Ontario

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

Annual Report
Provincial and Territorial Library Directors Council (PTLDC)
2005

PTLDC Annual Reports Index

Mission And Mandate

The Ministry of Culture encourages the arts and cultural industries, protects Ontario's heritage and advances the public library system in order to maximize their contribution to the province's economic and social vitality.

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 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 2004-05, the Ministry of Culture provided $29.6 million to Ontario public libraries, including:

• $18.7 million (*see below) in operating grants to 389 recipients including public libraries, First Nation libraries, contracting municipalities and local service boards;

*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.

• $3 million to the Southern Ontario Library Service and $1.6 million to the Ontario Library Service-North in annual operating grants;
• $2.62 million in pay equity funding to libraries, community information centres and agencies;
• $1.4 million to the Toronto Public Library in an annual operating grant for the Virtual Reference Library;
• $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);
• $700,000 for the Ontario Digital Library;
• $348,000 for strategic investments in the library system through the Library Strategic Development Fund;
• $300,000 in Library Internet Connectivity;
• $35,800 annual operating grant to the Ontario Library Association to deliver programs and services to its 5,007 members; and
• $20,000 for the First Nations Reads program with the Organization of Book Publishers of Ontario.

In 2004-05, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, announced support for small community libraries across the province under its Special Initiative for Rural and Small Communities. Eligible libraries include library boards serving municipalities of 20,000 people or less, First Nations libraries, county library boards and local Service Boards that offer library services. The opportunity arose from a successful 2003-04 $2 million pilot program that benefited 214 public and First Nations libraries in small communities.

Activities

Partnership for Delivery of Government Information in Public Libraries
The ministry is working with Ministry of Consumer Business Services and public and First Nation libraries to provide government information and referral services, and improve public access to information through Service Ontario. Service Ontario improves access to government information and services. Public libraries meet Service Ontario values of access, choice, quality, and trust. In 2004, the ministry supported two pilot projects in public libraries. The libraries work with the Government Information Centres in their communities to provide access to government information and services—in person and online. Library staff receive training from Government Information Centre staff, and provide public access to ServiceOntario government information in-person, by phone and over the Internet. In 2003-04, the ministry supported two pilot public libraries whose results were successfully evaluated. Following this, in late 2004-05, 34 public and First Nation library ServiceOntario locations were provided with funding for services that will be implemented and then evaluated in 2005-06. This includes two transaction pilots where libraries will sell Ministry of Transportation drivers handbooks, motorcycle drivers' handbooks and maps. It also includes three public libraries that are developing broadband services for their communities through a broadband initiative.

Ontario Digital Library Concept
The Ontario Digital Library is a major province-wide proposal for a multi-sector initiative that would bring together 6,500 public libraries, and school, college and university libraries. As part of an integrated package of online library services, the ODL plans to purchase province-wide licenses for digital products. The ODL plans also include thematic modules on topics such as local history, and banks of digitized content from the collections of Ontario's arts and heritage institutions, as well as curriculum-related resources. Responding to the geography and population of the province, the implementation of the ODL would mean that small, rural and remote communities have access to the same volume of resources as library users in urban areas.

A significant step towards realizing the Ontario Digital Library project was made in February 2005 when the Minister of Culture announced $700,000 for the delivery of digital content to all Ontarians, and the advancement of the Ontario Digital Library. The Minister has undertaken to work with her Cabinet colleagues to build the multi-sector partnerships needed to make ODL a reality. The Ministry of Culture is leading inter-ministerial discussions, working to establish a framework for government participation, and articulating the benefits that government investment will bring. The ODL can make a substantial contribution to realizing Ontario's current priorities—success for students; and strong people, strong economy.

Performance Measures
In 2005, public library services have been added to the suite of measures that municipalities report under the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing's Municipal Performance Measures Program (MPMP). The MPMP measures were developed in consultation with the public library community. The measures are: operating costs for libraries per person; operating costs for libraries per use; library uses per person; electronic library uses as a percentage of total library uses; and non-electronic uses as a percentage of total library uses. The library information will be compiled from data that libraries collect in the ministry's Annual Survey of Public Libraries.

First Nations Library Development
This year, the ministry supported a special strategic planning exercise undertaken by First Nation librarians with the Ontario Library Services to chart the future development of First Nation public libraries. The plan, "Our Way Forward" is now complete. With libraries in only one third of Ontario's First Nation communities, the plan outlines ways to promote the importance and value of First Nation libraries to leaders and leadership organizations.

