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.
The level of activity within our libraries and communities means that monthly meetings are the norm for the UTFA Librarians Committee. In addition, the Joint Librarian/Administration Committee meets twice a term to discuss issues that have arisen in the community. Representing UTFA are Harriet Sonne de Torrens (UTM, Chair of the UTFA Librarians Committee), Terezia Zoric (Chair of UTFA’s Equity Committee), Patricia LaCivita (UTSC), and Kathleen Scheaffer (St. George). Efforts are made to address Librarians’ concerns at these meetings. However, resolution is not always possible, and those issues are in turn taken to the next level of discussion through the UTFA Joint Committee with Administration (president and vice-presidents of UTFA and U of T senior administration).
The University of Toronto Faculty Association has benefited from the growing participation of academic Librarians over the past year. Bobby Glushko is representing U of T Librarians in the current negotiations on remuneration (as per Article 6 of the MoA). Michael Meth, Librarian and Director of Information Resources and Services at OISE Library, is UTFA’s Treasurer; Jeff Newman, College Librarian at New College, is Speaker of UTFA Council; and Harriet Sonne de Torrens is a member of the Special Joint Advisory Committee to review the MoA. Representing Librarians at our three campuses on UTFA Council are Victoria Skelton, Lola Rudin, and Shelley Hawrychuk. Stephanie Perpick, Shelley Hawrychuk, and Bobby Glushko represent the community on the Advisory Committee on the University of Toronto Library System – a long-standing arrangement that dates back to the existence of the Librarians Association of the University of Toronto (LAUT).
The U of T Academic Librarians Blog continues to be active and has helped to promote greater awareness about current issues facing academic librarians across Canada.
A special thank you to all members of the Librarians Committee this past year: Michael Attridge (St. Michael’s College), Patricia Ayala (Gerstein Library), Bobby Glushko (Robarts Library), Shelley Hawrychuk (UTM), Robin Healey (Librarian Emeritus), Patricia LaCivita (UTSC), Brock MacDonald (Teaching Stream, Woodsworth College), Noel McFerran (Kelly Library), Michael Meth (OISE), Fabiano Rocha (East Asian Library), Christina Tooulias-Santolin (Robarts Library), Suzanne Meyers Sawa (Music Library), Andrea Shier (Criminology Information Service Library), Siobhan Stevenson (Information Studies), Victoria Skelton (Industrial Relations and Human Resources Library), Graeme Slaght (Copyright Librarian, Robarts Library), Sarah Fedko (UTSC), Dave Hagelaar (St. Michael’s College), Rea Devakos, and Michelle Spence (Engineering and Computer Science Library).
Harriet Sonne de Torrens
Chair, Librarians Committee