branches. The size and effectiveness of the TPL are something special about Canada, and Toronto specifically. It's part of why we attract the best, brightest and most curious. 

By focusing on a neighbourhood equity approach, the TPL is not only a world-class library system but a space for community solidarity and action that helps the Black community, unlike any other public organization. 

A History of Community Supports 

“If you live, work, or go to school in Toronto, you can apply for a free Toronto Public Library card,” said Amanda French, the TPL's Social Development Manager, talking with ByBlacks. She and her team work to improve the social benefits of the library. This goes way beyond just checking out books.

While only 252,000 are registered for a library card (only 9% of Torontonians), 68% of Torontonians use the library. Tens of thousands of Torontonians attended in-person social support provided by the library, while millions more visited the TPL online to rent books, movies, etc in over 40 languages (33 million individual visits). Re-investing in the TPL is one of the best ways the city can invest in communities. 

The idea of a library in Toronto started with The Toronto Library, a private subscription library established on December 9, 1810. While that library quickly closed, the city established York Mechanics' Institute in 1830 "for the mutual improvement of its members in useful scientific knowledge”. With a circulation of books and a mandate to educate, the institute was the beginning of a community-centred library in the city. By 1884 Toronto opened the first branches of its new official public library system, and since then the TPL has only grown as the city has. Today, Toronto is a magnet for global citizens and a den for highly educated professionals. The services at the TPL have helped define the city for over a century, and with new investments will continue to do so.  

Libraries are also spaces for community service for key groups including seniors, youth and immigrants. The TPL works with local organizations like the North York Community House (NYCH) to provide services needed by the community.  

The North York Community House (NYCH) is a Toronto-based community organization that works within TPL locations in areas like Black Creek and Downsview to provide settlement, language and community services. The NYCH has specialized staff for social mobility programs in employment readiness, financial literacy, and mental health. They even provide much-needed school break camps for kids. But most notable are their settlement services.

“We work with the TPL in many different ways, all with the focus of delivering initial settlement and ongoing support,” said Carol Shatananda Richard, Communications Manager at the NYCH.

Like many other partner organizations, NYCH provides settlement services for new migrants, including one-on-one and group sessions for migrants, centred on English conversation, government services and mental health. We should not underestimate the power of community-based service models like this one. The city's settlement services have helped create the open and inclusive environment Toronto is known for. This is a big reason Toronto is a top relocation destination globally. Through settlement services, migrants can integrate and find, engage and create community. You can walk into your local library and see a community worker from NYCH who can connect you to programming. While settlement services have always been a major part of Toronto’s infrastructure, they have taken on new importance as the rise of migrants in the last few years has strained community services. Not only has the TPL felt the increase in people, but the NYCH has also had to re-engage with its donor community for support:

“We have had to provide more services, or adapt our current services - but the funders have been very flexible and supportive of the new influx of communities,” said Richards. 

The value of working locally, inside communities, is that everyone comes to help in tough situations. The NYCH has been able to pull together specialized teams of staff to address the influx - and has been able to provide settlement services in non-traditional locations, such as churches, and relief shelters when TPL locations were full. “NYCH has been a partner with the TPL for over 25 years in various programs and activities. The partnership has been successful and the branches have been very supportive of newcomer programming.” 

Empowering the Black Community

The NYCH works in the Black Creek and Downsview regions, like many in Toronto that have seen an influx of migrants. A slim majority (about fifty-one percent) of the Black community in Canada are immigrants. Black newcomers come from dozens of nations, with our own cultures, customs and languages.  According to Stats Canada, there are more separate languages in the Black community than any other immigrant population. The TPL and its partner organizations are customizing settlement services for the Black community. But it goes further than that. 

The library provides a much-needed space inside Black neighbourhoods irrespective of income or connections. As a community space, the library is a safe area for Black youth to spend their after-school hours. It provides a reprieve for many parents who work late and can't afford to babysit. From personal experience, I know just how important it is to have a space to keep idle youth engaged in positive learning. Libraries don’t just keep our youth mentally engaged, but physically safe from crime. Research from the US shows a dramatic reduction in crime in and around libraries.

But Toronto is no paradise. The city faces several crises and inequities affecting the TPL as a government institution. On October 2023 a massive ransomware attack on the TPL left its branches crippled. The attack left the system fried, as online services, checkouts, and all computer services were down. Moving forward the growth of digital services means the TPL has to invest in cybersecurity - especially as they continue to collect our data.  Another avenue of growth is racial equity. While the TPL supports equitable hiring only seven percent of its workforce identifies as Black, three percent less than the overall Black population in the city. Several branches have also been accused of racism, including a recent case of anti-Palestine acts. 

There is still work to do if the TPL is to be a beacon of progress for a progressive city. As the Toronto Public Library continues to define our city, it is our job to help improve our library. Let us start by celebrating the making of a smart and connected community.