PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE NOT THE PLACE TO CUT COSTS
Boards already struggle to meet demand and wage requirements, says Debra Smith.
Re. “Ways to trim costs without being ‘reckless,’ ” Opinion, Dec. Dec. 12
On Dec. 12, the Edmonton Journal published an opinion piece titled Ways to trim costs without being ‘reckless,’ by Colin Craig, interim Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
While Mr. Craig’s comments were certainly intended to be helpful, he did make some statements that require both correction and refinement. To begin, the government of Alberta does not spend over $50 million a year on public library service.
While the annual amount varies slightly, the average is closer to $35 million, of which approximately 90 per cent goes to operating grants. In 2017, approximately $12.7 million extra was provided by the government of Alberta as one-time infrastructure funding to allow for crucial upgrades to the headquarters buildings of six regional library systems.
Regional systems provide support services to hundreds of small municipal libraries throughout Alberta and have not received infrastructure funding in decades.
As for co-locating libraries, Alberta is already a leader in that regard. The province already has 63 public libraries housed in schools. While such partnerships do allow for certain efficiencies, they must be entered into with caution since school closures threaten the continuance of public library services and subject the public library to the constraints imposed by local school authorities.
It is also important to note many more libraries are already co-located in town offices and community recreation centres.
In this respect, public libraries have been leading the way for years in co-operation and partnerships and can actually serve as an example for other organizations to follow.
Another important point to note is that public library service is a municipal responsibility
Public libraries are often the last safe, inclusive public space many families have access to in these tough economic times.
under the Alberta Libraries Act. Approximately 86 per cent of operational funding comes from municipalities rather than the provincial government.
The government of Alberta’s contribution is really to ensure equitability of service including the provision of the SuperNet broadband service to isolated community libraries, resource sharing through government courier, and reciprocal borrowing so public library patrons have access to materials found in any public library in Alberta through interlibrary loans on a walk-in basis.
Even the operating grants, sometimes referred to unofficially as resource-sharing grants, are designed to encourage resourcesharing reciprocity.
Along this vein, part of the operating grants also allows members of Alberta’s Indigenous communities access to library service. Until the government of Alberta provided targeted grant money starting in 2016, the majority of on-reserve and Métis settlement residents could not access public library services on a level equal to other Albertans. This is because reserves are located on federal land.
Not only do provincial operating grants contribute to removing barriers to equitable library service but they also represent an important and tangible step on the path toward truth and reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous community.
While Colin Craig justifiably wants to ensure government and public services are run as cost-effectively as possible, public libraries are always struggling to work efficiently. In many cases, library funding is at such a level that boards struggle with increasing demands from patrons for new services and materials, while at the same time meeting the new legislated minimum-wage requirements.
One thing is certain, whether it is in large centres or in tiny, rural municipalities, public libraries are often the last safe, inclusive public space many families have access to in these tough economic times.
Besides, if Mr. Craig believed public libraries were receiving $50 million annually from the government of Alberta when they are really only receiving $35 million, we just found a 30-percent savings. Now who could possibly ask for better than that?