Manitoba Public Library Services

Provincial and Territorial Library Directors Council (PTLDC)
Annual Report
2003 - 2004

PTLDC Annual Reports Index

Through The Public Libraries Act, Public Library Services ensures that Manitobans have access to library services. The Branch fulfils this role by administering departmental policy and provincial legislation, providing consultative support and training to libraries and boards, technical services to public libraries and extension services from a central collection.

In 2003/2004, grants totalling $4.8 million were provided to Manitoba's 108 public libraries and to library-related organizations including the Manitoba Association of Library Technicians, the Manitoba Library Trustees Association, the Canadian Children's Book Centre, the Manitoba Library Association, and the Manitoba School Library Association. The funding formula for the rural libraries was increased from $7.50 per capita to $8.50, with a Collection Development Grant increase from $5,000.00 to $5,500.00. Northern and Bilingual libraries received an additional $1,000 Collection Development Grant to cover higher material costs.

Public Library Services maintains the Manitoba Public Libraries Information Network (MAPLIN). MAPLIN is a central database containing the catalogues of the public libraries. There are approximately 2.0 million records in MAPLIN, which serve as a "master list" as well as a location guide for resource sharing. MAPLIN is available at http://maplin.gov.mb.ca/cgi-bin/maplin.cgi. In 2003/04 MAPLIN experienced more than 1.7 million successful hits by Manitobans for materials.

In 2003/2004 Public Library Services circulated 145,856 items and delivered a number of library support programs to the rural and northern public libraries as well as to those Manitobans without access to a public library.

Development Services provided educational support to rural public libraries through consultations, educational publications, regional workshops and an annual training conference held in Portage la Prairie. In 2003/04 there were over 2,000 requests for both technical and professional support. The Public Library Services Newsletter was published three times during the year and a comprehensive library-training guide was made available for distribution to rural and northern libraries.

Extension Services provides library material to both the rural and northern public libraries and to the population who do not have access to a local public library. The central library collection is maintained in Brandon and has over 194,000 books. Special Collection programs augment collections of the rural and northern public libraries and provides literacy materials, French language, multilingual, talking books for the visually challenged, audio/visual and large print materials. In 2003/04 there were 15,505 large print and 29,000 multi media items circulated in community libraries.

Service to Manitobans without access to a public library was provided by the Travelling Library Program which circulated 6,788 items and by the Open Shelf Program (Books-by-Mail) which circulated over 70,000 items. The Open Shelf Program continued to see an increase in on-line memberships and Internet based orders. The program created and provided 1,022 bibliographies for its patrons. In December 2002, a pilot project of the Open Shelf Program on Federal lands began at St. Theresa Point with membership reaching over 90 in 2003.

The Inter-library Loan Program facilitates the exchange of library materials between rural Manitoba and other provincial and national sources via the automated MAPLIN system. Public Library Services processed 16,668 loan requests from the central library in 2003/04. Another 36,000 items were shared directly between public libraries using MAPLIN.

The Public Library Services' Cataloguing Program provides cataloguing service to rural public libraries and the Central Collection. Approximately 10,000 items were catalogued. The program also maintains the MAPLIN catalogue to facilitate resource sharing. Cataloguing robot (CatBot), designed by Public Library Services, offers cataloguing assistance to libraries at considerable local cost savings.

Public Library Services continues to develop and strengthen its partnerships both within and outside the provincial government. In co-operation with the Legislative Library, the Branch continued to provide technical support and infrastructure for the Legislative Libraries TALISMAN system. The Branch continues its partnership with the Industrial Technology Centre Library to provide Internet access to their library catalogues. Through the Better Systems Initiative, the Branch has initiated an upgrade of the MAPLIN/TALISMAN toward a new, state-of-the-art Provincial Library system.

PTLDC Annual Reports Index