FOPL brings to your attention the following item that was proposed in last week’s Ontario provincial budget.
Ontario Libraries Capacity Fund
“Recognizing the key role that public libraries play in delivering and supporting important community programs, the government will provide an additional $10 million over the next three years to help achieve IT improvements across the public library sector, improve service delivery, and encourage more research and innovation.”
Although we are now in a provincial election being fought on the government’s directions in this budget, the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries commends the provincial government on this initiative which recognizes the clear difference that public libraries in Ontario make on the social, economic and learning fabric of our province. Our critical role in the economic, cultural, learning and social development of our communities and province. We believe that the proposed three year innovation fund will have a lasting impact on the capacity of public libraries to continue to thrive and succeed in supporting all Ontarians and have a measurable impact on the success of Ontario and Ontarians.
FOPL members can be non-partisan but support our sector by expressing the hope that this initiative will reappear in future budgets to all candidates (and, after the election, to the new government).
The specific initiative is on page 83 of the budget documents or you can find it at this link:
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2014/ch1c.html#s1-46