December 1, 1999

To: Budget Advisory Committee

From: City Librarian

Subject: $0.300 Million Requested for Renovations of the Main Floor of the Toronto Reference Library

Purpose:

To transmit to the Budget Advisory Committee the Toronto Public Library Board's recommendation that an additional $0.300 million for renovations on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library be added to the 2000 capital budget and to report on expenditure details and justification for the project.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Inclusion of the Toronto Reference Library renovation project would increase the Chief Administrative Officer's recommended 2000 capital budget by $0.300 million from $6.407 million to $6.707 million.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that the Budget Advisory Committee recommend to Council the addition of $0.300 million dollars to the Toronto Public Library Board's 2000 capital budget for renovations on the Main Floor of the Toronto Reference Library.

Background:

The Library Board's 2000-2004 Capital Program included a request to the City for $0.300 million dollars in 2000 to undertake the design work and supporting modifications to integrate a new $0.600 million Newspaper Room funded by the Toronto Star within the overall context of a revitalized main floor and street presence for the Toronto Reference Library. The Chief Administrative Officer's recommendation to the Budget Advisory Committee was that commencement of this project be contingent on the Library securing full funding of $0.600 million from the Toronto Star. The Library Board on November 15, 1999, approved a recommendation to request reinstatement of the project (see Attachment 1) and in its presentation to the Budget Advisory Committee on November 16, 1999, the Library Board requested that the City's $0.300 million portion of the Toronto Reference Library project be included in the Board's 2000 Capital Budget. The Budget Advisory Committee directed that the City Librarian report back on the expenditure details and justification for the additional $0.300 million requested for renovations on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library.

Comments:

The Toronto Public Library Foundation demonstrated the capacity of the Reference Library to attract private support with the announcement, in March 1999, of a $2.500 million commitment from the Toronto Star. This partnership with the Toronto Star is a prime example of how the need to revitalize the Toronto Reference Library can be used to galvanize private support to enhance service in all library locations. Above and beyond the $0.600 million to renovate and revitalize the Newspaper Room, the Toronto Star has provided $0.400 million in support for the Virtual Reference Library, and has committed to providing $1.400 million in newspaper subscriptions over the next twenty years. This gift will mean enhanced access to all news sources for library users across the city.

Renovation of the existing Newspaper Room in the basement of the Toronto Reference Library can be accomplished within the funding provided by the Toronto Star and at no cost to the City. However, there is an opportunity to maximize the Toronto Star donation to leverage additional sponsorship funding to create new services and the much needed revitalization of other areas of the Reference Library.

The Toronto Reference Library is an architectural landmark in the heart of the City and the foremost public reference library in Canada. A Service Delivery Model Study undertaken with Amalgamation Office funding in 1999 identified the need to revitalize its public service areas in order to sustain its municipal mandate, national and international reputation. The history, function and reputation of this facility make it the single most likely of all the Toronto Public Library facilities to command significant support from the private sector. Support, which will ultimately reduce the financial demands the Library must make on the City of Toronto's Capital Budget. Support, which will even result in service enhancements for users of all Library facilities across the city.

Locating a new and expanded Toronto Star Newspaper Room on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library would meet the demand for this service and create a highly visible partnership success which the Foundation can use to leverage additional private funds. Another naming opportunity on the main floor will be the Information Commons or electronic reading room which would both complement and be anchored by the Newspaper Room. A comparable partnership would be the recent naming of the Information Commons at the University of Toronto's Robarts Library for $2.200 million from the Bank of Nova Scotia. A state-of-the-art User Education Centre to provide the public with instruction on accessing library and electronic information is also anticipated on the main floor and could attract significant private funding.

With such significant sponsorship-driven enhancements forecast for the main floor, it is critical that the planning for the Newspaper Room be done in the context of an overall vision for the entire service area. The creation of a "master plan" for the main floor will ensure a holistic design, will avoid future additional costs of modification as components of the plan come on stream, and will provide the Foundation with the planning details to market other partnership opportunities.

The $0.300 million requested for the Toronto Reference Library in the 2000 capital budget will support:

(1) architectural and consulting fees to complete detailed design and working drawings for the entire main floor;

(2) the necessary internal building modifications to support both the location of the Toronto Star Newspaper Room on the main floor and the potential for other service components;

(3) revision of internal traffic patterns and materials security systems on the main floor; and

(4) redesign of service desks to support new and varied service activities.

Planning would begin immediately on approval of the 2000 capital budget. Construction of the Toronto Star Newspaper Room on the main floor would begin in early fall 2000.

Conclusions:

The Library and City of Toronto now have the opportunity to work swiftly and cooperatively to position the TPL Foundation to raise additional funds in support of the Library's capital program. The $0.300 million requested in 2000 will pave the way for the Library to relocate the Toronto Star Newspaper Room to the main floor of the Library thereby creating a highly visible facility that will serve as a "model suite" for other potential partners to view. The plans and detailed architectural drawings will also provide the tools the Foundation will need to begin marketing other partnership opportunities in advance of the Newspaper Room being completed. This is specifically important given that it often takes over a year to negotiate partnerships of the size and scope envisioned.

While the Foundation cannot predict with any degree of certainty the total value that can be secured through private sources, there is potential for the City of Toronto to save a significant portion of the capital that will be required to renovate the Toronto Reference Library. Having established the value of the Toronto Star Newspaper Centre at $2.500 million, the stage has been set to command seven digit fees for other sponsorship opportunities in the Reference Library. This is in keeping with other naming activity in the city.

The Library Board has therefore requested that $0.300 million be added to the 2000 Capital Budget for the detailed planning and renovations to the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library.

Contact:

Linda Mackenzie, Director, Research and Reference, Tel: 393-7133, Fax: 393-7083, E-mail: lmackenzie@tpl.toronto.on.ca

City Librarian

List of Attachments:

City Librarian's Report to the Toronto Public Library Board re 2000-2004 Capital Program - Status Report, November 15, 1999