Thousands Drop Everything and Read to Restore Sask. Library Funding
by David Baxter
April 7, 2017
Thousands of people across Saskatchewan dropped everything, went to their local MLA’s office, and read over the noon hour Friday.
Around 200 people chanted ‘save our libraries’ outside the south Regina office of Social Services Minister Tina Beaudry-Mellor.
“It’s difficult especially to get a lot of variety of French children’s books. So it’s really nice to have the interlibrary loans,” Valerie McKellar said.
The provincial budget eliminates provincial funding for libraries in Regina and Saskatoon, which saves the province $1.2 million. Regional libraries across the province are taking a $3.5 million hit.
Morgan Jones is a University of Regina student who worked at the Southeast Regional Library in Estevan last summer running the summer reading program. She’s exceptionally concerned about what this means for her hometown library.
“We’re not going to be able to order new materials. We just stopped inter-library loans, we just stopped the use of Hoopla, which is all our digital resources,” she said.
“Aboriginal storytelling month is going to get cut.”
The Southeast Regional Library board will meet Saturday to decide the future of these resources and programs, including the summer reading program.
Minister Beaudry-Mellor attended the rally, and had several conversations with people at the rally. She held firm on the government’s decision, but is open to discussion.
“No this is not fun, and these are not popular,” she said. “But there is a vision for getting back to balance, and that was the rationale behind them. Obviously there’s a lot of public concern, and I’m here to listen to that today.”
Beaudry-Mellor will be taking these comments to the Monday government caucus meeting.
Harlea Price wants to see more than talk come from this rally.
“There can’t just be questions being answered. Something needs to be done about this. You can’t just come out here out here and be like I understand what’s going on… That does nothing for us,” she said.
Over 70 rallies were held at libraries and MLA offices across Saskatchewan.
Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees were circulating a petition aimed at making the cut to library funding a provincial referendum.
Source: Global News
Friday, April 28, 2017
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Saskatoon StarPhoenix: It's Time to Get Rid of Our Libraries
It's time to get rid of our libraries
by Cam Fuller
April 1, 2017
Funding was cut to libraries in the 2017-2018 provincial budget. Seven regional systems lost more than half their funding while Regina and Saskatoon lost all of it.
Why does the government want to defund libraries? Maybe it doesn’t like people reading or doing research or having public meetings. Maybe the end-game is to get rid of libraries entirely. Assuming this is the case, here are six perfectly reasonable reasons for getting rid of our libraries once and for all.
1. The business model is flawed. The last time I checked, it didn’t cost anything to take a book out of the library. Nor is there a membership fee. They don’t even charge admission. And why can’t you find a Tim Horton’s in them? It’s no wonder the government is forced to keep pouring money into libraries. It’s like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom. If McDonald’s didn’t charge for its burgers, it would have gone out of business a long time ago. Without handouts, libraries would cease to exist. Let’s work toward that goal.
2. Unsavoury people hang out there. You’ve seen them browsing through the periodicals. This occurs in the middle of the day when the rest of us are at work. Why are your tax dollars paying somebody to read back issues of National Geographic? These people, who probably don’t even vote, should be put to work, maybe cleaning up abandoned oil wells in Estevan or constituency offices in Swift Current. Let me tell you, once you get a hard day’s work out of these non-voters, they won’t have the energy to read. Which is good, because there won’t be anywhere to do it.
3. Books are heavy. Try picking up a box full of books. Especially hard covers. Especially hard covers with glossy pages. They weigh, like, a ton. It takes a lot of sturdy shelving to store them. Sturdy shelves are expensive. Ask Ikea. Then people check them out (for free!), lug them home on the bus, adding all that weight, lowering fuel mileage, increasing pollution and contributing to climate change. And when these horribly heavy books come back, they have to be restacked. That’s a lot of wear and tear on library workers. Imagine the repetitive stress injuries. Imagine the paper cuts. And what if something like a dictionary fell off a high shelf and hit a library worker on the head? We simply can’t keep forcing people to labour under these dangerous conditions.
4. You can get books anywhere. The world is full of books. I personally have a bunch on Ikea shelving and I never read them, they just sit there. You can have mine if you want. And garage sales. If you really need a book, you don’t have to go to the library. You can get the entire Zane Grey collection at a garage sale for about 10 cents. And if you hang out in hipster neighbourhoods, you’ll see wooden boxes on people’s front yards that contain books for you to borrow for free (again, nice economic model, genius!). Books are everywhere. You can’t swing a cat without hitting a book. You can’t swing a book without hitting a cat. Imagine hitting a cat with The Cat Came Back. That would be hilarious. Where am I going with this? Even I don’t know.
5. Go Dog Go. Now that’s a good book. Why not buy it on Amazon and keep the economy going rather that propping up a tax-sucking library?
6. Librarians are kind of creepy. They’ve mastered the Dewey Decimal System. They know where everything is. And they never raise their voices. And they’re friendly and helpful. They don’t think your questions are stupid. They encourage you to read books so you can readily identify satire and become a well-informed citizen. Librarians, in other words, are up to something. I’m not sure what, but it can’t be good. Let’s stop them while we have a chance.
Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix
by Cam Fuller
April 1, 2017
Funding was cut to libraries in the 2017-2018 provincial budget. Seven regional systems lost more than half their funding while Regina and Saskatoon lost all of it.
Why does the government want to defund libraries? Maybe it doesn’t like people reading or doing research or having public meetings. Maybe the end-game is to get rid of libraries entirely. Assuming this is the case, here are six perfectly reasonable reasons for getting rid of our libraries once and for all.
