Advocacy Alert for FOPL and OLA members to share the budget submission.
Here is a link to our Budget ‘ASK” for the 2020 Provincial Budget.
We have included a call to action – asking members to meet with their local MPPs to share the OLA/FOPL budget ask.
OLA and FOPL 2020 Budget Submission – FINAL
Ontario’s 2020 Budget Consultations
Working alongside our partners at OLA, the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL), is once again participating in Ontario’s Pre-Budget consultation process. Both OLA & FOPL, as well as a number of local public libraries, are participating in several ongoing consultations ahead of the budget, which we expect will be tabled in the Spring.
We need your help to build broad support for local public libraries, the recommendations OLA & FOPL are bringing forward to this year’s Pre-Budget consultations, and to ensure that local MPPs understand the important contributions you make in their community.
Public Libraries
OLA and FOPL remain committed to finding opportunities to strengthen provincial investment in local public libraries. Last year’s Ontario Budget maintained significant direct funding support to public libraries at existing levels while reducing funding to Ontario’s library services agencies and their services, including inter-library loan.
Since that time, OLA and FOPL have met extensively with the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries (MHSTCI) to discuss the important role that libraries play in local communities across Ontario, and the opportunity and need to help support their ongoing modernization with some additional targeted investments.
In addition to our strong recommendation to maintain existing funding for Ontario’s public libraries, OLA & FOPL are recommending further investment that will make sure that all people in Ontario – no matter where they live – continue to have access to modern, cost-effective resources and services through their local public libraries.
Specifically, our Pre-Budget Submission is recommending that the Ontario government make an ongoing, multi-year investment to:
- Launch an Ontario Digital Public Library, which would leverage the province’s significant purchasing power to give all Ontarians access to a common set of online and e-learning resources through their public library, free-of-charge;
and
- Complete the transformation of inter-library loan by supplementing existing provincial funding in order to ensure that local public libraries can fulfill the existing demand from people across Ontario.
You can read OLA’s and FOPL’s full Pre-Budget Submission here. 2020 Budget Submission – FINAL (1)
School Libraries
This year, OSLA prepared and submitted a letter directly to the Pre-Budget consultations. OSLA is once again raising its concern over the increasingly urgent state of school libraries and library staff in Ontario. OSLA’s submission reiterates its long-standing recommendation to enhance the accountability and transparency by mandating that the funds currently allocated by the Ministry of Education to school boards for school libraries and library staff are spent on these priorities.
We need your help! Raise awareness locally
Bringing OLA & FOPL’s Pre-Budget submission and its recommendations to the attention of your local MPP will make an invaluable contribution to our combined efforts to work towards sustainable, modern funding for public libraries in Ontario.
Reach out to your local MPP – through a letter, phone call, or even a meeting – to help raise awareness of the important work your libraries are doing, and the impact that these proposed investments in Ontario’s support for public libraries would have on your community.
All members – you can help by writing to your MPP and share OLA’s and FOPL’s Pre-Budget Submission with them:
- Template Letter – introducing the budget submission
- OLA and FOPL’s Pre-Budget Submission
- Direct Submission Tracking Worksheet
- Post-Meeting Worksheet
Public library leaders – we need you to request a meeting with your Local MPP
- Template Letter – Invitation to Meet Template letter -invitation to meeting – Budget 2020
- Key Messages: Use these key messages to guide your meeting
- OLA’s and FOPL’s Pre-Budget Submission: 2020 Budget Submission – FINAL (1) Print this to leave behind at your meeting (colour preferred)
- Direct Submission Tracking Worksheet: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe0EBCTtCHQtwsZjFFxRX-jlsmRDDu2Kyy9Y4_-mf4JiWDJDA/viewform
- Post-Meeting Worksheet: take some time to reflect on your meeting and let OLA and FOPL now how it went https://forms.gle/zupUN9MFHG9vb59y8
- Template Email – Thank you Template – Thank You Letter – Pre-Budget 2020
- Check out pages 12-17 of the OLA Advocacy Toolkit for tips on how to organize a meeting with your local MPP
You can help by writing to your MPP and sending them OLA and FOPL’s Pre-Budget Submission
- Template Letter – introducing the budget submission Template letter -invitation to meeting – Budget 2020
- OLA’s and FOPL’s Pre-Budget Submission 2020 Budget Submission – FINAL (1)
- Direct Submission Tracking Worksheet: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe0EBCTtCHQtwsZjFFxRX-jlsmRDDu2Kyy9Y4_-mf4JiWDJDA/viewform
- Post-Meeting Worksheet: take some time to reflect on your meeting and let OLA and FOPL now how it went https://forms.gle/zupUN9MFHG9vb59y8
We’ve heard in the past that these types of tools are very helpful for our members, especially those in smaller communities.
Please let us know when you need more help or advice.
Any questions?
FOPL: Stephen Abram sabram@fopl.ca
or
OLA: Email Sarah Roberts