Tuesday November 20, 2001
Attention: News Directors, Media and Communications Editors, Lifestyle Editors

In response to customer demand, Toronto Public Library (TPL) is pleased to announce that the newly refurbished Toronto Star Newspaper Centre is now open. Funded in part by a $2.5 million sponsorship from The Toronto Star, visitors to the Centre can look forward to:

• More space - now approximately 10,000 sq. ft., as compared to 6,500 sq. ft. formerly
• More access - high speed Internet access terminals featuring high resolution, flat panel 17" monitors (9 terminals in total); access for people with disabilities
• More comfort - a larger lounge area, specially designed reading tables
• Less noise - physical separation of equipment for reduced sound intrusion

Improvements were made in response to the increased demand for current local, national and international news online. Formerly, the Centre served approximately 1500 people weekly (not including Sunday service); staff members expect to be able to now accommodate up to 500 more people weekly. The Centre will make available 84 worldwide titles, including 39 Canadian titles in 45 languages.

Also, expanded access via NewsConnect, our electronic gateway, allows TPL to extend the newspaper collection in a budget-sensitive environment. Features include:

• A range of media such as newspapers, radio and television including video-streaming
• Language support in international fonts including Arabic, Hebrew, Japanese and Persian
• Titles such as Japan Times, which are only available online
• Most publications available on the day of publication
• Some services are updated every 10 minutes for timely access

No other public library system in Canada offers comparable facilities or this level of service. This initiative puts TPL on the level of other world-class facilities including the National Library of Canada, the New York and the Los Angeles Public Library systems.

"We are thrilled to be able to provide such a high quality service in this modern, updated environment," says City Librarian Josephine Bryant. "The Toronto Star Newspaper Centre allows us to meet the information needs of Toronto's diverse population in a manner that truly contributes to the idea of a global community. We are grateful to The Toronto Star for their generous sponsorship and hope that their generosity inspires others."