Advocacy News
Check back to keep track of the latest in OLA Advocacy news and updates.
Learn more about OLA's Advocacy Work
Additional $1.25 Million Annually in First Nations Public Libraries (Oct 2024)
On October 2nd, 2024, the Ontario Government announced an investment of an additional $1.25 million annually in First Nations Public Libraries to ensure continued delivery of in-demand resources, services and programming to the communities they serve.
Annual First Nation Salary Supplement (FNSS) allocations will increase from $13,000 to up to $35,000 per eligible library to support the retention and hiring of librarians and support staff. Additionally, current Public Library Operating Grant (PLOG) allocations for First Nations public libraries will double, with a minimum annual grant of $1,500 per eligible library provided to help ensure stable operations.
“This commitment underscores our shared dedication to empowering communities through education and literacy. As we celebrate this much needed support, let us also recognize the imperative for increased support to all of Ontario’s public libraries to flourish, fostering equitable access to information and opportunity for all,” said Michelle Arbuckle, Executive Director, OLA.
Updated Advocacy Priorities (July 2024)
Priorities Overview
Public Libraries
- Provide critical e-learning support and fair access to modern, digital resources for all Ontario public libraries through the creation of an Ontario Digital Public Library, leveraging the province’s significant purchasing power to give all Ontarians access to a universal set of high-quality e-learning & online resources through their local public library.
- Increase provincial operating funding for Ontario’s public libraries to address critical shared priorities and community needs.
- Building upon the enhanced funding committed in the 2024 Ontario Budget, develop a sustainable funding model for public libraries on reserve to ensure that these important local hubs are fully funded and viable.
School Libraries
- Mandate that school boards must spend funding allocated by the Ministry of Education for school libraries, staffing and resources on for student success.
Read OLA and FOPL’s Advocacy Priorities (July 2024)
Save Our School Libraries (June 2024)
This past April, the Ministry of Education introduced a new education funding model that eliminated protected funding for school libraries and library staff, as well as accountability measures that were implemented in 2021. This new education funding model now adds additional pressure to already at-risk school libraries and their staff. Without accountability or enveloped funding, school boards will continue to cut school library funding in response to growing budgetary challenges province-wide.
In response, the Ontario School Library Association (OSLA) has launched the Save Our School Libraries campaign to petition the Government of Ontario to reinstate enveloped funding and accountability measures for school libraries. Join the campaign and add your voice!
Over $500k in Funding for Public Library Internet Access (Feb 2024)
On February 6, 2024, the Honourable Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, announced that the Government of Ontario is investing up to $582,000 in Ontario’s public libraries this year through the Internet Connectivity Grant program, which provides Ontarians with reliable access to digital resources and in-demand services at their local public library.
This funding announcement will increase the support provided to Ontario’s public libraries last year by $122,000, enabling up to 155 eligible public libraries that serve communities of 20,000 or less – in particular, those in small, rural and First Nation communities – to be fully reimbursed for the costs of providing publicly accessible internet access.
Advocacy News Archive
Our 2024 Budget Recommendations are:
Public Libraries
- Provide critical e-learning support and fair access to modern, digital resources for all Ontario public libraries through the creation of an Ontario Digital Public Library, leveraging the province’s significant purchasing power to give all Ontarians access to a universal set of high-quality e-learning & online resources through their local public library.
- Working alongside First Nations Public Library leaders, implement a sustainable funding model for public libraries on reserve to ensure that these important local hubs are fully-funded and viable. As an immediate first step, enhance the existing direct provincial funding support for public libraries on reserve (the First Nations Salary Supplement) to sustainably fund library operations and ensure a living income for frontline library staff in these communities.
- Increase provincial operating funding for Ontario’s public libraries to address critical shared priorities and community needs.
School Libraries
- Mandate that school boards must spend funding allocated by the Ministry of Education for school libraries, staffing and resources on this critical component for student success. They should also be made to fully complete the corresponding accountability and planning measures now required under the Grants for Student Needs.
On November 14 and 15, 2023, delegates from OLA and FOPL took part in over 20 meetings at Queen’s Park, building awareness about the importance of Ontario’s libraries and the sector’s priority needs. Supported by our government relations partners at Counsel Public Affairs (CPA), these advocacy days provided a unique opportunity to strengthen our collective advocacy and advance our shared provincial government relations efforts. We met with a broad, multi-partisan spectrum of elected and Ministry officials, educating them on the impact of libraries, the challenges our sector faces, and the ways we can work with the provincial government to better our communities and schools.
“The Ontario Library Association (OLA) is deeply concerned by the growing number of attempts to restrict access to books by some school boards. This trend is particularly alarming as books that reflect 2SLGBTQIA+ perspectives, or featuring racialized characters and those with diverse gender identities, are disproportionately targeted by such censorship. As Canada’s largest library association, we stand in solidarity with our members in defending the fundamental right of children to read and access information. We also stand with 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, racialized and all other underrepresented people who have had their voices and stories suppressed throughout Canadian history and beyond.”
