Ontario

Libraries Unit, Heritage and Libraries Branch
Ministry Of Culture, Government Of Ontario

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

PTLDC Annual Reports Index

Mission And Mandate

The Ministry of Culture supports a first-rate province-wide library system that enhances the availability of information and ensures equitable access to it.

Legislation

The Public Libraries Act (PLA) and Regulation 976 govern public library service delivery in Ontario. The Act was last amended in 2002.

The Act provides for public library service to be delivered at the local level by library boards established and appointed by municipalities, and libraries established by First Nations Bands and local service boards. Where a municipality, local service board or First Nation Band does not establish a library, they may enter into a contract with a neighbouring library board to provide service to their community.

The PLA sets out conditions of free basic public library service:

• Admission to the library or for use in the library of the library's materials;
• Reserve and borrow circulating materials (the types of materials are identified in Regulation 976 e.g. books, periodicals, computer software, audio and videotapes); and
• Use reference and information services as the board considers practicable.

Fees can be imposed for services not identified among the free basic public library services above including:

• The use of the parts of a building that are not being used for public library purposes; and
• The use of library services by persons who do not reside in the areas of the board's jurisdiction.

The PLA requires the Minister to provide annual grants for library purposes to libraries and to organizations that contract for library services.

The Act also mandates two library service agencies, Ontario Library Service - North and Southern Ontario Library Service to:

• Increase co-operation and co-ordination among public library boards and other information providers in order to promote the provision of library services to the public; and
• Assist public library boards by providing them with services and programs that reflect their needs, including consultation, training and development services.

The PLA considers Toronto Public Library Board a special library service board to provide library resources and services to the Ontario library community. TPL provides the people of Ontario with access to the resources of the Virtual Reference Library.

Structure

Public libraries are the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Libraries Branch, Libraries Unit. The Branch has a director; the Unit has a manager and eight staff.

The Libraries Unit is supported by two agencies-Ontario Library Service - North (OLS-N) and Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS). OLS-N's has 23 staff and SOLS, 46.

The ministry's website is: www.culture.gov.on.ca/english/index.html
OLS-North's website is: www.olsn.ca/
SOLS website is: www.sols.org/

Services To Government, Public Libraries And Library Systems

• Administer provincial library legislation and regulations
• Represent the provincial interest in federal/provincial/territorial library initiatives
• Provides library sector support in partnership with Ontario Library Service agencies
• Administer statutory grants and other library sector support grant programs
• Manage Library Statistics Database
• Work with partners to promote the provincial interest in libraries
• Maintain and develop strategic partnerships to enhance delivery of library services
• Advance an innovative information technology infrastructure for all Ontario communities through library networks
• Deliver Public Library Service Awards to recognize new ideas and excellence in public library service

Grants/Finances

In 2003-04, the Ministry of Culture provided $29.6 million to Ontario public libraries, including:

• $18.7 million (*see below) in operating grants to 393 recipients including public libraries, First Nation libraries, contracting municipalities and local service boards;
• $2.25 million in pay equity funding to libraries and community information centres;
• $3 million to the Southern Ontario Library Service and $1.6 million to the Ontario Library Service - North in annual operating grants;
• $1.4 million to the Toronto Public Library in an annual operating grant for the Virtual Reference Library;
• $1 million in Library Internet Connectivity;
• $799,000 for the First Nation Library Development Program, including the First Nation Salary Supplement to assist First Nation libraries to hire librarians ($572,000) and the First Nation Library Consulting Service ($226,800);
• $348,000 for strategic investments in the library system through the Library Strategic Development Fund; and
• $35,800 annual operating grant to the Ontario Library Association to deliver programs and services to its 4,200 members.

In 2003-04, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, established a Strategic Granting Initiative for Library Boards. The pilot program was for libraries in municipalities and First Nations of 20,000 people or less. Eligible libraries applied for grants up to $15,000 for small capital projects, collections, programming, training and technology. 214 public and First Nation libraries in small communities received $2 million in funding support.

The Ministry of Culture also received $3.5 million from Industry Canada for Sustainability of Public Internet Access and Community Access Program (CAP) Sites in public libraries. 851 library sites received funding.

*Note: Public library operating grant amounts were established by formula following a program review in 1998. The grant amounts were calculated based on a rate of $4.08 per household for urban areas and $4.80 per household for rural areas. First Nation library grants were calculated at $1.50 per capita.

Activities

Ontario Digital Library Concept
Proposed in 2001, the Ontario Digital Library is an initiative of the Ontario Library Association. It is the first multi-type library project in Ontario. The ministry financially supported the development of the business plan. If established, the ODL would benefit Ontario's academic, school and public libraries and their patrons through a variety of initiatives, including consortia purchasing of electronic resources. It would be accessible through the Internet and provide access to high quality library resources. The business plan proposes a number of strategies, including the development of provincial licensing agreements, digital training, digital collections, 24/7 reference services. The ministry is working closely with the ODL to assist them in obtaining financial support from government.

Federation of Ontario Public Libraries
The Strategic Directions Council of Ontario's public libraries has been involved in a strategic planning process for several years. The ministry funded a business plan which resulted in the concept of The The Federation of Ontario Public Libraries, which proposes to provide a united voice for the province's public libraries and services in the following four areas: advocacy, marketing, research and consortia purchasing. The ministry and its library service agencies have been following its progress because both it and the ODL will certainly have an impact on the services provided in support of Ontario's library sector. The Federation plans to hold its inaugural meeting and elect its first Board of Directors in January 2005.

Libraries
In 2003-04, the ministry provided 393 municipal library boards, libraries established by First Nations Bands and local service boards; or contracting organizations with operating grants. They reported 95.7 million in-person and electronic visits and 103 million books and other materials borrowed through 1,186 public service outlets. These libraries have more than 8,300 publicly accessible computers, 6,008 of which are connected to Internet, allowing library patrons to access electronic information.

Partnership for Delivery of Government Information in Public Libraries
The ministry worked with libraries to provide government information and referral services-specifically through two pilot projects between public libraries and Government Information Centres. These projects wrap up at the end of June 2004 at which time the outcomes will be measured, particularly the impact of delivering these services on the libraries. In 2004-05, the ministry will be continuing to undertake projects in this area in partnership with municipal and federal governments and adding transactions to the information services begun in 2003-04.

Current Issues

• New organizations forming in library sector (Ontario Digital Library, Federation of Ontario Public Library) and impact on existing library organizations
• Need for development funding, particularly capital
• Identification/collection of library performance measures (one to measure efficiency-cost per use, and another to measure effectives-total use per capita) for municipalities

PTLDC Annual Reports Index