CULC/CBUC has submitted five recommendations for the pre-budget consultations in advance of the 2024 budget.
Recommendation 1: That the Government of Canada:
- Ensure 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 to ensure libraries have reasonable access to e-content;
- Introduce legislation to ensure that practices that discriminate against libraries and harm library users is prohibited.
Recommendation 2: That the Government of Canada recognizes the role public libraries are playing in delivering on federal priorities in communities across Canada and provides funding to further support libraries performing these critical services.
Recommendation 3: That the Government of Canada build upon the work of the Canadian Urban Institute in “Overdue: the Case for Canada’s Public Libraries” and implement its recommendation to establish a National Task Force on the Future of Public Libraries to:
- Undertake a comprehensive national assessment of the value and impact of public libraries on community well-being and health
- Aggregate data on the state of library buildings to create a long-term investment plan for renovations and construction of new libraries, including in multi-use facilities
- Contribute to the program development of Canada’s Long-Term Funding Plan for libraries, acknowledging the library’s role in supporting broadband access through the network of libraries
- Identify whole-of-government leveraging opportunities for strategic partnerships among federal agencies and libraries for local service delivery
Recommendation 4: That the Government of Canada ensure that adequate transitional funding is provided to the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) until the Equitable Access to Reading Fund (EARP) is fully launched and funding can be accessed.
Recommendation 5: That the Government of Canada recognizes the significant impact of mental health and addiction in Canadian communities and work with provincial governments to develop a pan-Canadian strategy on mental health and addiction that would include input from library leaders.
Read the full submission