Since mid-2008, Activist has scrutinized the efforts of Toronto Public Library (TPL) administration to recruit the southern Ontario architect-engineer-developer (AED) industry to TPL’s vast program of library branch “closure-renovations” across Toronto.

To our knowledge, no such service interruption has yet been justified by a public cost-benefit analysis. In fact, TPL management decided deliberately not to define the ongoing $30 million+ “revitalization” of system flagship Toronto Reference Library (TRL), 789 Yonge St. TRL is a relatively new structure, commissioned by worldclass architect Moriyama in 1979.

The ACTivist repeatedly hears TPL management’s mantra “Go to the Reference Library,” during our quest for essential article-related data at neighborhood branches lacking bibliographic control over standard library literature. Thus an official of Annette St. branch, 145 Annette St. urged me to visit TRL to consult a paperprint atlas of Japan, a trusted research tool, hours after the 3/11 tsunami/earthquake devastated Fukushima.

The ACTivist argued earlier that senior management’s concerted campaign of library branch “renovations,” “relocations,” revitalizations” and other drastic library service compromises, coupled with chronic TPL administration stigmatization of urban and related social-science research woefully weakened civic resolve to uphold public libraries and occasioned this year’s demise of Toronto’s vital Urban Affairs Library, 55 John St.

Today’s article is intended to demonstrate that preservation and safeguarding the integrity of Toronto’s public libraries cannot be left to TPL administration alone, and spotlights the potentially chief advocate for quality libraries – their unionized workforce.

Toronto Public Library Workers Union Local 4948, Canadian Union of Public Employees, is now battling on behalf of 2400 library employees to protect all library branches from decimation by actors local president Maureen O’Reilly labels “short-sighted politicians who simply do not understand the deep social, economic and cultural value of libraries in general, let alone what we have built here in Toronto over the last 130 years . . . But for the children, and the seniors and the students who need the library but cannot drive to a more distant branch, it will mean a big change to their lives and that change will be for the worse.”

According to Toronto Sun, 29 July 2011, p.6 hundreds of Toronto residents packed City Hall overnight 28-29 July 2011 to oppose cuts in public services. “More than 340 people registered to speak to the [executive] committee ranging from leaders of Toronto’s unions to average residents concerned about service cuts.”

On the same day, Toronto Star frontpaged “City Hall Scolding,” a sarcastic condemnation of the current library closure lobby delivered to the executive committee by North York senior Mary Trapani Hynes.

TPL administration manipulated public opinion during “closure-renovation” exercises. Throughout such breakdowns, administration staged “open house” merrymaking featuring giveaway junkfood and tradjazz parties.

Administration’s closure-renovation” contract awards seem especially lucrative, since compensated contractor work may encompass extensive branch makeover or demolition vastly exceeding the dictionary definition of “renovation,” as at Cedarbrae district library, 545 Markham Rd., which for years hosted TPL’s Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection (BCHC), a paramount antislavery resource.

BCHC disappeared during and after the Cedarbrae”closure-renovation.”

According to Cedarbrae branch history BCHC was “permanently moved to Malvern library” in 2008.

But the BCHC collection document also available at www.torontopubliclibrary.ca advances no such claim.

Potential administration planning for the cohesion of BCHC significantly postdated TPL’s reported 2005 decision to shutter Cedarbrae for renovations.

The duration of TPL “closure-renovation” contractor activities is also remarkably long and may exceed 18 months, as at Cedarbrae, which recessed from 6 October 2008 until 6 December 2010; Runnymede, 2178 Bloor St. W., 31 January 2004 - l 8 June 2005; and Jane/Dundas, 620 Jane St., 23 September 2006 - 4 February 2008.

Branch leadership turmoil followed Runnymede “closure-renovation.”

Thus librarian Diana Arras headed Runnymede before branch closure, but was relocated to Cedarbrae, and succeeded at Runnymede by Rosa Pinto, an insightful, balanced leader. After explaining longterm coverage of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster by The ACTivist, I asked Rosa Pinto for the privilege of ongoing personal bibliographic support from Runnymede’s talented Ukraine-language librarian for detailed research in Ukraine-language sources on the 26 April 1986 catastrophe, which devastated Ukraine and nearby lands. With approval from Runnymede’s area manager, my request was granted and I began meeting fruitfully with Runnymede’s multilingual librarian.

