Message from the CFLA-FCAB Chair Paul Takala
May 24, 2016
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to provide this update on the Federation.
On May 16, 2016 the Canadian Federation of Library Associations / Fédération canadienne des associations de bibliothèques was officially incorporated as a federal not-for-profit corporation. The Inaugural Board is now in place and will serve until our first AGM at the OLA Super Conference in February 2017. The Board has established a hiring committee to recruit a Senior Project Executive who will serve until a permanent Executive Director is hired by the new Board.
As someone that participated in the working group and now the Inaugural Board I want to say how encouraging it has been that the Canadian Library community has come together to collaborate on establishing a new national voice for Canadian Libraries.
Executive & Board Update
The Inaugural Board will be in place until early 2017. I am serving as Chair from now until July when Donna Bourne-Tyson will take over. Also on the Executive are: the Vice Chair, Peter Bailey, the Secretary, Alix-Rae Stefanko and the Treasurer, Shelagh Paterson. Here is a list of Board members:
- Annette Defaveri, British Columbia, (British Columbia Library Association)
- Peter Bailey, Alberta, (Library Association of Alberta)
- Alix-Rae Stefanko, Prairie Provinces; Saskatchewan and Manitoba (Manitoba Library Association)
- Shelagh Paterson, Central Canada (Ontario Library Association)
- Sonia Smith, Quebec (L’Association des bibliothècaires du Quebec/Quebec Library Association)
- Carole Laguë, francophone library association (Association des bibliothèques publiques du Quebec)
- Trecia Schell, Atlantic Canada; New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, (Nova Scotia Library Association)
- Paul Takala, Canadian Urban Libraries Council (Canadian Urban Libraries Council/Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada)
- Donna Bourne-Tyson: Canadian Association of Research Libraries (Canadian Association of Research Libraries/Association des bibliothèques de recherche du Canada)
- Camille Callison, member at large, Indigenous Representative
CFLA-FCAB Open Forum at CLA in Ottawa
For those of you that will be in Ottawa, the inaugural CFLA-FCAB board will introduce the vision and scope of this new organization and the work to date. Whether you are an individual interested in this new national organization, or a library association representative exploring a membership with CFLA-FCAB, we hope you will join for questions and discussions about the scope and possibilities. Please help us to create the new national voice for Canadian libraries. For information on the CLA National Forum please visit www.claconference.ca.
Thursday, June 2 2016 – 3:30 – 5 pm
Ballroom A & B at the Delta OttawaThank You to CLA Executive Council and Valoree
As the CLA Executive Council and staff have been going through the arduous work of wrapping up operations, they have been very generous and supportive of the new federation. Since 1946 CLA has served our profession and Country with distinction. On behalf of the CFLA-FCAB Board I want to extend a special thank you to Valoree McKay, President Sandra Singh and to the Executive Council for their support and leadership.
Building Momentum, Not Dropping Balls and Managing Expectations
For those of us that have been working on the CFLA-FCAB team, I think it is fair to say that we all started this process with great intentions and some skepticism that we would be able to quickly and effectively establish a new and strong national voice for Canadian libraries. We are not a large sector but our country is large. We are aware that there is some natural anxiety that the dissolution of CLA will lead to important work being lost or neglected. We share this concern and have been working closely with CLA to ensure that important work that has been done under CLA continues to be nurtured and grows under the new federation. The CLA team has done an outstanding job of ensuring important work does not get dropped. With the limited resources available to CFLA-FCAB we know we will need to be selective about what work we can take on ourselves. We also know there are many associations around the country that do excellent work and by working in collaboration we will be better able to support each other.
The Board is in the process of addressing important issues that the Canadian Library community has been relying on national leadership for. Here is a brief listing of files:
Files CFLA-FCAB has already assumed responsibility for:
IFLA: The Federation is ensuring continuity of membership in IFLA. We are working to ensure that all existing Canadian participation in IFLA and its committees is not undermined by the transition to CFLA-FCAB.
RDA Co-Publisher Role: RDA, the International Standard Co-Published by ALA/CILIP/CLA will be assumed by CFLA-FCAB. It is important that Canada stay involved in this essential cataloguing standards.
CLA position statements: CFLA-FCAB is currently reviewing all CLA position statements. The Federation will maintain access to the statements on the website. The goal is to have relevant ones re-adopted at our first AGM in 2017 and archival access maintained for those no longer relevant/current.
Files CFLA-FCAB is working with a member association to take the Lead:
CLA/Feliciter Website Contract: CFLA-FCAB and CLA are discussing the possibility of the CFLA-FCAB taking over the contract for the CLA and Feliciter websites to ensure nothing is lost.
Library Shipping Tool: CLA and CFLA are working together to identify an organization to take over the administration of the Library Materials Shipping Tool. We are very close to having a solution and an announcement will be made in the near future.
Accreditation: CFLA-FCAB and CLA are discussing the possibility of the CFLA-FCAB taking over the role played by CLA around ALA Accreditation in Canada. We hope to be able to make a formal announcement alongside the CLA in the near future.
WIPO: The Board is working with OLA, Victoria Owen and Margaret Ann Wilkinson on any responsibilities CFLA-FCAB should take on with WIPO.
Advocacy – Ebooks Access and Pricing: the Federation Board thinks CULC is currently best positioned to lead advocacy efforts on this issue. CULC to discuss at June meeting.
Advocacy – Copyright Act, TPP: CARL/CULC are taking a policy lead with support from IMPACT and involving the CLA Copyright Committee Chair until the CFLA-FCAB is able to lead advocacy efforts on this issue.
YWC Program: The Canadian Council of Archives is temporarily administering this program (2016 – 2017) – CLA has transferred the agreement. CFLA could consider for 2017/18.
CLA Archives: LAC will take CLA archives. CLA also has CPI and other journals that were published in the past. LAC has these in legal deposit. Available electronic copies of publications will be transferred to whichever body takes over copyright on these publications.
Issues the CFLA-FCAB Board is aware of many other files and issues that will need to be addressed. Here is a list of some of the ones on our list:
- CLA Awards: these will be reviewed on a case by case basis
- Leading Learning: CLA and CFLA are working with the school library community to find a solution regarding stewardship of this standard.
- Guidelines: There are several guidelines that have been developed that will need to find a new home with the Federation or one of its members, these include:
- Guidelines for the Education of Library Technicians (March 2011)
- Canadian Guidelines on Library and Information Services for People with Disabilities (February 1997)
- Guidelines on Library and Information Services for Older Adults (November 2012)
- Guidelines for Library Support of Distance and Distributed Learning in Canada (February 1993; Amended November 2000)
- Canadian Library Month: tbd
Has Something Been Missed?
In our inaugural year (2016/17), we have limited funds and capacity and must carefully focus on initiatives that most closely align with the purpose and budget. It is our expectation that for the first two years we will have the capacity to take on a limited number of projects, with the goal of expanding reach and capacity over time as a result of proven impact and expanded membership. We invite you to complete this form to help prioritize and determine the activities of CFLA-FCAB in supporting a national voice for the broader library community. Your input is confidential to the CFLA-FCAB board.
See the attached Priority Intake Form
Organizational By-Laws
The inaugural Board has been working on its By-Laws. There is much policy work still to come, see the attached By-Laws.