|
Roland Butler, Opposition Education Critic and MHA for the District of Port
De Grave, says that government missed an opportunity to improve the
province’s chronically under-funded public library system. "While
libraries across the country are funded at a rate of approximately $34 per
capita, libraries in this province fall well behind with funding of
approximately$18 per capita," said Mr. Butler. "Public libraries are used by
many people for various purposes. Therefore, I cannot stress enough their
importance to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador."
In the 2004-05 operating year alone, libraries in the province circulated
over one and a half million items to its users in the province, processed
over 350,000 reference requests, and offered nearly 3200 programs in which
over 36,000 people participated.
"On computers alone, users logged 477,000 sessions where they
participated in a wide range of activities. However, most of the province’s
96 libraries currently have insufficient hours to offer adequate service. If
this government was serious about its commitment to innovation in this
province, then it would make access to these resources a priority. Instead,
government has chosen to extend the hours of operation of 42 public library
sites. This begs the question, which libraries will be included, and which
will be overlooked. Further, it does nothing to address the needs of the 28
communities in the province asking, and waiting for library service.
"Government had the opportunity in this budget to raise library services
to a level where a greater percentage of the population would have access.
However, like many other things in this budget, the government chose a
band-aid solution over effective action. The time for silence is supposed to
be when you’re sitting in a library, not when you’re funding them."
|