A fierce debate about the value of libraries in the internet age has emerged in Toronto, as city council mulls cutting costs by closing some community libraries.
The possible cuts prompted Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood to ask people to sign a petition calling for city council to promise it won't reduce library services.
Atwood was also drawn into a war of words with City Councillor Doug Ford, brother of Mayor Rob Ford, who sarcastically wished the writer "good luck" on her petition efforts.
Atwood later used her Twitter account to take a sassy swipe at the Ford brothers. She responded to a tongue-in-cheek "Atwood for Mayor" campaign launched by online supporters by saying, "Noo, not running for mayor...too old. Used to think too ignorant, but that hasn't stopped some," followed by a smiley emoticon.
CBC's The Current examined the debate in a recent episode, interviewing Ken Roberts, former president of the Canadian Library Association, and Toronto City Councillor Sarah Doucette. They talked about the pros and cons of closing library branches and how other cities in North America have approached this issue.
A fierce debate about the value of libraries in the internet age has emerged in Toronto, as city council mulls cutting costs by closing some community libraries.