Advocacy News
Check back to keep track of the latest in OLA Advocacy news and updates.
Help Advocacy for Ontario libraries! Download OLA and FOPL's Elections Toolkit Now
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
OSLA Letter to Directors of Education and School Board Trustees (March 2022)
Questions to ask about your child's school library (March 2022)
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?
2022 Libraries Pre-Budget Submission
With the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL), we’ve submitted our 2022 Libraries Pre-Budget Submission. In order to get needed support our 2022 Budget Recommendation are:
- 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
Learn more about OLA's Advocacy Work
Advocacy News Archive
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.
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?
Working alongside our partners at the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL), OLA is continuing advocacy for Ontario’s libraries.
This year’s OLA and FOPL joint submission to Ontario’s Pre-Budget consultation highlights the critical role that public and school libraries will continue to play as part of Ontario’s COVID-19 recovery.
In 2019, OLA initiated the our first ever Library and Information Sector Employment Survey. Surveying recent graduates of masters of library sciences and information technician programs in Ontario, this report provides a snapshot of employment trends in late 2019. By repeating this survey over time, we hope to better track employment trends over time and to better understand how our sector is evolving.
Read the full letter “Invest in Student Success by Investing in the School Library,” in English and in French
As school boards across the province began to release plans for the2020-21 school year, many decided to drastically reduce or eliminate their school library staffing,and limit or end access to school library materials. This survey was used to track the scope and scale of staffing reductions across the province
Read the full results: Survey on Ontario School Libraries – 2020-21 School Year (November 2020)
The Ontario Library Association (OLA) and the Ontario School Libraries Association (OSLA) are deeply concerned with the Toronto District School Board’s decision to repurpose all Elementary teacher-librarians.
On July 31, the Ontario School Library Association (OSLA) sent an open letter to the Ontario School Board Associations and Ministry of Education regarding the importance of school library staff to supporting students adapt and succeed in the unprecedented 2020-21 school year.
As school boards across the province are planning for different scenarios this fall, the Ontario School Library Association wants to ensure that school libraries are part of the consideration.
This week OSLA sent a letter to each of the 72 Directors of Education and School Board Trustee Chairs in Ontario to share information on the value of school libraries and school library staff.
This survey report summarizes Ontario Public Libraries’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020.
In March 2020, schools across the province moved overnight to virtual learning. This slide-deck highlights how school libraries are supporting teachers and students with remote learning, even while their physical doors were closed.
Read the full survey results: School Library Response to COVID-19 (April 2020)
The Ontario Library Association, with the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) has submitted recommendations as part of the Ontario’s 2020 Pre-Budget consultation process. In addition to our strong recommendation to maintain existing funding for Ontario’s public libraries, OLA & FOPL are recommending further investment that will make sure that all people in Ontario – no matter where they live – continue to have access to modern, cost-effective resources and services through their local public libraries.
