By Greg Nikkel
The staff and board of the Weyburn Public Library, and the Southeast Regional Library, are “elated” that the massive 58-per-cent cut to the regional library system has been reversed by the provincial government.
The announcement was made on Monday that the government will be restoring funding for Saskatchewan libraries back to the 2016-17 funding levels to ensure that regional and municipal libraries and the interlibrary loan services remain operational. This reversal will provide $4.8 million in addition to the $3.5 million that was announced on budget day, March 22.
“We’re just elated,” said Dianne Sander, Weyburn Public Library board chair and vice-chair of the regional library, who noted the big job the local and regional libraries will now be embarking on is restoring services and personnel which were cut, including the provincial inter-branch book-sharing system, SILS.
The library directors from the regional library systems, including Kate-Lee Nolin of Southeast Regional Library, will be holding a conference call today, April 26, to talk about restoring SILS as soon as possible, said Sander. For the long-term, once the provincial bus lines are closed, there will need to be other arrangements made for shipping books between library systems, as the STC was extensively used for that system.
In addition, in the southeast region, Sander is helping to organize a conference call with all library board representatives to pass a motion to rescind the increase of $5.77 per capita, which was being asked of every municipality in the southeast. For the City of Weyburn, this will mean a savings of around $60,000 for 2017.
Nolin, who is the Estevan branch manager as well as director the region, has been the acting branch manager for Weyburn, but now the branch will look at filling that position, said Sander.
“We’re just going to go on with business as usual now,” said Sander, adding, “which is wonderful.”
There will be further consultations with the library systems, but Sander noted they expected this. “But now there’s time to have a good discussion. … Everything had been put on hold, and now everything can be restored. It was due to the power of the people.”
Sander noted the support for libraries was strong from every part of the province. “It was awesome,” she added.
“Premier Wall has always said that we would be the kind of government that would admit its mistakes and then fix those mistakes,” Education Minister Don Morgan said. “There were many necessary, difficult decisions taken in this budget, however the reductions in library funding without giving libraries the tools to meet the new challenge was a mistake. So today I am announcing restoration of library funding as well as a consultative review with the Saskatchewan libraries and municipalities to determine the way forward in terms of what is best for library users and communities as well as what is also financially responsible.”
“The decision by Minister Morgan and Premier Wall to restore funding will ensure the continuation of the best provincial library system in Canada,” Regina Public Library board chair Sean Quinlan said. “This announcement will positively affect generations of Saskatchewan residents today and into the future.”
The government will be engaging with libraries, municipalities and the public to develop a long-term strategy for the future of libraries. This will include reviewing The Public Libraries Act to ensure libraries have modern legislation that reflects current needs. This will also involve working with libraries to find efficiencies, including options for transportation and co-location, to ensure the most effective use of available resources.
