THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Public Library will close all four locations for two hours on Wednesday to allow staff to attend a city council budget meeting.
Council budget chair Mark Bentz is questioning the move, which was announced by TBPL CEO and Chief Librarian John Pateman on social media.
"All branches of the Thunder Bay Public Library will be closed on Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 so that staff can attend the City Council budget meeting and protest the proposed cuts to the library budget," Pateman said on Twitter.
When he learned about the plan, Bentz said Tuesday "I'd rather not see Mr. Pateman close the libraries and deny those services to the citizens."
He suggested at a budget meeting last week that "the library is one place that could be reduced slightly...if we were to reduce the library’s funding, that would perhaps trigger a look at rationalizing how they’re providing services.”
But in an interview with Tbnewswatch, Bentz noted there is no resolution before council to close any branch or reduce services, and council has no authority to do that regardless.
"We were merely asking questions about if the library board was looking into such things. The library budget I believe is approximately $6.2 million operating and over $700,000 in capital...Yeah, we could be looking at areas in capital but certainly we're not going to decrease service levels. That's up to the library board," Bentz said.
The library is asking council for a budget increase of about one per cent.
Pateman, in a joint news release with the head of the CUPE local that represents library workers, issued a statement Monday saying libraries are the social glue that sticks communities together. The statement pointed to Thunder Bay's significant social problems, and warned "things will only get worse if libraries are closed."
Patement was unavailable for comment Tuesday.
His tweet, however, invited library supporters to join CUPE Local 3120 members at the council meeting Wednesday, to help defend the library "from damaging and punishing cuts that will hurt those with the greatest need."
