Photo credit: CBC
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has announced her intention to open all Toronto public libraries seven days a week.
CBC reports that Chow announced this plan on Sunday while speaking to a small crowd at Toronto’s Wychwood library branch.
Although some of the city’s branches are closed on Sunday and Monday, Chow said all the branches will offer seven-day-a-week service by July 2026. In 2023, the city budget allocated $10 million to expand hours at some of the 100 branches, but not all.
She said, “In my last budget, we started this work, and in my next budget, we will finish it,” at the Wychwood library, which is currently closed on Sundays.
She added, “It shouldn’t be closed today. It’s a Sunday. A lot of families are looking for things to do with their kids.”
The expansion will cost another $8 million, which will be part of the Toronto Public Library’s (TPL) budget submission.
A report to the library board says, “This is a seven per cent increase in the Library budget, which results in a 14 per cent increase in overall open hours, effectively doubling the return on investment.
“This is achieved by leveraging and maximizing the full capacity of TPL’s resources and the existing infrastructure.”
The proposed plan will expand year-round Sunday services at 33 branches, change 40 branches with seasonal Sunday service from September to June to year-round service, and enhance programming capacity at the libraries on Sundays.
It will see those libraries open for five hours on Sundays, from noon to 5 pm. It also proposes an additional Monday service for nine branches starting in July 2026.
The report says, “Increased branch hours are a cost-efficient way to increase access to library services that achieve important economic, social and health outcomes for Toronto residents.”
However, the report notes that the plan will take time to ramp up and staff. It does not include night or eight-hour service on Sundays because there are no provisions for that with the workers.
Before becoming mayor, Chow had promised that if she won the race, she would open all of the city’s libraries seven days a week. At that time, only 19 TPL branches were open on Sundays, and 30 were closed on Mondays.
The plan will come before the TPL board for approval on Monday. It will then be proposed to the city council for approval during budget deliberations early next year.
