OTTAWA — Members of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council took the opportunity to ask Guest John Rafferty (CEO and President of the CNIB) many questions, express views and to determine the intent of the Digital HUB proposal that CNIB has offered. In a wide-ranging discussion that was based in the role of the public library to serve all Canadians a motion of support was passed.
CULC/CBUC wants to be an active part of Phase I and to that end has appointed member Rosemary Bonanno (Vancouver Island Regional Library) to be the primary liaison with CNIB. The concerns that CULC/CBUC queried Mr. Rafferty and continues to want answers to are: governance, access and the issue of money and where it is going to come from to pay for the new National Digital HUB.
The motion that CULC/CBUC passed was the following:
Being that CULC/CBUC member libraries recognize that public library service is a critical component to equitable access to published materials and the fact that CULC/CBUC would like to be an active partner in the development of an equitable distribution model for accessible formats. CULC/CBUC is committing to work with the CNIB on evolving the Digital HUB proposal to the next stage. We would like to be an active partner through representation in Phase 1 development (process).
Motion: Sandra Singh
Seconder: Rosemary Bonanno
CARRIED.