Remember when Rob Ford wanted to close library branches earlier this year? Overwhelming support from the entire city, including library patrons like us, saved the day.

But now talks have broken down in negotiations between the TPL board and the Library worker’s union, because Rob Ford wants the right to fire any librarian or library employee, anytime he wants, for any reason.

Anyone can see that this is his workaround: if he gains this concession from the union, he can fire enough staff to… you got it! Close library branches.

Even if you don’t use the library yourself, your friends, relatives, children and neighbours do. The Toronto Public Library provides services that enrich the lives of everyone in this city. Through its literacy and training programs, the TPL helps lift people out of poverty and into the workforce. It provides the space, the resources and the technology needed so desperately by the poorest children in our city to succeed at school. We need our libraries, and we need the librarians and the staff that operate our libraries to have solid, secure jobs.

Send a message to your city councillor, urging him or her to tell the board to get back to the table! It only takes a minute for you to send an email of support through this site: http://ourpubliclibrary.to/take-action/re-open/. You don’t even have to know who your councillor is: the site looks it up for you and provides a template!

I sent a message to my city councillor, John Parker, urging him to support library workers. Send one to yours today!