This episode of The Unquiet Library examines how decades of public funding cuts, neoliberal policy shifts, wage restraints, attrition, buyouts, and rapid technological change reshaped Robarts Library and culminated in major strikes in 1975 and 1991. Former Chief Librarian Carol Moore and retired Chief Administrative Officer Alfred Cheng describe repeated annual budget reductions, prioritization and fundraising, migration to digital services, consolidation of desks, and avoiding layoffs through attrition while protecting the acquisition budget. Union and management perspectives recount resentments over capped pay, anxieties about the threat of technology and inadequate training, grievances, picket-line tensions, damaged relationships, and a sense that “nobody won,” even as Robarts ultimately transformed into a modern digital library.
00:00 Opening with Alison Lang
02:02 Introduction
05:09 Carole Moore
10:46 Alfred Cheng
16:04 Dana Kuszelewski
20:18 Gabriela Bravo
25:19 Terrence Correia
31:04 John Iacono
33:36 Conclusion
Robarts Library 50th anniversary exhibit: http://uoft.me/robarts50
Learn more about CUPE 1230 and the 1991 strike
About CUPE 1230: Welcome to CUPE 1230 - CUPE 1230
CUPE 1230 1991 Strike Archival Materials: Flyers and brochures re CUPE strike, 1991 - Discover Archives
The University of Toronto Varsity newspaper coverage of the start of the strike, see March 4, 1991 issue: The Varsity, June 1990 - April 16, 1991 : University of Toronto : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
doc-slotnick-cupe-local1230-strike-pamphlet-toronto-1975-OCR.pdf
Theme music:
Felipe Sarro, Bach-Siloti - Prelude BWV 855a
Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
Sound credits:
2 08 Br Lib amb 5.wav by ERH -- https://freesound.org/s/51632/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
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