Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2024 Federal Budget
List of Recommendations
Recommendation 1: That the Government of Canada ensures libraries have reasonable access on reasonable terms to e-content from multi-national publishers through consideration of amendments to the federal Competition Act and/or legislation like that introduced in the United States ensures libraries have reasonable access to e-content and introduce legislation to ensure that practices that discriminate against libraries and harm library users is prohibited.
Recommendation 2: That the Government of Canada recognize the role public libraries are playing in delivering on federal priorities in communities across Canada and provide funding to further support libraries performing these critical services.
Recommendation 3: That the Government of Canada recognize the significant impact of mental health and addiction in Canadian communities and work with provincial governments to appropriately fund community mental health and addiction services: services which may already exist but are unable to adequately fulfill their role due to inconsistent funding and other stressors.