1. The business model is flawed. The last time I checked, it didn’t cost anything to take a book out of the library. Nor is there a membership fee. They don’t even charge admission. And why can’t you find a Tim Horton’s in them? It’s no wonder the government is forced to keep pouring money into libraries. It’s like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom. If McDonald’s didn’t charge for its burgers, it would have gone out of business a long time ago. Without handouts, libraries would cease to exist. Let’s work toward that goal.
2. Unsavoury people hang out there. You’ve seen them browsing through the periodicals. This occurs in the middle of the day when the rest of us are at work. Why are your tax dollars paying somebody to read back issues of National Geographic? These people, who probably don’t even vote, should be put to work, maybe cleaning up abandoned oil wells in Estevan or constituency offices in Swift Current. Let me tell you, once you get a hard day’s work out of these non-voters, they won’t have the energy to read. Which is good, because there won’t be anywhere to do it.
3. Books are heavy. Try picking up a box full of books. Especially hard covers. Especially hard covers with glossy pages. They weigh, like, a ton. It takes a lot of sturdy shelving to store them. Sturdy shelves are expensive. Ask Ikea. Then people check them out (for free!), lug them home on the bus, adding all that weight, lowering fuel mileage, increasing pollution and contributing to climate change. And when these horribly heavy books come back, they have to be restacked. That’s a lot of wear and tear on library workers. Imagine the repetitive stress injuries. Imagine the paper cuts. And what if something like a dictionary fell off a high shelf and hit a library worker on the head? We simply can’t keep forcing people to labour under these dangerous conditions.
4. You can get books anywhere. The world is full of books. I personally have a bunch on Ikea shelving and I never read them, they just sit there. You can have mine if you want. And garage sales. If you really need a book, you don’t have to go to the library. You can get the entire Zane Grey collection at a garage sale for about 10 cents. And if you hang out in hipster neighbourhoods, you’ll see wooden boxes on people’s front yards that contain books for you to borrow for free (again, nice economic model, genius!). Books are everywhere. You can’t swing a cat without hitting a book. You can’t swing a book without hitting a cat. Imagine hitting a cat with The Cat Came Back. That would be hilarious. Where am I going with this? Even I don’t know.
5. Go Dog Go. Now that’s a good book. Why not buy it on Amazon and keep the economy going rather that propping up a tax-sucking library?
6. Librarians are kind of creepy. They’ve mastered the Dewey Decimal System. They know where everything is. And they never raise their voices. And they’re friendly and helpful. They don’t think your questions are stupid. They encourage you to read books so you can readily identify satire and become a well-informed citizen. Librarians, in other words, are up to something. I’m not sure what, but it can’t be good. Let’s stop them while we have a chance.
Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Saskatoon StarPhoenix: Letter of the Day: Libraries
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
April 18, 2017
Letter of the Day: Libraries
Provincial budget cuts to libraries negatively affect the minds of everyone who seeks information and learning opportunities.
Libraries have existed in Saskatchewan since the late 1800s, usually with sufficient support from the province. The first regional library on the prairies was established in 1950, based in Prince Albert. Before the next six regional libraries were established, libraries were into the process that led to an integrated online catalogue, and the much-appreciated convenient holds/interlibrary loans and membership cards that could be used everywhere.
A reliable predictor of future success in school and beyond is having been read to as a preschooler. Libraries help start children on a lifetime of literacy and success through story time and by assisting parents to select books for reading aloud at home, especially at bedtime. Students use public libraries for additional materials for homework and projects, for information on a topic that interests them or for a good book to read. Students maintain reading levels over July and August with summer reading programs.
Public libraries support everyone in their informational, educational, professional and recreational reading needs. They also support newcomers with materials in English and in their birth language, and provide quiet places to meet with tutors. Libraries support the efforts of agencies which work with newcomers.
Lois Hole, former Lieutenant-governor of Alberta, said, “Within a library can be found the seeds of a better tomorrow.” I believe her and hope that the government restores funding to all libraries.
Karen Labuik, Saskatoon
Source: Saskatoon StarPhoneix
April 18, 2017
Letter of the Day: Libraries
Provincial budget cuts to libraries negatively affect the minds of everyone who seeks information and learning opportunities.
Libraries have existed in Saskatchewan since the late 1800s, usually with sufficient support from the province. The first regional library on the prairies was established in 1950, based in Prince Albert. Before the next six regional libraries were established, libraries were into the process that led to an integrated online catalogue, and the much-appreciated convenient holds/interlibrary loans and membership cards that could be used everywhere.
A reliable predictor of future success in school and beyond is having been read to as a preschooler. Libraries help start children on a lifetime of literacy and success through story time and by assisting parents to select books for reading aloud at home, especially at bedtime. Students use public libraries for additional materials for homework and projects, for information on a topic that interests them or for a good book to read. Students maintain reading levels over July and August with summer reading programs.
Public libraries support everyone in their informational, educational, professional and recreational reading needs. They also support newcomers with materials in English and in their birth language, and provide quiet places to meet with tutors. Libraries support the efforts of agencies which work with newcomers.
Lois Hole, former Lieutenant-governor of Alberta, said, “Within a library can be found the seeds of a better tomorrow.” I believe her and hope that the government restores funding to all libraries.
Karen Labuik, Saskatoon
Source: Saskatoon StarPhoneix
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Regina Leader-Post: Sask. Party government misguided on library cuts
Sask. Party government misguided on library cuts
By Barb Pacholik
April 12, 2017
“MAPS – LOST in REGINA,” read the tiny ad near the bottom of the Leader-Post’s classified section recently.
The irony wasn’t lost — that an item used to point the way had somehow taken a wrong turn.
At a time when many people simply hit Google Maps on their smartphone for directions, the search for a paper map might seem quaint and anachronistic.
If you are to believe the Saskatchewan Party government, in that way, maps are not so different than libraries.