Rosa Pinto was succeeded by Brenda Beaton, who may not have been aware of Rosa’s decision. When I called this discontinuity to her attention, Ms. Beaton dispatched a letter threatening me with “exclusion from one or more branches of the Toronto Public Library and/or suspension of library privileges for up to one year.”

The area manager, who was previously interested and available, has recently declined to meet me for review of Brenda Beaton’s surprise undertaking.

The sidebar below recounts my 22 November 2010 dialogue with former Runnymede branch head Diana Arras on the dissolution of the Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection.

The prospect of extensive plant rebuilding and overhaul tasks during unusually long timespans offered unprecedented profit opportunities to the AED firms who competed for TPL administration’s “closure-renovation” awards.

Developer Stephen Teeple of Teeple Architects Inc. greeted guests at the Jane/Dundas reopening gala. I asked Mr Teeple for an opportunity to discuss his “closure-renovation” activity. In TPL’s imitation Dixieland, coffee and cake atmosphere, Teeple instantly assented.

Yet despite my subsequent reminders to him Teeple failed to grant the interview. Teeple Architects also ignored the 9 September 2008 TPL-related interview inquiry I emailed to info@teeplearch.com.

Beyond festive branch reopenings, TPL decisionmakers also attempted to condition civic opinion at “open house” festivities in branches earmarked for “closure-renovation” on the eve of their announced withdrawal from service.

Accordingly I attended TPL’s 7 April 2011 “community open house” at Mount Dennis branch, 1123 Weston Rd.

TPL’s flyer advertising this event directly committed library and G. Bruce Stratton Architects staff to answer reader questions about impending branch shutdown. Hence a TPL library service manager responsible for Mount Dennis, after conferring with a proactive Stratton representative, introduced me personally to architect Gail Rankin, representing TPL’s “facilities” unit.

I asked Ms. Rankin to show me copies of each and every TPL request for AED industry proposals to participate in the “closure renovations” of Mount Dennis, Brentwood, Dufferin/ St. Clair and Palmerston. She initially consented.

I reiterated my request for all such proposals in a Sunday 11 April 2011 email to Ms. Rankin:

Stephen Salaff to Gail Rankin representing the Toronto Public Library facilities unit, 10 April 2011

Ms. Rankin,

Thank you for the opportunity to begin a discussion with you at TPL’s 7 April 2011 Mount Dennis “open house” on competitive bidding for branch renovation contracts. Library literature described the Mount Dennis activity as a “major renovation and revitalization” and committed answers to my questions within the event.

During our talk I requested an opportunity personally to view TPL’s published requests to industry for proposals to participate in branch “renovations and revitalizations” like Mount Dennis.

I appreciated your affirmations that TPL values fully competitive bidding for renovation and revitalization contracts, and that TPL publishes requests for such competitive proposals very visibly in the industry and commercial press.

As a regular reader at library branches impacted, at times severely, by renovations and revitalizations, I would therefore like to request copies of all TPL’s published requests for proposals to participate in the following recent renovations: Mount Dennis, Brentwood, Dufferin/St. Clair and Palmerston.

I would prefer if possible shortly to receive your responses in the form viewed by industry.

I look forward to your further attention and assistance with this question.

Thank you in advance.

Truly yours,
Stephen Salaff, PhD.

Yet on Monday, 11 April 2011 Ms. Rankin delivered only the following partial email response:

Good morning Dr. Salaff,

Further to your request last Thursday evening at Mount Dennis, please find attached a copy of a standard Pre-Qualification Advertisement. This example is from the Brentwood project and is typical for all projects. It was published in the Daily Commercial News.

Thank you,
Gail Rankin
Senior Manager Facilities
Toronto Public Library

I consider the first two lines to be the core of Gail Rankin’s attachment:

Owner: The Toronto Public Library
Architect: Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated

The balance of her file contains a neutral project description and dry formalities of bid submission.
 
Thus TPL sought requests for Brentwood "major renovation" proposals only from contractors subordinate to project architect Diamond and Schmitt.
 
In her "typical" example,  Ms Rankin did not provide any TPL document which solicited bids for the decisive role of Brentwood architect.
 
