The Canadian Federation of Library Associations / Fédération canadienne des associations de bibliothèques has issued a position statement on the status of school libraries in Canada.
In the statement, CFLA-FCAB supports the establishment of:
- an open and accessible library learning commons in every school, including the protection of existing libraries;
- policy and funding frameworks to provide equitable access to school library facilities, collections, services, and programs designed to meet the diverse needs, abilities, and identities of all learners;
- policy and funding frameworks to ensure every school library is professionally staffed and appropriately funded, and able to provide relevant and current resources, technologies, and physical and virtual learning spaces to support the evolving needs of all learners;
- a policy framework that recognizes the importance of intellectual freedom in libraries, particularly in protecting and amplifying the voices of underrepresented identities.
Canadian School Libraries, along with representatives from the two other CFLA member associations that represent the school library sector, participated in the committee to draft the statement. We express our appreciation to all committee members: Andrea Cecchetto, CFLA-FCAB Chair, Michael Nyby, representing the CFLA Intellectual Freedom Committee, Anita Brooks Kirkland, Joseph Jeffery, and Lila Armstrong representing the Canadian School Libraries board of directors, Julian Taylor, also representing CSL, Wendy Burch Jones representing the Ontario Library Association / Ontario School Library Association, and Alisa Soukhodolskaia, representing the youth and school libraries section of l’Association des bibliothécaires du Québec – Quebec Library Association. We especially thank the CFLA-FCAB board of directors for their support in publishing the statement.
This statement represents the support of librarians across all sectors for a national consensus on the role of school libraries in public education.
“Across the country there are widely divergent understandings of the role of the school library, and equally divergent or even non-existent policy frameworks, funding models, staffing, and program expectations. That Canadian students’ access to library programs and services depends largely on where they live is a deplorable situation in one of the world’s richest democracies. Equity of access to quality school library programs and services should be considered as a core foundation for education in Canada.”
The full statement is available on the CFLA-FCAB website. Please read and distribute.
CFLA POSITION STATEMENT ON THE STATUS OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES IN CANADA
ÉNONCÉ DE POSITION DE LA FCAB SUR LA SITUATION DES BIBLIOTHÈQUES SCOLAIRES AU CANADA