New Brunswick Public Library Service

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

PTLDC Annual Reports Index

Mandate:

The mandate of New Brunswick Public Library Service is to provide public library service to the residents of the province of New Brunswick.

Legislation:

New Brunswick Public Libraries Act (1997)
New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation Act (1997)

Structure:

Public Library System Overview

In New Brunswick, public library services are offered through a partnership between the provincial government and participating municipalities. New Brunswick Public Library Service (NBPLS) is the agency responsible for the management and development of public library services in the province. NBPLS has been part of the New Brunswick Department of Education since April 1, 2000. It is made up of one provincial office, 5 regional offices, 51 public libraries, 11 public-school libraries and 4 bookmobiles.

Through NBPLS, the provincial government is responsible for strategic planning, general administration, provision and supervision of programs and services, human resources, collection development, cataloguing and processing of materials, management of the provincial union catalogue, automation, as well as administrative, operational and professional support. Participating municipalities are responsible for providing and maintaining facilities as well as furnishing and equipment required for the provision of quality public library service.

For public-school libraries, school districts are a third partner, contributing half of the cost of salaries, ensuring curriculum-related collection development, and providing and maintaining necessary facilities to serve the school users. In this type of partnership, participating municipalities have the same responsibilities towards the community as in partnership agreements for public libraries.

Overall, the Provincial government provides approximately 70% of the budget allotted to the provision of public library service in the province, while the contributions of participating municipalities represent roughly 30%.

The provincial office of New Brunswick Public Library Service is responsible for ensuring that the intent of the New Brunswick Public Libraries Act is carried out. It manages the provincial budget, sets standards, policies and guidelines, and ensures that they are respected.

The regional offices (Albert-Westmorland-Kent (A-W-K), Chaleur, Haut-Saint-Jean (H-S-J), Saint John and York) supervise and coordinate the provision of library services in their individual areas.

Public libraries, public-school libraries, and bookmobiles are responsible for providing direct service to the population. The public library network provides equitable access to a collection of more than 1.8 million items, provides reference and readers advisory service, offers Internet access, literacy initiatives and public programming for all ages. Public library use positively impacts literacy levels and lifelong learning for New Brunswickers.

Each public or public-school library has a library board, with members appointed by the participating municipality or, as with the francophone community centres, by the administrative council. The library board manages the budget allocated by the municipality and ensures that the library facilities are adequate. It also plays a support role by promoting the library in the community and by ensuring that services offered meet the community's needs.

Several times a year, representatives from the public library boards from each region meet in regional forums to discuss common issues. The Regional Directors chair forum meetings. The regional forums elect one representative each to serve on the New Brunswick Public Libraries Board.

Members of the public library boards (trustees) can belong to the New Brunswick Library Trustees Association Inc., an independent organization that promotes public library service in the province and fosters the education and training of library trustees.

The New Brunswick Public Libraries Board consists of five elected representatives, one from each region, plus up to eight additional members appointed from the public-at-large by the Minister responsible for public library service, and of the Provincial Librarian, who is a non-voting member. The Board provides advice to the Minister responsible for the public library system on provincial issues such as budgets, policies, guidelines, standards and services, and supports the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation in fundraising and promotion activities.

The New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation, consisting of up to ten members appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, conducts fundraising activities and encourages, facilitates and carries out activities to improve collections in public libraries.

Finances/Grants:

The 2003-2004 total annual budget allocated to New Brunswick Public Library Service by the Department of Education is $10,886,000

NBPLS received a grant of $20,000 from the Department of Inter-governmental Affairs to purchase reference collections in French to support a virtual reference service

NBPLS received a grant of $7,000 from L'Association pour l'avancement des sciences et techniques de la documentation to hire a bilingual librarian to develop a virtual reference pilot project. An additional $3,000 will be received in 2004-2005

NBPLS received a grant of $950 from the Atlantic Provinces Library Association General Activities Fund for promotion of the launch of Public Libraries Week

NBPLS received $64,000 through Industry Canada in Bridge Funding for the support of access centres located in libraries

NBPLS received 132 summer student positions from the Department of Training and Employment Development to support the Summer Reading Club and the Literacy Program for Kids