I replied in disappointment to Gail Rankin on 14 April 2011 reiterating my original inquiry for all requests for industry proposals to participate in the “closure-renovations” of Mount Dennis, Brentwood and other branches, copying her manager Ron Dyck. Neither administrator has yet acknowledged my re-request.

Cedarbrae district library branch divulged an agreement with Cedarbrae “closure-renovation” architect Markimichalos Cugini, which TPL again chose to lead the 7 July 2007-25 October 2008 “closure-renovation” of Dufferin /St. Clair branch, 1625 Dufferin St.

TPL staged a 17 June 2010 “open house” at Cedarbrae district library solely and for no other declared reason than “to report progress” on branch metamorphosis. This pretension revealed management’s habitual reflex to market “closure-renovations.”

We will follow industry usage by calling the firm which leads a renovation the “prime contractor.”

Not only do prime contractor awards appear financially lucrative to recipients, but these laurels also offer them near-total project largesse. Activist learned from scrutiny of recent “closure-renovations” at Cedarbrae, S. Walter Stewart, Cliffcrest, Jane/Dundas and Palmerston that the prime contractors themselves chiefly determine the work scope, chronology and parameters of site activity.

Activist documented in particular that on 4 July 2008 TPL’s Cedarbrae area manager did not know the impending Cedarbrae closure date. This date was apparently then chosen afterwards by contractors several weeks before Cedarbrae’s 6 October 2008 shutdown.

Detailed Activist examination of the Palmerston “closure-renovation” both onsite at 560 Palmerston Ave. and at TPL’s website uncovered the likelihood that TPL management expected the community and readers to tolerate publication of relevant Palmerston shutdown and reopening information merely 48 hours beforehand.

Neither of TPL’s mass–circulation print publications – the “Hours and Locations” brochure and Whats On periodical – chose to report the Palmerston service interruption.

I also discovered through interviews with concerned library staff that timing of the Cliffcrest branch “relocation” was determined by unexpected contractor access to basic structural material.

Following such detailed case studies, Activist realized that management could probably avoid abrupt dealings with the public by negotiating more firmly with the prime contractor and other AED entities employed during elective, non-emergency service interruptions like “closure renovations” or “branch relocations.”

In our view, it would have been realistic and reasonable for TPL to mandate its Palmerston prime contractor: “Withhold site work until after we tell you that patrons and the public have been notified 48 hours in advance.”

Yet TPL’s Palmerston “closure-renovation” contracts apparently did not empower the employer to direct employees in the public interest.

TPL’s contractor force seemingly controls and conducts “closure-renovations” with near impunity and few profit-limiting owner constraints.

NO OPEN BIDDING FOR “CLOSURE-RENOVATION” CONTRACTS

As far as we can determine, the merits and qualifications of TPL’s “closure-renovation” project leaders were not tested competitively on an open bidding market. Our concern is for transparency, full disclosure and objective arms-length third party review within an orderly contractor-selection process, and we hold no brief for or against any of the chosen prime contractors.

Activist endorses all imperatives of prudent, systematic library branch maintenance and upkeep, and will support TPL capital renovations justified by itemized budgets and work plans which are open to meaningful public and branch staff scrutiny and modification.

Administration bypassed or overlooked contractor assignments which might have accommodated continuous library branch patronage. Examples of potential “work-around” solutions include contractor deployment at night or other times when the branch is normally closed to the public, and piecewise activity one floor or building component at a time.

The Cedarbrae debacle discloses disdain for the Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection, which vanished for a year or more. The GTA and Ontario public learned the disposition of BCHC considerably after Cedarbrae was razed to basement level. In our early coverage, Activist proved that the TPL Board connived in administration disparagement of this bibliographic and societal wealth.

UNION COMBATS MANAGEMENT

The TPL worker’s union has begun publicly to combat today’s anti-intellectual alliance of senior management, board and certain novice city officials.

Most useful in today’s struggle would be a union demand, within the impending labor-management contract negotiations, for a prompt moratorium on planning and execution of library branch “closure-renovations.”

Readers concerned about TPL approaches to the threatened mass privatization of library facilities and union struggles to safeguard library branches may wish to attend public meetings of the TPL Board at Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St., currently scheduled for 6 pm on each of the following Mondays: September 19, October 17, November 21 and December 12.

SIDEBAR

Stephen Salaff account of my 22 November 2010 12 noon telephone conversation with Diana Arras, a manager at Cedarbrae branch.