Soon after the budget delivered a 58-per-cent cut in grants to regional libraries and the end of provincial library funds for Regina and Saskatoon, Education Minister Don Morgan was quoted as saying the government needs to move beyond “bricks and mortar libraries.” The focus, he suggested, was now “electronic or alternate media.”
Full disclosure, I am a published author of three books that have luckily found a place on the shelves of some of this province’s libraries. Not so surprisingly, I think the government has lost its way on libraries. They are not, as one of my former colleagues once argued, “book museums,” a relic some charming, nostalgic past.
They are dynamic, community hubs where newcomers learn English, students study, people go who can’t otherwise access the Internet or a computer, children enjoy early literacy programs, and visitors of all ages take educational classes. And yes, they also loan books — print as well as electronic. I’ve also relished the Regina Public Library’s many electronic databases and rich Prairie History Room for research.
Want to see the future of libraries, drop by the George Bothwell Branch in south Regina, with its creative, flexible meeting spaces, coffee machine, rentable laptops, TV monitor, virtual reality headsets, work lounges — and, of course, books.
The casualties are stacking up, but to date we’ve heard of the cancellation of the One Province, One Library Card program and job losses. In Regina, the library is holding public meetings Wednesday and Thursday evening to talk about the cuts. It has warned that its cultural and literacy programs won’t be unscathed.
Kelly Miller is a Regina mom who makes ample use of the Albert Branch. She’s among some 5,800 people from around the province who protested the cuts last week by reading books outside Sask. Party MLAs’ offices. Accompanied by her three-year-old son dressed as a Ninja Turtle, Miller read from the children’s book, “Who’s Running This Country Anyway?”
Because her own constituency has an NDP MLA, Miller chose to read at Warren Steinley’s office on Rochdale Boulevard. When those at the rally realized it was closed, they walked up the same street to the Sask. Party’s Regina headquarters. (She points out the irony of a party that advocates consolidation of small-town libraries having two offices 700 metres apart, but I digress.)
Last week, Miller sent an email to the Sask. Party MLAs suggesting they were misreading and misleading with regards to the regional libraries’ financial statements in saying they were sitting on “substantial surpluses.” For example, Education Minister Don Morgan told the legislature Palliser has a $2.1 million surplus. But as Palliser has pointed out, if you actually read its financial statement you’ll realize that number is the “accumulated surplus,” which includes previously purchased physical assets, such as buildings and land, vehicles, books, computers and other equipment.
“If libraries sell off the building and materials, yes they will be able to cover the cost of the provincial cuts to the inter-library loan program, etc.,” wrote Miller, “but they will not have materials to send or places to send them.”
While the province suggests there are too many libraries for the population, pull out a map and look at how broadly those communities are dispersed, including small towns that no longer have a school, but still thankfully have a library.
And so, back to the story of those wayward maps. They were lost as much as five or six years ago, and they were cherished, old, linen maps of Glasgow, Scotland, where their owner once lived and studied.
They belong to Dr. Lewis Draper, a physician and former MLA in the 1990s, who’s not entirely certain how they went astray but misses them dearly. Draper also happens to be a published author.
He thought, perhaps, if someone read the ad, they might recall spotting his beloved maps and get in touch at mrslewis@sasktel.net.
Of course, whether it’s maps or libraries and the many and varied services they offer, once anything is lost, it’s often so very, difficult to get back.
Barb Pacholik’s city column appears weekly.
Source: Regina Leader Post
By Barb Pacholik
April 12, 2017
“MAPS – LOST in REGINA,” read the tiny ad near the bottom of the Leader-Post’s classified section recently.
The irony wasn’t lost — that an item used to point the way had somehow taken a wrong turn.
At a time when many people simply hit Google Maps on their smartphone for directions, the search for a paper map might seem quaint and anachronistic.
If you are to believe the Saskatchewan Party government, in that way, maps are not so different than libraries.
Soon after the budget delivered a 58-per-cent cut in grants to regional libraries and the end of provincial library funds for Regina and Saskatoon, Education Minister Don Morgan was quoted as saying the government needs to move beyond “bricks and mortar libraries.” The focus, he suggested, was now “electronic or alternate media.”
Full disclosure, I am a published author of three books that have luckily found a place on the shelves of some of this province’s libraries. Not so surprisingly, I think the government has lost its way on libraries. They are not, as one of my former colleagues once argued, “book museums,” a relic some charming, nostalgic past.
They are dynamic, community hubs where newcomers learn English, students study, people go who can’t otherwise access the Internet or a computer, children enjoy early literacy programs, and visitors of all ages take educational classes. And yes, they also loan books — print as well as electronic. I’ve also relished the Regina Public Library’s many electronic databases and rich Prairie History Room for research.
Want to see the future of libraries, drop by the George Bothwell Branch in south Regina, with its creative, flexible meeting spaces, coffee machine, rentable laptops, TV monitor, virtual reality headsets, work lounges — and, of course, books.
The casualties are stacking up, but to date we’ve heard of the cancellation of the One Province, One Library Card program and job losses. In Regina, the library is holding public meetings Wednesday and Thursday evening to talk about the cuts. It has warned that its cultural and literacy programs won’t be unscathed.
Kelly Miller is a Regina mom who makes ample use of the Albert Branch. She’s among some 5,800 people from around the province who protested the cuts last week by reading books outside Sask. Party MLAs’ offices. Accompanied by her three-year-old son dressed as a Ninja Turtle, Miller read from the children’s book, “Who’s Running This Country Anyway?”
Because her own constituency has an NDP MLA, Miller chose to read at Warren Steinley’s office on Rochdale Boulevard. When those at the rally realized it was closed, they walked up the same street to the Sask. Party’s Regina headquarters. (She points out the irony of a party that advocates consolidation of small-town libraries having two offices 700 metres apart, but I digress.)
