A statement on Behalf of Northern Ontario Public Libraries

The undersigned libraries issued the following statement on May 9, 2019 regarding cuts to the operating budget of Ontario Library Service-North.

Today our libraries were informed that half of the unionized staff positions (5 FTE positions) at Ontario Library Service-North have been eliminated, and a sixth reduced to part time, due to recent cuts to the operating budget announced in the 2019-2020 Provincial budget. Additionally, 1 FTE non-union position will be eliminated at the end of this fiscal year, and another non-union position has been reduced to part- time.

While much of the focus on these cuts has been on the Interlibrary Loan Delivery system, which operated exclusively in Southern Ontario and which the Government has characterized as “slow, inefficient,environmentally unfriendly and expensive,” none of the individuals who lost their positions at Ontario Library Service – North were involved in the administration of the Interlibrary Loan program.

The positions that were lost at OLS-North provided direct support to Northern Libraries for staff and board training initiatives, services to First Nations Libraries, technology consulting, policy and strategic planning consulting, website development for small libraries, the administration of joint purchasing agreements and support for the Joint Automation Server Initiative (JASI) program, which provides essential library software to 133 rural and Northern library systems across Ontario.

It is now clear that provincial cuts to the Ontario Library Service will impact programs and services beyond Interlibrary Loan. The diminished capacity of OLS-North to deliver those programs will negatively impact our public libraries, and we believe that even programs and services that are maintained will operate at a reduced capacity due to extensive personnel cuts.

We believe these cuts have disproportionately and unfairly impacted libraries in Northern Ontario and jeopardize our ability to provide equitable library service in the North. We are also dismayed that the Government chose to make these cuts without undertaking any consultation with Northern libraries about what the impacts could be on our organizations and our patrons.

We are calling on the Government of Ontario to halt these cuts, restore valuable jobs in Northern Ontario, and undertake consultation to understand the impact of these cuts to Northern libraries.

On behalf of (alphabetically):
Atikokan Public Library (Contact: Tracey Sinclair, CEO)
Balmertown Public Library (Contact: Lisa Johnson, CEO)
Bibliothèque publique Iroquois Falls Public Library (Contact: Diane Gagnon, Assistant Librarian)
Blind River Public Library (Contact: Jennifer Fortin, CEO)
Bonfield Public Library (Contact: Jeannette Shields)
Bruce Mines & Plummer Additional Union Public Library (Contact: Amber Pascall, CEO)
Burk’s Falls, Armour & Ryerson Union Public Library (Contact: Nieves Guijarro, CEO)
Callander Public Library (Contact: Helen McDonnell, CEO)
Central Manitoulin Public Libraries (Contact: Claire Cline, Chief Librarian/CEO)
Cochrane Public Library (Contact: Christina Blazecka, CEO)
Dryden Public Library (Contact: Dayna DeBenedet, CEO)
East Ferris Public Library (Contact: Jennifer Laporte, CEO)
Englehart Public Library (Contact: Sharon Williams)
Fort Frances Public Library (Contact: Caroline Goulding, CEO)
French River Public Library (Contact: Linda Keenan, CEO)
Gore Bay Union Public Library (Contact: Johanna Allison)
Greenstone Public Library (Contact: Mari Mannisto, CEO)
Hearst Public Library (Contact: Francine D’Aigle, Director)
Hilton Union Public Library (Contact: Melanie Dorscht)
Hornepayne Public Library (Contact: Darnelle Hill, CEO)
Kapuskasing Public Library (Contact: Julie Latimer, CEO)
Kearney & Area Public Library (Contact: Brandi Nolan, Librarian, C.E.O.)
Kenora Public Library (Contact: Crystal Alcock, CEO)
Larder Lake Public Library (Contact: Patricia Bodick – CEO/Librarian)
Magnetawan Public Library (Contact: Lorinda Makoviczki, CEO)
Manitouwadge Public Library (Contact: Elizabeth Bierworth, CEO)
Marathon Public Library (Contact: Tamara Needham, CEO)
Markstay-Warren Public Library (Contact: Cindy Robidas)
McGarry Public Library (Contact: Micheline St-Pierre, CEO Librarian)
McKellar Township Public Library (Contact: Terri Short, Librarian/CEO)
Mississauga First Nation Library (Contact: Clifford Niganobe)
Nipigon Public Library (Contact: Sumiye Sugawara, CEO / Librarian)
Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands Public Library (Contact: Karen Gallo)
Oliver Paipoonge Public Library (Contact: Maxine McCulloch, CEO)
Powassan & District Union Public Library (Contact: Marie Rosset)
Red Rock Public Library (Contact: Nancy Carrier, CEO/Head Librarian)
Sable-Spanish Rivers Public Library (Contact: Rashed Ahmad, CEO)
Schreiber Public Library (Contact: Donna Mikeluk, CEO)
Sault Ste. Marie Public Library (Contact: Matthew MacDonald, Acting CEO)
Sioux Lookout Public Library (Contact: Mike Laverty, CEO/Chief Librarian)
South River-Machar Union Public Library (Contact: Alison Young, CEO)
Spanish Public Library (Contact: Gwendlyn Goulet, CEO)
St-Charles Public Library (Contact: Nicole Lafontaine CEO)
St Joseph Township Public Library (Contact: Patti Stevens)
Temagami Public Library (Contact: Quelia Cormier, CEO)
Temiskaming Shores Public Library (Contact: Rebecca Hunt, Library CEO)
Terrace Bay Public Library (Contact: Mary Deschatelets, CEO)
Thessalon First Nation Public Library (Contact: Michelle Bouillon, Librarian)
Thunder Bay Public Library (Contact: John Pateman, CEO/Chief Librarian)
Timmins Public Library (Contact: Carole-Ann Churcher, CEO)
Township of South Algonquin Public Library (Contact: Charlene Alexander CEO/Head Librarian)
Wawa Public Library (Contact: Colleen Abbott, CEO)
Wasauksing First Nation Public Library
West Nipissing Public Library (Contact: Carole Marion, CEO)
White River Public Library (Contact: Jan Ramage, CEO)