Update on Last Evening’s Event at Richview Library
I’d like to address the issue about last evening's private room booking event at Richview Library, which has received tremendous attention. It has been a difficult situation, but one that we’ve been guided through by our library values.
First, a little bit of background. This event was booked as a third-party rental booking approximately three weeks ago. We learned on Tuesday that it was to be a memorial for Barbara Kulaszka, a lawyer known for her work with far right causes and free speech cases. As word got out, we received hundreds of emails, phone calls and social media messages calling for us to cancel the booking. The general theme was that people felt that by upholding the booking we were endorsing the views of the individuals that were organizing the meeting, individuals who have extreme white nationalist views.
We heard and understood these concerns, and assessed the situation from a legal, library and public perspective. As you know, we do not tolerate hate speech. However, we cannot deny bookings that are in accordance with the law and the library’s policy and rules of conduct.
To deny access on the basis of the views or opinions that individuals or groups hold contravenes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the principles of intellectual freedom, both cornerstones of the library’s mission and values. Sometimes in defending freedom of speech, it’s very uncomfortable to be put in a situation where we are defending the rights of those whose viewpoints many consider to be offensive. However, it is at those times that we must be vigilant in protecting the rights of all.
We were prepared to take immediate action should the group have acted in a manner that was not consistent with the law or our rules of conduct. We had a staff member attend the event to monitor it to ensure no laws or rules of conduct were contravened. We had a protocol in place to shut down the meeting if there was any hate speech. About 20 people attended the memorial service and staff talked to the organizers in advance of the meeting to reiterate our expectations. The group did not violate any laws or rules, and had a memorial service as originally indicated.
The Mayor has asked us in a statement to review our room booking policy, which we will do at an upcoming Toronto Public Library Board meeting this fall. These are open meetings and everyone is welcome to attend.
I strongly believe the right decision was made to allow the memorial to proceed. In making this decision we had to find a way for the Library to ensure the group's legal rights to gather and to free speech while protecting against discrimination, harassment and hate speech.
As difficult as this situation has been, it is also a strong reminder of public library values.
I thank everyone who has contacted us about this situation, and appreciate and respect your right to protest and voice your opinions. That’s what a democracy is all about.
Vickery was interviewed this morning on CBC Metro Morning on this topic. Listen to the interview here.
18 thoughts on “Update on Last Evening’s Event at Richview Library”
I believe the Library made a right decision to allow the memorial service to go forward.
I’d like to extend my support to the Library for your decision to let the event proceed. Besides the vital principle of supporting free speech, I don’t see how, as a practical matter, the Library could police the ideology of everyone who applied to book a room.
You did the right thing, guys, keep up the good work.
I would like to extend my support as well.
Thank you for not backing down.
To paraphrase George Orwell, if freedom of speech means anything it means the right to say things with which people vehemently disagree.
And it’s the backbone of a free society.
I think this was a very difficult decision, but in the end the Toronto Public Library made the right one.
The issue with people using the ‘publicly funded’ (or the ‘taxpayers money’) argument, is that all Torontonians, whether they live, work, or own property in Toronto, pay taxes that go towards publicly funded spaces like the library. Not every Torontonian is open minded and progressive. Some people have and promote racism, sexism, anti-semitism, Islamaphobia, homophobia, and any number of other prejudices that plague our society in their daily lives, whether privately or in like minded groups. They were not given a platform by the Toronto library. They were not offered to speak to the public in a promoted program. To use the logic of the taxpayer argument: They booked a room, in a public space that their tax dollars contribute to. They, regardless of their distorted beliefs, pay toronto taxes, and therefore are entitled to the same services as a non-prejudiced Torontonian, provided they do not break the rules of conduct of that publicly funded space, or violate the charter of rights and freedoms.
As much as we want, and should, fight against hate speech of any kind, logically and legally speaking, we cannot as a society pick and choose whose tax money is more worthy of entry into a space they both contribute to financially, no matter how small that monetary figure is in actuality. Otherwise, close down the third party rentals of library spaces to external groups, and properly fund the library so that their rooms and spaces remain used only for library services and programs.
I agree. I believe the right decision was made.
Once again, our very fine library system makes us proud. Well done, Vickery!
I think the Toronto Public Library did make a fair decision even though it might not be absolutely right, it was fair and fairness is what our country and city should be about. Having said that, I also think the Toronto Public Library system should have more public space made available for groups to educate the public on human rights and free speech and invite keynote speakers in. I do not see much of this happening in the system.
Bravo TPL. You continue to make this librarian proud.
I want to note that while I love the library and in general the work the library does. This statement is extremely disappointing (as was the initial decision that allowed this booking to go forward) it is a cowardly walking back of the strong statement made in November that opposes hate speech.
Freedom of Expression protects people from being prosecuted by the government – it doesn’t mean we have to condone hateful behaviour in our public or private spaces. Additionally, hate speech is not protected speech in Canada.
This decision is shows us that you have made a choice to elevate a misguided defense of “freedom of speech” for actual holocaust deniers and neo-nazis over the values education, facts, learning, and inclusiveness the library claims to stand for.
A very wise decision and one that takes a lot of courage. Very proud of TPL for standing up for free speech.
Hi Sara,
Are you saying that the TPL should judge every single person who passes through its doors and refuse them service on the basis that they have a bad reputation? What is your criteria for a bad reputation? How many people have to dislike you before you are refused service? Can the TPL refuse service to a fundamentalist Islamist if they don’t support gay marriage? Can the TPL refuse service to political opponents that they don’t support such as a pro-life campaign? There are so many questions you have to answer.
While I never presumed TPL endorsed the views of the organizers, I am very disappointed that TPL would allow such an event to be held on its premises.
Protecting free speech and allowing views not everyone agrees with is a great reason to allow the local NDP riding association to rent out the space, but not a group of white supremacists whose core values include racism. These viewpoints are not, as you noted above, what “many consider to be offensive”; rather they are intentionally offensive by nature.
Above you noted letting white supremacists hold gatherings is a “cornerstone of the library’s mission and values”. TPL should be ashamed for not being willing to stand up against a hateful group, and then hide behind legalities that contravene, rather than define, its values.
Careful, they may have felt so welcome you could find yourself hosting them for their regular monthly meetings.
Look, you’re clearly writing to agitate and to provoke a certain kind of response. As you well know, this isn’t about who likes who, political views, or a kind of reputation.
It’s about hate speech, which is not protected speech in Canada, and if you feel if should be that’s a different conversation for a different venue. And this about a public institution tacitly condoning a group whose values are based on anti-semitism, hate, and racism.
I’m not about to engage on the terms of someone looking defend hate speech as freedom of expression any further.
If you really need more, consider reading Jacob’s comment below.
These Organized Racists play the game — they’re very professional and polite. They know how to play the Freedom of Speech Card that lets them have a platform and operate in public with public resources, even though they spew HATE — contrary to Anti-HATE Laws and Human Rights Laws.
That Lawyer wrote a Holocaust denial book called “Did 6 million really die?”. She was not just a advocate for their rights, she was a proponent. Very disappointed in the TPL to take a neutral policy based position when you must take a stand for Equity/Human Rights and say no way!
I don’t agree with the beliefs of the people who booked the room, but I also see the test the library faced because of the booking. I believe they made the correct choice, and sometimes the right thing to do makes us feel wrong, and sometimes doing what feels right might be, in fact, wrong. Freedom of expression is important, we just have to always remember that freedom of expression does not protect to from consequences of said expressions.
How did the media find out about this event? Aren’t these bookings private?
https://goo.gl/VL17PN