Read the Full Statement:
OLA & FOPL have created a new advocacy priorities document to guide our government relations work. While this document may look familiar, there are two main changes to note:
- Our ask regarding the Provincial Libraries Operating Grant (PLOG) has changed. We are now asking for an increase to the PLOG of an additional $25 million annually on top of the existing $21 million grant. The additional $25 million would restore the PLOG to a present-day value, addressing the impact of inflation, rising costs of living and other pressures accumulated over more than 25 years. We have framed this new ask to address shared critical areas of both the library community’s and province’s priorities.
- Language pertaining to the Ontario Digital Public Library (ODPL) ask has also changed. We are now asking for a projected cost of $10 – $20 million to demonstrate various levels of investment. An ODPL Briefing Note has been prepared by the FOPL board for further context.
Read OLA and FOPL’s Advocacy Priorities (Sept 2023)
Read ODPL Briefing Note (Sept 2023)
OSLA has published “A Guide to the Selection and Deselection of School Library Resources”, which provides:
- information, best practices, and resources to support the selection and deselection of school library learning resources.
- resources to help school boards navigate concerns, questions, and/or challenges related to school library materials.
This resource is for school library professionals, educators, staff, administrators, school boards, students, and families. The guide was developed with the general public in mind, for anyone interested in understanding how resources are curated for a School Library Learning Commons (SLLC).
Freshly released, OLA is proud to share the graphics and branding for Ontario Public Library Week 2023: Libraries for Life / Biblios pour la vie.
“Libraries For Life / Biblios pour la vie” is a celebration of libraries as a lifelong institution. There is a library for everyone at every stage of their life. Whether you’re a kid discovering the joy of reading, a student preparing for an exam, a new grad applying for jobs, or a senior attending a community group, the library is there for you!
Be sure to celebrate Canadian Library Month and OPLW on social media with the hashtag #LibrariesForLife / #bibliospourlavie
Working alongside our partners at the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL), OLA is continuing advocacy for Ontario’s libraries. Our 2023 Budget Recommendations are:
- Maintain critical provincial funding for Ontario’s public libraries at current levels and work with municipalities and the Federal government to prevent unsustainable cuts to public library funding.
- Working alongside First Nations Public Library leaders, rapidly implement a sustainable funding model for public libraries on reserve to ensure that these important local hubs are fully-funded and viable. This includes enhancing the existing direct provincial funding support for public libraries on reserve to sustainably fund library operations and ensure a living income for frontline library staff in these communities.
- Provide critical e-learning support and fair access to modern, digital resources for all Ontario public libraries through the creation of an Ontario Digital Public Library, thereby leveraging the province’s significant purchasing power to give all Ontarians access to a common core of high-quality e-learning & online resources and more e-books.
Read OLA and FOPL’s joint 2023 Ontario Pre-Budget Submission
This Ontario Provincial Election, you can help capture the attention of political parties and candidates & secure their support.
- Meet with Candidates or Campaign Staff (Starting now!)
- Write or email a letter / questionnaire to local Candidates (Later this spring)
- Engage through social media (Later this spring)
- Ask key questions at town hall meetings and all-candidates debates (Later this spring)
See OLA and FOPL’s 2022 Elections Toolkit for tips, templates and more
Parents, you can help advocate for your child’s school library: Ask your child’s school principal or school board trustee these 3 questions:
- Does my child still have access to school library resources and to a qualified school library professional? How?
- Is a qualified school library professional responsible for selecting the books in my child’s school library?
- What is your plan for the school library next year?
- Keep local public libraries across Ontario sustainable. Enhance provincial operating funding for public libraries and ensure that this increased support reaches those libraries where it is most needed.
- Working alongside First Nations Public Library leaders, rapidly implement a sustainable funding model for public libraries on reserve to ensure that these important local hubs are fully-funded and viable. This includes increasing direct provincial funding support to sustainably fund library operations and ensure a living income for frontline library staff in these communities.
- Provide critical e-learning support and fair access to modern, digital resources for all Ontario public
Read OLA and FOPL’s joint 2022 Ontario Pre-Budget Submission
Nearly half a million migrant workers live and work in Canada each year, with thousands employed at Ontario farms and greenhouses. Public libraries have an important role to play in supporting migrant workers access services, information, and stay connected while in Canada.
Learn more about the challenges migrant workers face in accessing library services and how public libraries can adapt their services and outreach to meet the needs of migrant workers in their communities. Read the Info Brief here.
Read the full letter: ” Including Library Learning Commons in 2021-22 Return to School Protocols (August 2021), in English and in French
Read the full letter “School Libraries & the 2021-22 Grants for Student Needs (May 2021), in English and in French
For many years, OLA members in School and Academic libraries have observed significant gaps in the information literacy skills of high school students transitioning to post-secondary education. To better understand these gaps and how to address them, OLA initiated the Ontario School Library Impact Project (OSLIP) in 2018 to investigate the impact of school libraries on the information literacy skills and abilities of students entering post-secondary education in Ontario.
After 2 years, the results are in.
