Read the full statement here.
… Canadians across the country have expressed their concern to CLA regarding these Government of Canada library closures. They are worried that these important knowledge centres are being dismantled with very little thought being given to the future generations of Canadians who might benefit from the wealth of accumulated information built up over generations.
CLA recognizes that every sector of the library community is facing financial pressure; however, in addressing fiscal challenges, the core mandate of libraries must not be sacrificed. The current approach to federal library closures risk doing just that.
CLA remains gravely concerned about the lack of transparency and potential loss of valuable materials. It is vital that the government involve library professionals in any process relating to collection management. Librarians have specialized training in evaluating and consolidating information for preservation. Their expertise can provide important insight into this process, both streamlining approaches and ensuring that the
best information is retained.
CLA is calling on the Government of Canada to provide a more thorough description of the processes taken when reviewing collections. CLA is also calling on the Government of Canada to actively engage with CLA, the archival and research communities, and other stakeholders to work on a more transparent process for the management of the valuable publicly-owned collections held by Departmental libraries and LAC.
Given CLA’s long history of partnership with LAC and our broad representation, it would be pleased to facilitate this discussion.
Government Information Network 