Joe Clark Launches A Library Blog With A Due Date

Photo of the Lillian H. Smith library by jmv.

Local gadfly Joe Clark is well known for his thoroughly biting analyses of typography, the idiosyncrasies of Canadian spelling, and the TTC. But while we at Torontoist are more than happy with his generally curmudgeonly demeanour, Clark has decided to shake things up a bit and, in his own words, "work on a positive and uplifting project for a while." So with that aim in mind, Clark last week launched a new blog that zones in on another of his municipal loves, simply titled Fans of Toronto Public Library (a.k.a. TPLFans).

The site is still in its infancy, but promises to be a repository of information for both the casual library visitor and the die-hard bibliophile. Clark has so far posted advice on getting your hands on books with mega-long holds lists, making the most of the TPL's "hideous new catalogue" (the first version of which he called "a total piece of shit that doesn’t even work on the library’s own computers"), and saving cash by visiting your local branch (an issue of particular relevance to Clark, who read over 250 books last year, nearly all of which he obtained through the library). There's even a post featuring photos of the floral carpet at the Beaches branch. What can we say—the man loves details.

Clark's love for—and thorough knowledge of—the TPL is evident throughout the site, which is shaping up to be a fascinating and practical jaunt through the ins and outs of the library system. There is, however, one important caveat: TPLFans is what Clark calls a pop-up blog, which means that it will likely be gone almost as soon as it arrived. So if you like your library news fresh, act now before the site gets taken out of circulation for good.