Last week, Miller sent an email to the Sask. Party MLAs suggesting they were misreading and misleading with regards to the regional libraries’ financial statements in saying they were sitting on “substantial surpluses.” For example, Education Minister Don Morgan told the legislature Palliser has a $2.1 million surplus. But as Palliser has pointed out, if you actually read its financial statement you’ll realize that number is the “accumulated surplus,” which includes previously purchased physical assets, such as buildings and land, vehicles, books, computers and other equipment.
“If libraries sell off the building and materials, yes they will be able to cover the cost of the provincial cuts to the inter-library loan program, etc.,” wrote Miller, “but they will not have materials to send or places to send them.”
While the province suggests there are too many libraries for the population, pull out a map and look at how broadly those communities are dispersed, including small towns that no longer have a school, but still thankfully have a library.
And so, back to the story of those wayward maps. They were lost as much as five or six years ago, and they were cherished, old, linen maps of Glasgow, Scotland, where their owner once lived and studied.
They belong to Dr. Lewis Draper, a physician and former MLA in the 1990s, who’s not entirely certain how they went astray but misses them dearly. Draper also happens to be a published author.
He thought, perhaps, if someone read the ad, they might recall spotting his beloved maps and get in touch at mrslewis@sasktel.net.
Of course, whether it’s maps or libraries and the many and varied services they offer, once anything is lost, it’s often so very, difficult to get back.
Barb Pacholik’s city column appears weekly.
Source: Regina Leader Post
Monday, April 24, 2017
Saskatoon StarPhoenix: Saskatchewan libraries end province-wide sharing by cutting 'One Province, One Card' program
Saskatchewan libraries end province-wide sharing by cutting 'One Province, One Card' program
By Dave Deibert, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
April 4, 2017
As a result of funding cuts in the recent provincial budget, a nationally-lauded library program in Saskatchewan is ending.
Saskatchewan Information & Library Services (SILS) member organizations will no longer offer the ‘One Province, One Library Card’ program, according to an announcement Tuesday. The service has allowed anyone with a valid Saskatchewan library card to place holds on material from any library in the province and have that material delivered to a local branch. Effective April 10, the ability for card holders to place holds on materials from other library systems will no longer be available. As of Tuesday, only materials already in transit will be delivered.
“With a single stroke of its red pen, the provincial government has closed the borders between libraries in this province,” said Regina Public Library board of directors chair Sean Quinlan in a statement.
“What was once a nationally-recognized system of sharing and efficiency is no longer sustainable.”
In 2016, 693,000 holds were filled between libraries across the province. Interlibrary loans will continue locally in Saskatoon and Regina but citizens in rural Saskatchewan will have their options greatly limited by the change.
“This system provided free access to learning, literacy resources, and entertainment regardless of where people chose to live,” Quinlan said. “By closing off resources available to smaller centres, the government has created a two-tiered system of library services in this province.
“That is directly contrary to what a library should be – a welcoming centre of learning and literacy for anyone who wants to use it.”
In last month’s budget, seven regional library systems lost more than half their funding, and funding is being eliminated for libraries in Regina and Saskatoon. The provincial budget left SPL with an annual operating shortfall of close to $800,000, the organization said this week in a statement.
“Without comprehensive provincial funding to cover all associated costs of this service, it is not sustainable for SPL to continue to participate,” the Saskatoon Public Library said in a statement. “In light of the unanticipated budget challenges faced by our municipality, we cannot ask municipal taxpayers to further supplement the costs of the holds and delivery service.”
RPL is presently reviewing its own budget and determining the degree to which customers living outside city limits can access its materials. Interlibrary loans across Canada will also continue at RPL.
For Saskatoon residents, interbranch holds and transfers of Saskatoon Public Library’s roughly 550,000 materials will not be impacted.
Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix
By Dave Deibert, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
April 4, 2017
As a result of funding cuts in the recent provincial budget, a nationally-lauded library program in Saskatchewan is ending.
Saskatchewan Information & Library Services (SILS) member organizations will no longer offer the ‘One Province, One Library Card’ program, according to an announcement Tuesday. The service has allowed anyone with a valid Saskatchewan library card to place holds on material from any library in the province and have that material delivered to a local branch. Effective April 10, the ability for card holders to place holds on materials from other library systems will no longer be available. As of Tuesday, only materials already in transit will be delivered.
“With a single stroke of its red pen, the provincial government has closed the borders between libraries in this province,” said Regina Public Library board of directors chair Sean Quinlan in a statement.
“What was once a nationally-recognized system of sharing and efficiency is no longer sustainable.”
In 2016, 693,000 holds were filled between libraries across the province. Interlibrary loans will continue locally in Saskatoon and Regina but citizens in rural Saskatchewan will have their options greatly limited by the change.
“This system provided free access to learning, literacy resources, and entertainment regardless of where people chose to live,” Quinlan said. “By closing off resources available to smaller centres, the government has created a two-tiered system of library services in this province.
“That is directly contrary to what a library should be – a welcoming centre of learning and literacy for anyone who wants to use it.”
In last month’s budget, seven regional library systems lost more than half their funding, and funding is being eliminated for libraries in Regina and Saskatoon. The provincial budget left SPL with an annual operating shortfall of close to $800,000, the organization said this week in a statement.
“Without comprehensive provincial funding to cover all associated costs of this service, it is not sustainable for SPL to continue to participate,” the Saskatoon Public Library said in a statement. “In light of the unanticipated budget challenges faced by our municipality, we cannot ask municipal taxpayers to further supplement the costs of the holds and delivery service.”
RPL is presently reviewing its own budget and determining the degree to which customers living outside city limits can access its materials. Interlibrary loans across Canada will also continue at RPL.
