Canadian Federation of Library Associations Update (Spring 2022)

May 20, 2022

The Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) has provided an overview of its activities.

CFLA-FCAB Spring 2022 Update

Dear Members:

Thank you for your continued support of the work of CFLA-FCAB. The Federation is proud to work on behalf of our 25 member associations as we continue to advocate with the federal government, produce guidance for the library sector and engage with our members and partners at all levels.

Advocacy Activities

In consultation with member organisations and stakeholders, CFLA-FCAB submitted its brief to the pre-budget consultations in advance of the 2022 Federal Budget. CFLA-FCAB recommended that the Government of Canada:

• Introduce legislation to ensure that Canada’s libraries and users have access on reasonable terms to e-content from multinational publishers;
• Restore sustained funding for the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) and the National Network for Equitable Library Services (NNELS) to support an equitable reading landscape in Canada for people with print disability and to ensure that inclusive reading options exist across Canada;
• Commit $200 million over the next four years to implement efficient and cost-effective green infrastructure in vital community hubs from coast to coast;
• Increase the budget allotted to Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in order to support an appropriate level of response to access to information requests.

We are pleased to report that the submission yielded tangible results in two key areas. Budget 2022 included the following new investments:

• $25 million over three years starting on 2022-23 to LAC to support the digitization of millions of documents related to the federal Indian Day School System, which will ensure survivors and all Canadian have meaningful access to them;
• $25 million over five years proposed for Employment and Social Development Canada to support the production and distribution of alternative formats materials by CELA and NNELS.

CFLA-FCAB is working closely with government officials on a number of other important issues; in April, we wrote open letters to the Ministers of Canadian Heritage, Innovation, Science and Industry and Finance expressing concerns that the proposed revisions to the Copyright Act as announced in the Government of Canada’s Budget 2022 would not be given the formal legislative process that fully represents the importance of this legislation to public interest, and the benefit of full stakeholder review.

Board and Committees News

The February’s AGM brought 4 new members to the Board, replacing retiring representatives from Alberta, Ontario, Prairie Provinces and CARL. Lorisia MacLeod is the new Board Chair and Hélène Carrier is the new Vice Chair. Board Liaison officers have been selected who will act as conduits of communication between the Board and CFLA-FCAB’s four strategic committees.

Policy Review Task Force: following best practices, the Board established a task force to review CFLA-FCAB governance policies. Over the coming year, the task force’s mandate will be to update all existing policies (Finance Policy, Committee Policy, etc.) and draft new policies, as required (Communication Policy, External Partnerships Policy).

Strategic Plan Task Force: a task force has been established to review and assess some of the key accomplishments of CFLA-FCAB’s first Strategic Plan (2019-2022) during these exceptional times and to develop a new plan for the period 2023-2027. The major components of the task force’s mandate will be to scan the CFLA-FCAB environment for issues and trends, survey member associations and produce a draft strategic plan to be tabled at the CFLA-FCAB’s 2023 AGM.

Copyright Committee: the Committee prepared two substantive responses to government consultations, one for Online Intermediaries and another for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things. Working Groups of the Committee prepared a paper on Controlled Digital Lending, wrote an op-ed on Crown Copyright that generated immediate follow-up from Parliamentarians and officials, drafting a position paper on AI, and creating Canadian guidelines for conducting a reasonable search for accessible works. The Committee works with Impact Public Affairs to advance CFLA-FCAB information policy positions with government officials on a regular basis.

Indigenous Matters Committee: following a call for nominations, we are pleased to announce that the new IMC Chair is Kirk MacLeod. The first several months of the Chair position will be spent reviewing and where needed adding/rewriting foundational committee documents for IMC (i.e. Terms of Reference) before aiding CFLA-FCAB in drafting a Call for Members.

Engaging with Members

National Forum 2023: The CFLA-FCAB board continues discussions with the goal of a possible 2023 National Forum if public health requirements allow. Those organizations that would like to be considered for National Forums after 2023 are encouraged to keep an eye out for future calls for joint hosting.

Chair Lorisia MacLeod presented a CFLA-FCAB update at the following Spring meetings: ABCPLD, The Partnership, LAC Stakeholders’ Forum, ABQLA AGM. Member organizations who wish to include a CFLA-FCAB update at their next AGM are welcomed to contact us at info@cfla-fcab.ca. As always we encourage feedback from our members associations and always welcome the opportunity to engage and express our appreciation. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@cfla-fcab.ca is you have questions or concerns.

(Via Canadian Federation of Library Associations)