Sci-fi author Robert J. Sawyer has sent an open letter to Toronto mayor David Miller to protest plans to cut service at the Toronto Public Library. In a passionate and compelling argument, Sawyer says, in part,

What makes Toronto so special is its multiculturalism — and it is in our libraries that newcomers to Toronto learn about the city and its traditions of inclusiveness and peacefulness. When you force library branches to curtail their hours, cut back on acquisitions, and freeze hiring, you are doing severe damage to the fabric of what once was, and can again be, the greatest city in the world. I urge you and your council to find another solution — because the current one is untenable.

Sawyer has also posted the full text of his letter as a comment on this Quillblog post.