For Saskatoon residents, interbranch holds and transfers of Saskatoon Public Library’s roughly 550,000 materials will not be impacted.
Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Thursday, April 20, 2017
CBC News British Columbia:Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood finally gets a library
By Rafferty Baker | Apr 19, 2017
One of Vancouver's oldest inner-city neighbourhoods finally has a library.
"There's going to be a lot of books checked out here," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson at the grand opening on Wednesday.
Robertson noted that the people in this area have waited years for a library. The building also includes a much-need affordable housing complex, the mayor said.
"It's going to be a fantastic library for this community, for Strathcona," Robertson said.
The $28.5 million project on East Hastings Street at Heatley Avenue includes 21 units of affordable housing for single mothers and their children.
"They've waited many decades for their own library, and even more amazing to have housing on top — housing for moms with families who are at risk of homelessness," he said.
The new library features high ceilings, rows of computers, meeting rooms, plenty of books, magazines, DVDs, and an Indigenous name, nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona.
nə́c̓aʔmat means 'we are one' in the Musqueam language.
Anna, who only gave her first name due to a concern for her personal safety, is moving into one of the new apartments with her nine-year-old son later this month.
"Me and my son, we never had [a] beautiful building in our whole life, and it's very meaningful to us, because the transition from shelter to shelter — we've been through so much," said Anna.
The housing facility, called Cause We Care House, is operated by YWCA, and cost $10.2 million, including a $700,000 operating endowment. That capital was raised by YWCA from various donors.
"I don't know, I've never seen any condominiums, but probably it looks similar to condominiums — very, very, great equipment."
"Right now [we're] living at a harm reduction building, because we were victims of domestic violence, and we've been kind of living, like, a tough life," she said, adding that her son had never had a room of his own.
The City of Vancouver put $18.3 million into the 11,000-square-foot library portion of the project, and the mayor withdrew the first two books before the doors were opened to the public.
"I checked out the history of Strathcona and a history book of Canada's Native Peoples," said Robertson, referring to the John Atkin book, Strathcona: Vancouver's First Neighbourhood, and An Illustrated History of Canada's Native People, by Arthur J. Ray.
"In Strathcona here there's been a reading room at the Carnegie Centre, so for decades now, that's been the only library resource for Strathcona and the Downtown Eastside, and obviously the population has been increasing and a desire to have a real library branch has been there," he said.
Sandra Singh, chief librarian at Vancouver Public Library was thrilled to be opening the library.
"This is the oldest neighbourhood in the city, and it was really the only neighbourhood that didn't have a full service library branch," said Singh. "It has been decades of work on behalf of the library."
Singh said libraries in every neighbourhood serve the same function, but there were design considerations for the generally low-income neighbourhood.
"We certainly did put more community meeting rooms in this branch, because this is a very active community with many community groups that support the life of the community," she said.
"We know that there's a lot of people living in very small spaces in this neighbourhood, so we did provide some more smaller breakout rooms and we were really trying to think about the public spaces as well," said Singh.
"People have been waiting for this branch for a very long time."
To read the full article, please visit CBC News British Columbia.
One of Vancouver's oldest inner-city neighbourhoods finally has a library.
"There's going to be a lot of books checked out here," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson at the grand opening on Wednesday.
Robertson noted that the people in this area have waited years for a library. The building also includes a much-need affordable housing complex, the mayor said.
"It's going to be a fantastic library for this community, for Strathcona," Robertson said.
The $28.5 million project on East Hastings Street at Heatley Avenue includes 21 units of affordable housing for single mothers and their children.
"They've waited many decades for their own library, and even more amazing to have housing on top — housing for moms with families who are at risk of homelessness," he said.
The new library features high ceilings, rows of computers, meeting rooms, plenty of books, magazines, DVDs, and an Indigenous name, nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona.
nə́c̓aʔmat means 'we are one' in the Musqueam language.
Anna, who only gave her first name due to a concern for her personal safety, is moving into one of the new apartments with her nine-year-old son later this month.
"Me and my son, we never had [a] beautiful building in our whole life, and it's very meaningful to us, because the transition from shelter to shelter — we've been through so much," said Anna.
The housing facility, called Cause We Care House, is operated by YWCA, and cost $10.2 million, including a $700,000 operating endowment. That capital was raised by YWCA from various donors.
"I don't know, I've never seen any condominiums, but probably it looks similar to condominiums — very, very, great equipment."
"Right now [we're] living at a harm reduction building, because we were victims of domestic violence, and we've been kind of living, like, a tough life," she said, adding that her son had never had a room of his own.
The City of Vancouver put $18.3 million into the 11,000-square-foot library portion of the project, and the mayor withdrew the first two books before the doors were opened to the public.
"I checked out the history of Strathcona and a history book of Canada's Native Peoples," said Robertson, referring to the John Atkin book, Strathcona: Vancouver's First Neighbourhood, and An Illustrated History of Canada's Native People, by Arthur J. Ray.
"In Strathcona here there's been a reading room at the Carnegie Centre, so for decades now, that's been the only library resource for Strathcona and the Downtown Eastside, and obviously the population has been increasing and a desire to have a real library branch has been there," he said.
Sandra Singh, chief librarian at Vancouver Public Library was thrilled to be opening the library.
"This is the oldest neighbourhood in the city, and it was really the only neighbourhood that didn't have a full service library branch," said Singh. "It has been decades of work on behalf of the library."
Singh said libraries in every neighbourhood serve the same function, but there were design considerations for the generally low-income neighbourhood.
"We certainly did put more community meeting rooms in this branch, because this is a very active community with many community groups that support the life of the community," she said.
