Good news for all those who get mild motion sickness when they stare at the seventies-style, geometric orange carpet in the atrium of the Toronto Reference Library—it was announced earlier today that the Provincial government will be contributing 10 million dollars to the campaign to renovate and expand it. The total cost of the project, which will take place over the next five years, is estimated at 30 million dollars—the other two thirds coming from the City of Toronto and the private sector.

The provincial donation is part of the commitment the government made to training skills and development in their 2008 budget this week. Deputy Premier and MPP for Toronto-Centre, George Smitherman, wanted to stress the amity between the Province and the City of Toronto, calling the library an "iconic landmark...one that stands for literacy and lifelong learning." The logic being that the library provides resources to people who may not reside in our fair city. Minister of Culture Aileen Carroll stated in her speech: "This investment will help the library promote lifelong learning and contribute to skills development in Ontario."

The reno, completed by the original design firm Moriyama & Teshima Architects Inc., will modernize the building and provide increased resources, such as freestanding study pods, listening labs for language students, and 140 high-speed internet workstations. There will be a new glass-cube front added to the building to allow passers-by a view into the library, as well as an event theatre with a capacity of 650. The Toronto Public Library system is the world's busiest—it is visited by over 17 million people a year, and they borrow more than 30 million items. Mayor David Miller believes "the busiest means the best," which is presumably why the City is coughing up their share of the dough—that, and they own the place.

The campaign in the private sector will begin mid-2009, and the TPL already has their act in gear, having compiled a booklet for their thirtieth anniversary (last year) of stories from various Torontonians about their positive experiences in the library. Some notable Hogtowners include authors Andrea Curtis, Camilla Gibb, and Elliott Katz; as well as Dr. Samantha Nutt, Founder of Warchild Canada. "This is the largest broadband campaign in the history of the Toronto Public Library," enthused campaign manager John R. Farell. "We're the people's university. People from all walks of life can come here to continue their education."

Let's just hope they have somewhere to sit for the next five years.

Photo from Toronto Public Library