IDENTIFICATION

According to TPL website “Management Staff” content on 19 November 2010, Diana Arras then functioned as “Library Service Manager” within the “Cedarbrae District - Bendale, Bridlewood, Cedarbrae, Highland Creek” Diana reported nominally to Magdalena VanderKooy, who the website called “Area Manager” for the larger Albert Campbell /Cedarbrae/ Malvern Area. Magdalena reported to Anne Bailey, TPL’s Director, Branch Libraries.

I interviewed Magdalena earlier for “Library Closures Continue: TPL Disrupts Antislavery Collection,” Activist magazine, Toronto, 25 July 2008, where I observed that TPL’s Board approved instantly without floor discussion or debate senior management’s scheme for “closure-renovation” of Cedarbrae. Afterwards I concluded that the Board was most likely ignorant of management intent eventually to relocate the Cedarbrae component of TPL’s Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection to Malvern.

I focused my telephone dialogue with Diana Arras on the Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection.

DA: Hello, we have been trying to connect for a long time. What can I do for you?

SS: I would like to speak with you about Cedarbrae reopening

DA: We are very busy here nowadays with the reopening.

SS: I understand. However, TPL today invites the public to attend Cedarbae’s reopening on Monday 6 December 2010 at 4 pm

DA: Umm yes.

SS: I would like if possible to meet you at the event

DA: I doubt if that will be possible, because I will be extremely busy at that time.

SS: On that occasion, I would like to schedule with you a future meeting. A friend might be with me. He resides near Cedarbrae.

DA: I see. What exactly to you want to talk with me about?

SS: The Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection

DA: It is called the Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection

SS: Yes good. The Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection

DA: What exactly to you wish to discuss about the Collection?

SS: I am interested in the availability of the Collection at Toronto Public Library

DA: Um

SS: I have a specific question I would like to discuss with you.

DA: What question?

SS: Which came first: the decision to close Cedarbrae, or the decision to relocate the Cedarbrae component of the Collection to Malvern?

DA: That is a hard question.

UPDATE: 12 AUGUST 2011

City of Toronto departments reportedly misbehave by approving multi-million dollars in recent “untendered” purchases of goods and services. The Toronto Star front-paged on 8 August 2011:

“In each case staff disobeyed city rules that say they must get authorization before they spend money without seeking competitive bids . . . And the number of unauthorized purchases appears to be rising.”

The Star lionized City Councillor Paul Ainslie, ward 43 Scarborough East, chair of the Council’s Government Management Committee, for urging a hard line against officials whose untendered expenditures break Council’s purchasing rules.

The Government Management Committee monitors the City’s assets and resources.

The Star named the chief culprit City departments as Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Transportation, and Facilities Management.

The industry definition of “tender” is “publish a formal offer.”

The ACTivist evidence shows that Toronto Public Library administration purchases “closure-renovation” goods and services from regional architect-engineer-developer firms through a shadowy process bereft of formal competitive bidding for the prime contractor project award.

In conventional wording the TPL administration “closure-renovation” purchases we have named are “untendered.”

Toronto Public Library reports to City Council. Are Paul Ainslie and other councilors prepared next to castigate TPL administration for their repeated untendered purchases?

If Ainslee, who sits on TPL’s Board were to criticize TPL’s 6 October 2008-6 December 2010 “closure-renovation” of Cedarbrae district library, 545 Markham Rd. in his Scarborough ward he would be undercutting the personal roles he has performed as “reopening” festivity speaker and team-player at Cedarbrae.

In all logic, the Rob Ford mayoralty, city officials and councilors should begin examining TPL administration’s longterm untendered “closure-renovation” contracting habits.

A prompt moratorium on planning and execution of non-emergency library branch renovations would cohere entirely with Ford’s cost-cutting creed.

Such prudency restraints upon TPL administration appear an optimal route to fiscal and administrative stability, in preference to threatened retrenchments across Toronto’s public library system.

Toronto Public Library Workers Union Local 4948, Canadian Union of Public Employees, has launched “project rescue:” information picketing of Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St. steps north of Bloor St. to mobilize support for the union’s staunch defence of public libraries and their collections and services.

The union invites the public to join these picket lines from 12 noon – 2 pm on the following Wednesdays: August 17, 24 and 31.