"We know that there's a lot of people living in very small spaces in this neighbourhood, so we did provide some more smaller breakout rooms and we were really trying to think about the public spaces as well," said Singh.
"People have been waiting for this branch for a very long time."
To read the full article, please visit CBC News British Columbia.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Edmonton Sun: First Elder in Residence appointed to Edmonton Public Library
Claire Theobald | Thursday April 6, 2017
The first elder in residence at the Edmonton Public Library says he has been training to share life stories since he was 14.
That’s when Wilson Bearhead, in the face of racism and abuse, left school and his home on the Paul First Nation to start a new life for himself in the city.
“We came through the horrors of poverty at the beginning of my life, there was never enough,” Bearhead said in an interview with Postmedia on Monday, ahead of his official appointment on Friday.
Bearhead recalls lining up for government rations in the 1960s, and at the time couldn’t understand why his community was so poor. It wasn’t until later in life did he realize their poverty was the product of legislation that barred indigenous people from practicing the traditions that allowed them to live off the land.
Both of Bearhead’s parents were sent to residential schools, and Bearhead said they passed the traumas they suffered on to him.
“Every day seemed like it was getting worse,” said Bearhead.
When he was in school, Bearhead said bullying from his peers over his indigenous heritage would escalate to physical fights and violence in the schoolyard.
“It comes to a point where enough is enough, and you ask yourself, ‘Do I fit in here? Why am I here?’ That’s when I realized I had to leave,” said Bearhead. “It wasn’t safe for me, and it wasn’t going to give me any opportunity, so I left school and I moved forward.”
While the displaced teen didn’t have much to pack on his trip to Edmonton, Bearhead said he carried with him the traditional teachings of his grandmother, calling her his greatest teacher.
“She taught me the language, she taught me the creation stories, taught me where the medicines are,” said Bearhead. She instilled in him a strong sense of identity that he credits with giving him the resilience to overcome the many barriers in his way.
Now, 44 years later, Bearhead — a respected community elder, educator and member of the Wabamun Lake Indian Band who has served as grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and the Alberta regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations — will help others find answers and reconnect with aboriginal culture as the first elder in residence at the Edmonton Public Library.
“We see this as being a valuable service that we can do to collaborate more with indigenous communities, to offer something in our space where indigenous and non-indigenous people can work towards reconciliation,” said Linda Garvin, executive director of customer experience at the Edmonton Public Library.
Education was one of the calls to action made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Although the report did not include a call for action from libraries specifically, Garvin hopes the elder in residence program will serve as an important resource for information from an aboriginal perspective that will help advance those goals.
“There is so much Wilson can offer in terms of cultural teachings and knowledge about indigenous cultures and a knowledge of reconciliation that I think it presents a tremendous opportunity for people to engage in that discussion,” Garvin said.
Bearhead sees asking questions and facilitating discussions as key to challenging and breaking down barriers between aboriginal and non-indigenous people.
“As you start to open those doors a little bit at a time, it gives you understanding,” Bearhead said.
He hopes his presence as an elder in residence will encourage those with tough questions to find good answers, even if asking those questions is uncomfortable.
“It’s safe. We can respond to those questions, we can have a discussion around those questions,” said Bearhead.
Bearhead will be available at the Edmonton Public Library twice a week, one day at the Abbottsfield branch at 3410 118 Ave. and the other at the Stanley A. Milner Library’s temporary location at 10212 Jasper Ave.
As an elder in residence, Bearhead will be expected to host programs, lead smudgings and prayers at events, support staff and meet with library patrons. His role to be defined more clearly by the needs of the community and feedback over the one-year pilot of the elder in residence program.
Bearhead will assume the position after a special ceremony at the Stanley A. Milner Library’s temporary location on Friday at 10 a.m.
To view the original article, please visit the Edmonton Sun.
The first elder in residence at the Edmonton Public Library says he has been training to share life stories since he was 14.
That’s when Wilson Bearhead, in the face of racism and abuse, left school and his home on the Paul First Nation to start a new life for himself in the city.
“We came through the horrors of poverty at the beginning of my life, there was never enough,” Bearhead said in an interview with Postmedia on Monday, ahead of his official appointment on Friday.
Bearhead recalls lining up for government rations in the 1960s, and at the time couldn’t understand why his community was so poor. It wasn’t until later in life did he realize their poverty was the product of legislation that barred indigenous people from practicing the traditions that allowed them to live off the land.
Both of Bearhead’s parents were sent to residential schools, and Bearhead said they passed the traumas they suffered on to him.
“Every day seemed like it was getting worse,” said Bearhead.
When he was in school, Bearhead said bullying from his peers over his indigenous heritage would escalate to physical fights and violence in the schoolyard.
“It comes to a point where enough is enough, and you ask yourself, ‘Do I fit in here? Why am I here?’ That’s when I realized I had to leave,” said Bearhead. “It wasn’t safe for me, and it wasn’t going to give me any opportunity, so I left school and I moved forward.”
While the displaced teen didn’t have much to pack on his trip to Edmonton, Bearhead said he carried with him the traditional teachings of his grandmother, calling her his greatest teacher.
“She taught me the language, she taught me the creation stories, taught me where the medicines are,” said Bearhead. She instilled in him a strong sense of identity that he credits with giving him the resilience to overcome the many barriers in his way.
Now, 44 years later, Bearhead — a respected community elder, educator and member of the Wabamun Lake Indian Band who has served as grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and the Alberta regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations — will help others find answers and reconnect with aboriginal culture as the first elder in residence at the Edmonton Public Library.
“We see this as being a valuable service that we can do to collaborate more with indigenous communities, to offer something in our space where indigenous and non-indigenous people can work towards reconciliation,” said Linda Garvin, executive director of customer experience at the Edmonton Public Library.
