Reading without the lines
It's a pilot project meant to cut down on waiting lists for the Toronto Public Library's most requested books. The library is now buying used best-selling books, in good condition, from members of the public. The list of requested titles is on the library's website....
It's a pilot project meant to cut down on waiting lists for the Toronto Public Library's most requested books. The library is now buying used best-selling books, in good condition, from members of the public. The list of requested titles is on the library's website.
"It helps us meet demand and contain costs," says City Librarian Vickery Bowles. She says so far the library has purchased 26 used adult novels to add to its catalogue.
Bowles points out that the TPL purchased 235 new copies of Miriam Toews' book All My Puny Sorrows, but that there are 866 holds on that novel. So the library is buying used copies for $5 to try to cut down the waiting list.
"It's really just to supplement the number of copies in our collection. The Toronto Public Library is and always has been a strong supporter of authors," says Bowles.
She says the library spends $18 million on books each year, 80% of which is spent on Canadian books. But she says the library simply can't afford to spend more buying new titles.
One author, Noah Richler, has already called for a boycott. In December, he wrote a column saying that the library's new program doesn't have "the welfare of the writer in mind." Richler wants other authors to cancel their speaking gigs until the program is dropped. In our interview, Bowles responds to the boycott.