For years, the University of Toronto had provided open, unhindered access to some of the most comprehensive collections in Canada. In September 2009, the University of Toronto started charging students, faculty, staff from other Canadian universities $200 a year for the ability to borrow books from the university's libraries. Cheryl Misak, the university's Provost, has confirmed that visitors will soon be charged a fee just to browse the stacks, let alone borrow books. Such moves undermine the cooperative spirit between Canadian university libraries and makes post-secondary education that much less accessible. Moreover, the decisions to implement these fees were made behind closed doors, without consultation.
Send an email to Provost Cheryl Misak and demand that the UofT reverse its decision to introduce library usage and access fees:
