Librarians

Report of the Chair of the Librarians Committee, 2020–2021

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the majority of the University librarians across our three campuses have been working from home, meeting and teaching online. We have had an active year and our workload has increased substantially. During this period, the Librarians Committee met virtually several times: May 6, June 17, July 15, September 4, and November 26 in 2020 and on January 11, 2021. We have also organized constituency meetings for librarians, held in March and April 2021, that were widely attended.

UTFA Librarians: Principles for Consultation – Annual Activity Report and Performance Assessment Policies/Procedures

We are very pleased to share with you the Principles for Consultation – Annual Activity Report and Performance Assessment Policies/Procedures agreed to on June 3, 2020 and approved by UTFA Council on June 10, 2020.

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Report of the Chair of the Librarians Committee, 2019–2020

In mid-March 2020 the University of Toronto libraries across our three campuses closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Librarians and staff reverted to working from home. We were advised that no students could be hired for the summer and only eBooks could be ordered for collections. This is an exceptional time.

Looking back, it has been an exceptional year. Members of the Librarians Committee have participated in a number of important initiatives:

Report of the Chair of the Librarians Committee, 2016–2017

The work of the Librarians Committee continues to inclusively and collaboratively foster community by building on the work and ideas of previous chairs, members, and the wider librarian community. Investment in a collegial, diverse, transparent, and equitable future for academic librarians at U of T is at the forefront. We seek consultative processes; equitable opportunities and procedures; fair working conditions; and consistent practices across our three campuses.

In this busy year, especially as we prepare to enter into negotiations, the Committee has focused on:

Report of the Chair of the Librarians Committee, 2015–2016

This is my last report for the AGM newsletter as Chair of the Librarians Committee. My term concludes June 30, 2016. It has been a great honour and a tremendous pleasure to work with so many knowledgeable and committed colleagues across our three campuses for the past six years.

Dr. Harriet Sonne de Torrens, UTFA Librarians Committee Chair, Wins OCUFA 2014-15 Academic Librarianship Award

UTFA is proud to report that Dr. Harriet Sonne de Torrens, UTFA Librarians Committee Chair, has been selected for a prestigious Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) 2014-15 Academic Librarianship Award. Since 1973, OCUFA's Teaching and Academic Librarianship Awards have recognized the exceptional contributions made by professors and librarians to the quality of higher education in Ontario.

Report of the Chair of the Librarians Committee, 2014–2015

Academic Librarians are recognized as an integral and core part of all aspects of teaching and research at the University of Toronto. We have an exceedingly active community with colleagues working on Librarians’ behalf on many levels in UTFA. In the past year, the emphasis has been on: representing Librarians in the SJAC process; providing the current bargaining team with relevant information concerning Librarians’ benefits and monetary issues; and sustaining regular contact with members across our community. Work continues on the drafting of a new Policies for Librarians document.