NBPLS made grant contributions to:

Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award - $2,500. This grant supports the operation of an Atlantic region children's choice book award

New Brunswick Library Trustees Association - $6,000. The Association receives an annual operating grant from NBPLS

Activities - Network and Automation:

Recent improvements in networking and automation include:

• Partial development of a new online service to provide access to collections of genealogy materials held in public libraries throughout the province
• A satellite link was installed on Campobello Island to give the public faster Internet access from the public library.
• Implemented new government computer security guidelines for all library employees
• Assessed Virtual Private Networks as a delivery option for library automation
• Tested wireless communication for bookmobile service to allow "real time" access to the provincial online catalogue and to automated circulation

Activities - Other Developments:

NB Public Library Service Recent Achievements
As you can see, NBPLS is responding to people's needs and moving forward. Here's what we've done over the past year….

• Public use of library programs and services increased in all major areas of statistical measurement

A Library Card for Every Public School Student

• Gave every public school student in New Brunswick a public library card as part of the Quality Learning Agenda, the province's development plan for the education system

NB Public Libraries Week

• Organized and celebrated a variety of events as part of Public Libraries Week in October 2003. The theme "Destination Imagination" was aimed at encouraging New Brunswickers to use their public library to fuel their imaginations

• Created a television commercial to promote public library service as part of Public Libraries Week

Library Programs

• Implemented the Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award Program across New Brunswick in French and in English. More than 50 individual book clubs were established in public libraries

• Offered 2003 edition of the Summer Reading Club and the Literacy Program for Kids with the assistance of 132 summer students hired through the Priority Employment Project. The theme of the 2003 Summer Reading Club was Read in Harmony / Lire en harmonie

• Developed a partnership with the Department of Family and Community Services to improve library collections of information for parents

• Hired four youth through a grant from Industry Canada. The youth offered training to staff and the public on Media Awareness, a national program designed to promote critical thinking skills and Internet safety. The grant was received by the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation

New Bookmobile

• Oversaw the customization of a new bookmobile for the Chaleur Library Region. An exterior graphic, interior shelving, flooring and wiring were designed and installed

Feasibility Studies / Needs Analysis

• Conducted and presented needs analysis for the communities of Bas-Caraquet, Boiestown, Dorchester, McAdam, St. Andrews, and Saint-François. These communities are interested in moving, building or expanding their library facilities

• Consulted with the community of Bathurst on the construction of a new library facility. The official opening of the library was held in October 2003

Province Wide Access to Library Collections

• Introduced a new service to offer province wide access to book collections. New Brunswickers can now request that books from public libraries across the province be sent to their home library through the mail. The books now arrive within a few days compared to within a few weeks using the old method of loaning materials

Training

• Developed and presented provincial training sessions for Library Managers and Library Assistants targeted to reinforcing their increased responsibilities following the reclassification of their positions

Provincial Structure

• Completed two phases of the standardization of provincial structure of the library system by establishing new regional boundaries for the Haut-Saint-Jean and York Library Regions, and standardizing the technical services units in each library region

Virtual Reference Service Pilot Project

• Purchased French reference material to support virtual reference service thanks to a grant of $20,000 awarded through the Canada - New Brunswick Agreement on the Promotion of Official Languages

• Hired two professional librarians through grants from Industry Canada and from L'Association pour l'avancement des sciences et techniques de la documentation to develop a Virtual Reference Service pilot project. The Industry Canada funding was awarded to the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation

Industry Canada Funding

• Coordinated Industry Canada Bridge Funding of $64,000 to support public Internet access in 27 public libraries. This involved coordinating applications, purchasing, installing and supporting equipment and reporting to Connect NB Branché and Industry Canada

NB Public Library Statistics

• Published the 2002-2003 Annual Statistics Report and added new elements to the report including: grants received for special projects; virtual visits to online services; and the use of public access workstations

Youth Apprenticeship Program

• Promoted librarianship as a profession by participating in the Youth Apprenticeship Program. NBPLS hired two bilingual high school students selected for their interest in investigating the possibility of pursuing a career in library and information science to work in public libraries over the summer. The students were given an overview of the profession and of the field of study required in order to become a librarian

PTLDC Annual Reports Index