Lieutenant Governor, James Bartleman has established a Literacy Coalition to support First Nations communities. The ministry is pleased to support the coalition. In 2004, the Lieutenant Governor collected more than 850,000 books and delivered them to 134 aboriginal communities and Native Friendship Centres. A number of non-Native libraries in Ontario contributed books and First Nations libraries benefited. The Lieutenant Governor's new initiative is to twin aboriginal and non-Native communities in Ontario.

The ministry plans to use a successful twinning project undertaken by the Chippewas of Georgina Island and Pickering Public Library that was supported by the Southern Ontario Library Service to inspire similar aboriginal and non-Native public library twinning in Ontario.

Partnerships Benefiting Libraries and Cultural Industries
The ministry developed, funded and implemented four new initiatives between Ontario's cultural industries and public libraries in 2004.

During Ontario Public Library Week, the Minister announced KidsRead Ontario/Lecturenfant Ontario, a program designed to promote children's literacy by putting children's books from 51 Ontario-based publishers into libraries across the province. 310 library boards participated and benefited by receiving 10,570 children's books.

The second initiative was a partnership between the Ministry of Culture and the Canadian Magazine Publishers' Association. The magazine association launched a partnership to offer discounts to libraries acquiring subscriptions to arts and literary magazines. These included both English and French language publications. The opportunity was offered to Ontario public libraries and extended nation-wide.

The Ontario Culture Pavilion at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference was the third undertaking. For the first time, all Ontario cultural industries—book, digital media, sound recording and magazine publishers—were at the Conference Trade Show, in one central location, showcasing their publications and products for the benefit of the library sector.

The fourth program is an exciting new program for First Nation libraries being offered by the Organization of Book Publishers of Ontario. This program will provide approximately 1,900 books—across the age and genre spectrums—to eligible First Nation libraries in 2005.

Francophone Services
The Minister of Culture is also responsible for Francophone Affairs. This year, the Ottawa Public Library and the Toronto Public Library partnered in the development of library collections to produce the French interface and content for Toronto Public Library's Virtual Reference Library. The new French Virtual Reference Library is comparable to its English counterpart—it is a reliable, subject-based, Internet information source with a special focus on Canadian and Ontario information. The ministry received partial funding support to develop this initiative under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on the Promotion of Official Languages from the Department of Canadian Heritage. The federal government matched part of the ministry's contribution in the VRL.

Minister's Advisory Council for Arts and Culture
Minister Meilleur established an Advisory Council for Arts and Culture. Created last June, it has an initial term of five years. The council members represent the culture community throughout Ontario and reflect a range of backgrounds and interests. The council's mandate is to advise the Minister of Culture on policies and programs that support strong and vibrant cultural communities through the arts, cultural industries, heritage and libraries sectors, as well as create an open forum for discussion with the culture community.

Municipal Cultural Planning
The ministry supported five Municipal Cultural Planning Forums across Ontario. The library sector was well represented. Municipal cultural planning is an inclusive, horizontal and integrated approach to cultural and community development. Inclusive means politicians, business and cultural engagement. Horizontal encompasses the full range of cultural organizations—arts, heritage and libraries. Integrated means that municipal cultural planning becomes part of municipal master plans, land use planning, economic development, tourism and downtown revitalization. At least four more forums and a pilot project are planned for this year.

Federation of Ontario Public Libraries
The inaugural meeting and election of the first Board of Directors of the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries was held in January 2005 at the OLA Super Conference. The ministry funded a business plan which resulted in the concept of 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 have an impact on the services provided in support of Ontario's library sector. Current membership numbers 160 members out of a total 393 library Boards.

Public Library Operating Grants and Statistics
In 2004-05, 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 the Internet, allowing library patrons to access electronic information.

Accessibility
The ministry is working with the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration on accessibility legislation and its impact on public libraries. Although some libraries have taken the initiative to complete their own accessibility plans, the current Ontarians with Disabilities Act does not require public libraries to complete their own plans. Municipalities complete these and in some cases have included libraries in their plans. The new Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2004 places the onus on sectors to develop accessibility standards, and work towards meeting them. It is not known yet where the broader public sector or public libraries will be on the schedule for sectors to complete these standards.

Current Issues

• Work with partners to ensure most efficient delivery of support and services to the library sector province-wide. With new organizations evolving it's important to ensure that needs continue to be met with no gaps or duplication in library service delivery.
• Need for stable, predictable operating funding for public libraries. Ontario's libraries have undergone many changes since existing government support programs were established. To ensure that Ontario's investment is responding to sector needs and bringing the greatest possible benefit to library users, the ministry will be examining its programs, and realigning and refocusing its activities if necessary.
• Need for development funding, particularly capital.

PTLDC Annual Reports Index