Education was one of the calls to action made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Although the report did not include a call for action from libraries specifically, Garvin hopes the elder in residence program will serve as an important resource for information from an aboriginal perspective that will help advance those goals.
“There is so much Wilson can offer in terms of cultural teachings and knowledge about indigenous cultures and a knowledge of reconciliation that I think it presents a tremendous opportunity for people to engage in that discussion,” Garvin said.
Bearhead sees asking questions and facilitating discussions as key to challenging and breaking down barriers between aboriginal and non-indigenous people.
“As you start to open those doors a little bit at a time, it gives you understanding,” Bearhead said.
He hopes his presence as an elder in residence will encourage those with tough questions to find good answers, even if asking those questions is uncomfortable.
“It’s safe. We can respond to those questions, we can have a discussion around those questions,” said Bearhead.
Bearhead will be available at the Edmonton Public Library twice a week, one day at the Abbottsfield branch at 3410 118 Ave. and the other at the Stanley A. Milner Library’s temporary location at 10212 Jasper Ave.
As an elder in residence, Bearhead will be expected to host programs, lead smudgings and prayers at events, support staff and meet with library patrons. His role to be defined more clearly by the needs of the community and feedback over the one-year pilot of the elder in residence program.
Bearhead will assume the position after a special ceremony at the Stanley A. Milner Library’s temporary location on Friday at 10 a.m.
To view the original article, please visit the Edmonton Sun.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Canadian Architect - Web Exlusive: Meadowvale Community Centre and Library
Just outside Toronto, the new Meadowvale Community Centre and Library by
Perkins+Will rethinks what true accessibility means in 2017.
By Canadian Architect
April 6, 2017
By Canadian Architect
April 6, 2017
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Overlooking Lake Aquitaine, the new
Meadowvale Community Centre and Library by Perkins+Will was built to
replace an existing centre that could no longer meet the needs of the
surrounding community.
The former 1970s centre was roughly half the size of this new one, which combines
the previously offsite library with a more flexible and
forward-thinking amenity mix that includes gender neutral change-rooms,
therapy and leisure pools, a 3-D printer, kitchen, large programming
spaces, fireplaces, a green roof, and outdoor patio spaces overlooking
Lake Aquitaine.
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
For design team Perkins+Will,
accessibility was threaded into the architectural vision from the
offset, resulting in a barrier-free design that promotes inclusivity for
a diverse mix of groups well into the future. Elevating the
relationship between accessibility and design, Meadowvale offers not
only physical, but also economic and physiological access. Contrast
between white walls and dark floors provides assistance for those with
visual impairments, while also being aesthetically striking.
Perkins+Will also recognized that designing to promote inclusivity helps
to alleviate growing isolation felt by the community’s older adult
population.
Flexibility also played a role in the
architectural vision. Perkins+Will created versatility though swing
spaces, while an easy-to-navigate layout of amenities eliminates the
need for signage.
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Green features also played a key role in
the design mandate. The green roof addition contains an integrated
irrigation system, allowing storm water to be collected and used for
toilets and plants. Excess water is filtered through permeable areas of
the parking lot into a rock garden on the perimeter. Meanwhile, the
large coloured fins on the outside of building areas reduce solar gain
without inhibiting light.
These sustainable innovations helped the
centre achieve a LEED silver certification and assist with promoting
sustainable practices to those who live in the community.
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Photo: Lisa Logan Photography
Source: canadianarchitect.com
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
LibraryJournal.com: Ransomware Hackers Target Government Offices, Libraries
Ransomware Hackers Target Government Offices, Libraries
By on April 4, 2017
Ransomware attacks on government offices, civic agencies, and schools are on the rise, and include a January 19 attack on the St. Louis Public Library (SLPL). Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts files on a computer or network. The individual or organization responsible for the attack then demands a ransom, generally paid to an anonymous Bitcoin account, to provide a key necessary to decrypt the files.
An average of more than 4,000 attacks per day occurred in 2016, representing a 300 percent increase compared to 2015, according to estimates in “How to Protect Your Networks from Ransomware,” an interagency technical guidance document issued by the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. security agencies. In September 2016, security ratings provider BitSight released a report from an analysis of nearly 20,000 companies and institutions, noting that the rate of ransomware attacks increased significantly for every industry examined during the 12 months prior, with the education sector facing the highest rate of attacks, and government organizations facing the second-highest.
In addition to SLPL, other attacks so far in 2017 include Licking County, OH; the library server system for Hardin County Schools, TN; Bingham County, ID; and the network of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus.
SLPL’s attack came to a relatively positive conclusion. The library had backups for the files that were encrypted and refused to pay the ransom, according to an open letter to the community by SLPL executive director Waller McGuire. SLPL’s website, catalog, and downloadable materials were unaffected. After regaining control of the affected portions of the network, SLPL prioritized patron services. The library’s IT staff had the checkout system operational by January 20, the day after the attack, and had restored hundreds of public computers by January 21.
In the January 30 open letter to patrons, McGuire noted that “all St. Louis Public Library technology used by patrons has been restored to service…. Free printing for patrons was one of the last public services to be restored last week.”
For most patrons, the library seemed back to normal within a day or two of the attack, McGuire said, even as work continued behind the scenes to complete the restoration of the network.
“There were many 48-hour days and much exemplary work trying to quickly give the library back to our patrons,” McGuire wrote. “Staff here believe deeply in the mission of the library and I’m proud of them. Many of you have expressed concern and support, and we thank you for it.”
WHAT TO DO
As the SLPL’s case illustrates, regularly scheduled backups are the best insurance against ransomware attacks. Individual users should regularly back up important files to a portable hard drive or flash drive that is not regularly connected to their system and/or a secure cloud-based backup system (not Dropbox).
