Richmond Hill library approves Sunday service, 4 councillors start on board

The interbranch holds service has been reinstated

Yorkregion.com
May 22, 2019
Sheila Wang

The saga of Richmond Hill library’s Sunday service this summer has come to an end.

The Richmond Hill Public Library board voted unanimously to approve a motion keeping the central branch open for this summer at a meeting on May 16.

The move reversed an earlier decision to close the central branch from June 9 to Sept. 1 this year.

Dozens of CUPE members and residents packed the board room with standing room only during the one-hour-and-half meeting.

Richmond Hill library makes ‘difficult' decision to cut Sunday service, reduce staff
Two of the four councillors who were recently appointed to the board were present in person while Deputy Mayor Carmine Perrelli and Ward 1 Coun. Greg Beros joined remotely.

“I’m really surprised that such a frontline service was offered as a solution, and nonetheless grateful that an alternative has been found,” Deputy Mayor Joe DiPaola told his fellow board members.

DiPaola was added to the library board on May 7 along with Beros and Ward 2 Coun. Tom Muench, yorkregion.com reported.

Perrelli was appointed as the fourth councillor a week later following the resignation of Ward 3 Coun. Castro Liu from the board.

At the beginning of the meeting, DiPaola unexpectedly asked to add an item on the agenda proposing to reconsider the positions of the chair and the vice chair of the library board.

Vice chair Gwen Johnstone, who presided over the meeting in the absence of board chair David Bishop, appended DiPaola’s proposal to the 11-item agenda.

DiPaola withdrew the item with no discussion after the board voted for keeping Sunday service open.

Before the decision was finalized, councillors raised questions about budget reallocation, staff reduction, the potential impact on the new library.

CEO Louise Procter Maio said by removing additional page complement -- a cost of about $35,000 -- for the new Oak Ridges library, the library aboard will be able to support the operations of the central branch on Sundays.

The library board is going to reallocate the existing staff to assist with the new facility when it opens, she added.

“It slows things down across the system, but it manages things in a short term,” the CEO said.

Meanwhile, the board shared another good news on the service.

The interbranch holds service has been reinstated within Richmond Hill’s library service following a two-week suspension.

The delivery courier service of the Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS) has been suspended as a result of a provincial budget cut.

The Richmond Hill library has found a local delivery alternative to replace SOLS’ cancelled interbranch delivery service, which will allow for items placed on hold to be delivered across the Library system to all branches.

However, the interlibrary loan service across Ontario is still suspended until at least May 31.