LIBRARY MATERIALS BUDGET FOR YORK LIBRARIES

Ward 27, York Humber and Ward 28, York-Eglinton.

(DEPUTATION ITEM)

10:15 a.m.Representative from the Toronto Public Library

City Librarian

(January 11, 1999)

Responding to the Community Council's request for a report on changes to the Materials Budget of the former York Library system; and advising that the consolidated library materials budget for the amalgamated Toronto Public Library is $13 million and must be distributed to 98 branches and other services; that each of the former systems had a different approach to allocating their budgets so that it was necessary to develop a standard formula which would:

-ensure equitable development of the Library's collection in response to the community's needs and the state of current collections; and

-apportion the Library materials budget fairly and effectively by using an objective and quantifiable approach;

that a new library materials budget allocation formula was approved by the Toronto Public Library Board; the formula uses standardized performance measures and initiates a flow of funding to areas of the City which historically have reported per capita expenditure below the municipal average ($5.44) such as the former City of York ($1.26); that the application of the formula to each branch's performance measures results in a total point score which is then translated into library materials budget dollars.