Contacting the Board
About Library Board Meetings
Library Boards are established under the Public Libraries Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter P. 44.
The Library Board Chair
The presiding officer of the Library Board is the Board Chair who is assisted by the Vice-Chair and the Secretary. The Chair and Vice-Chair are elected by members of the Library Board. The Secretary is the City Librarian.
The current Board Chair is Alim Remtulla. The current Vice-Chair is Jonathan Hoss. Vickery Bowles is the Secretary.
Contacting the Board
You can contact the Board by writing, phoning, faxing or emailing the Board Secretary:
The Secretary
Toronto Public Library Board
789 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario M4W 2G8
Phone: 416-393-7215 (9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday to Friday)
Fax: 416-393-7083
Email: Philippa Williamson at pwilliamson@tpl.ca
Communications to the Board
Members of the public who want to submit a communication to the Board should submit it in writing via email, mail, or fax to the Secretary by 12:00 p.m. on the business day prior to the Board meeting (this will usually be a Friday as Board meetings are generally held on Mondays).
Presentations to the Board
Making a Request
Members of the public who want to make a presentation to the Board at an upcoming Board meeting should make a written request to the Secretary of the Board via email (pwilliamson@tpl.ca), phone, fax or submit a request in writing by 12:00 pm on the business day prior to the Board meeting (this will usually be a Friday as Board meetings are generally held on Mondays). You have the option to make your presentation in-person or by Webex. Please indicate your preference in your request to speak.
In accordance with the Board’s Procedural By-Law, a person may only make a presentation to the Board regarding an item or items for action or information on the meeting agenda at which the presenter is requesting to make a presentation, with the exception of the City Librarian’s Report, Communications, and the Board Resolutions report, which are standing items for information.
The request should include the presenter's:
- Name;
- Address and/or telephone number;
- Email address (if request is sent by email);
- Agenda item # (s) the presentation relates to;
- Outline of the presentation;
- Any relevant documentation;
- Selection of whether the presentation will be made in-person or via Webex during the Board meeting;
- Signature, unless delivered by electronic mail.
People requiring an accommodation are asked to advise the Secretary when their request is submitted.
A presenter may supplement their presentation with information submitted in advance. To have supplementary information related to a presentation distributed to the Board, the material must be received by 12:00 p.m. on the business day prior to the Board meeting as per the above instructions.
Making a Presentation
Each presentation to the Board is limited to five minutes regardless of the number of items or matters a presenter wishes to speak to. Organizations or groups can have no more than three speakers. The number of speakers for an organization or group does not affect the total time limit for their presentation.
On the day of the meeting, your name will appear under the "Presentations” item on the agenda, which is posted online.
When you appear and speak before the Board, your presentation becomes part of the public record.
If you choose to speak, you will appear in the live broadcast of the meeting, and your name will appear online in the meeting minutes. The listing of your name in connection with the agenda item may be indexed by search engines like Google.
Additionally, as of May 24, 2022, the Board will live-stream meetings and publicly post the audio and video recording. When you speak at the meeting, you will appear in images, video, or audio recordings of the meeting available to members of the public both during and following the meeting and in audio and video archives.
Rules for Public Attendees at Library Board Meetings
Please observe these rules when attending a Library Board meeting. Members of the public will not:
- make any noise or disturbance that prevents members from being able to participate in the meeting;
- address the Board without permission;
- use unparliamentary or offensive language; or
- display signs or placards.
If you attend a Library Board meeting in person, you may appear in images, video or audio recordings of the meeting available to members of the public both during and following the meeting and in audio and video recordings.
Collection and Display of Personal Information
Please note that written communications to the Board shall be collected and maintained for the purpose of preparing a record that is available to the general public as permitted by section 27 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). This will include making your name, personal information and opinions available to the public, as part of the public record. Communications that form part of the public record are available to the Board and to the public, and may be distributed prior to, or during, the Board meeting. We recommend that you do not include your contact information, in your communications to the Board, if you wish for it to be withheld from the public. Otherwise, if you have specific concerns, you may submit a request for the Board to consider that specific contact information not to be included in the public record of materials considered by the Board.
Presenters’ information will be included as part of the public record of the meeting so that the public can know who is seeking to influence Board decisions. This information to register you as a presenter and your name will be listed as a presenter in the minutes. The listing of your name in connection with the agenda item may be indexed by search engines like Google.
Your personal information, by means of communications to, or before the Board, shall be collected under the authority of section 20 of the Public Libraries Act, for the purpose of conducting meetings of the Board, ensuring that full and correct minutes are kept, including the keeping of records of proceedings of the Board that are maintained for purposes of being available to the general public
Further Information
Presenters and others wishing to communicate with the Board are subject to the Toronto Public Library Procedural By-Law and rulings of the Board Chair. More information is available here.
Questions about the management and collection of personal information in relation to Board communications or presentations can be directed to the Board Secretary.