Restoring those backups and recovering from an attack will cost an organization time and money, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other security agencies note that there is no guarantee that an attacker will provide the decryption key to unlock an encrypted system if a ransom is paid. Some attackers, once paid, immediately request additional money. Others provide the key, but then target the organization again. Others simply disappear without providing the key.
And, “paying a ransom emboldens the adversary to target other victims for profit, and could provide incentive for other criminals to engage in similar illicit activities for financial gain,” according to the FBI’s September 2016 public service announcement regarding ransomware.
However, the agency does add that “it recognizes executives, when faced with inoperability issues, will evaluate all options to protect their shareholders, employees, and customers.” In a fall 2016 attack on the government offices of Madison County, IN, affecting 600 workstations and 75 servers, the county’s cyber-insurance provider Travelers resolved the attack by paying the ransom, minus a deductible paid by the county, according the Herald-Bulletin. The amount was not disclosed, but the county is reported to have spent nearly $200,000 since the attack for off-site data storage, improved firewall protection, and a backup system for its courts.
The FBI is urging victims of ransomware attacks to report these crimes—regardless of the outcome—to a local FBI office and the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov to help the agency understand the threat, monitor the spread of ransomware variants, justify the dedication of department resources to this issue, and ultimately combat the individuals and organizations responsible for creating the malware and launching attacks. Requested information includes: the date of infection, the ransomware variant, the victim or company information (industry type, business size, etc.), how the infection occurred, the requested ransom amount, the attacker’s bitcoin wallet address, the ransom amount paid (if any), overall losses caused by the attack including any ransom amount paid, and a victim impact statement.
Separately, the MalwareHunterTeam, a group of security experts led by ransomware researcher Michael Gillespie, hosts id-ransomware, a site that enables victims to upload a ransom note or an encrypted file to identify which Ransomware variant—from a group of almost 350 known types—is affecting their computer or network, and in some cases, whether a decryption key may have been published for that variant. With this method, the team also regularly discovers new variants and reports them via outlets such as the technical support and news site bleepingcomputer.com, which hosts FAQs, articles, and help guides on ransomware and other malware.
NoMoreRansom.org, an initiative of The European Cybercrime Centre (Europol EC3), the National High Tech Crime Unit of the Netherlands’ police, Intel Security, and Kaspersky Lab, also hosts more than three dozen decryption tools for common ransomware variants that have been cracked by security experts.
An affected library may also want to follow the lead of SLPL, and issue a statement to the local media and to patrons, reassuring the public that their data has not been compromised. Unlike many other forms of hacking directed at organizations, ransomware attacks to this point generally have not involved the theft of data or personal information—only encryption and, with several variants, the threat of indiscriminate file destruction if a ransom is not paid within a specific timeframe. In SLPL’s case, patron information was stored elsewhere and was completely unaffected by the attack, McGuire explained in the library’s statement.
“I want to repeat two assurances to the community,” McGuire wrote. “First, our main concern was investigating whether any personal information had been exposed by this attack. Because of the way our system is designed, patron information, such as addresses and phone numbers, is held in a remote location and kept secure. It was not accessed. If you have used a credit card at the library, that information has been recorded only on secure, encrypted lines by banks. It was not accessed.”
He continued: “Second, the St. Louis Public Library never paid any ransom. Staff brought the demand to me within moments of discovering it, and we were on the phone with the FBI moments later. Although I understand that the decision to pay can be complex for many institutions and companies, SLPL never considered it.”
OUNCE OF PREVENTION
McGuire notes that SLPL’s IT staff is well aware that its network is constantly probed for vulnerabilities. In this case the point of entry was found to be a four-year old voicemail server with an unpatched security vulnerability. Even the most vigilant staff won’t be able to fix problems that vendors don’t know about, haven’t warned their customers about, or simply haven’t fixed. Similarly, an article published last week by Government Technology describes a recent ransomware attack on the government of Livingston County, MI, that was triggered by malvertising on a trusted local news website.
But much of the usual advice about avoiding viruses and malware applies here as well. In “How to Protect Your Networks from Ransomware,” government agencies are advised to create and implement a training program to make employees and individuals more aware of these threats and how to prevent them.
As the FBI and nomoreransom.org advise, keep all software up to date and apply patches when available. Don’t open unsolicited email attachments from unfamiliar people or companies. More broadly, recognize that even the accounts of friends and associates may be compromised, and never open any attachments that seem suspicious, even if the source is usually trusted. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, has published a guide to “Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks” with more granular suggestions. And, in a May, 2016 WIRED article “4 Ways to Protect Against the Very Real Threat of Ransomware,” Stu Sjouwerman, the CEO of computer security training company KnowBe4, suggests gamifying awareness training by sending employees simulated phishing attacks to help them understand what these threats look like.
Windows users should consider disabling the “hide extensions for known file types” option in Windows settings to make it easier to spot suspicious, executable files that have been disguised as something else, with names like filename.doc.exe or filename.pdf.vbs. “How to Protect Your Networks from Ransomware” also suggests that IT departments set their systems to filter out executable files from incoming and outgoing emails, to disable macro scripts from any office files transmitted via email, and to assign administrator privileges to individual employees only when absolutely needed.
Individual users could consider disabling remote desktop connection and remote assistance features as well, although this won’t be practical in many workplace environments in which IT departments use these features to help staff and troubleshoot workstations.
NoMoreRansom.org encourages individuals to use antivirus software with heuristic scanning/analysis features and be sure to leave those features activated, enabling the software to detect newer, undiscovered malware variants based on suspicious behavior by a program.
And employees should know to immediately power off a network-connected workstation or device if they believe it has been infected with ransomware, and then notify IT.
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