James Maunder, director of communications for the Heritage Minister said in an email the Library "has the money necessary to fulfil its mandate," despite cries from Canada's librarians that cuts will create a black hole where Canada's documentary history should be.
The Canadian Library Association and the Canadian Association of University Teachers said this week a more than 10 per cent budget cut has left Canada's main library-of-record struggling to maintain — and grow — its collection, a feat they say was already difficult due to targeted cuts over the past six years.
The library, which despite the cuts remains Canada's largest single employer of librarians and archivists in Canada, has a mandate to acquire, preserve and make available the documentary heritage of Canada.
It is also responsible for managing the archival records of government.
Maunder said records show the main library down the street from Parliament Hill in Ottawa is getting fewer and fewer in-person visitors a month, while its website gets half a million visits in the same period.
He pointed to work the Library is already doing to cope with a shrinking budget — making digital copies of its collection and putting them online.
He said the effort "will mean more Canadians in all regions of the country will have access to our history, at less cost to taxpayers."
Marc Comeau, spokesman for Library and Archives Canada said the "changing reality" that most users want online access for their research needs means the library must shift its focus to remain current.
Regarding the closure of six federal department libraries, the attitude seems to be use it or lose it.
Remi Lariviere from Citizenship and Immigration Canada confirmed Thursday morning that department's library is closing.
"Most employees have access to a library on their desktop and use the real library less and less," Lariviere wrote in an emailed response to questions.
Lariviere said the print/media collection, which is geared to support policy development relevant to citizenship, immigration, refugees, settlement, integration and multiculturalism, has "very low demand."
He said, while "a great deal of reference material is available online," important documents will be housed offsite with a private-sector provider.
In preparation for the closure — which has made four library jobs "surplus" — Lariviere said the librarians trained employees on database searches, library orientation and also did professional Internet searches on specialized databases.
In addition, while they won't have a bricks-and-mortar space to call home, Citizenship and Immigration Canada said it will retain two research librarians and hire another in order to support policy development.
Regarding the shuttering of Transport Canada's Ottawa library, effective July 31, department spokeswoman Vanessa Schneider wrote in an emailed response that the "streamlining measure" will allow Transport Canada to better focus on its core functions.
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"Our government is committed to reducing unnecessary spending by focusing on programs that are consistent with its mandate and responsibilities, ensuring programs are best delivered by those best positioned to do so, and refocusing program funding based on achievable objectives and the needs of Canadians."
She said the library's users, which include Transport Canada employees, other federal organizations, industry stakeholders, academics, international organizations and journalists, should contact the department directly if they need information about the department's programs.
Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: Teresa Smith
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