The Ontario Library Association, with the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL), has submitted recommendations as part of Ontario’s 2020 Fall Pre-Budget consultation process.
Libraries are an essential part of Ontario’s COVID-19 recovery. The following priority recommendations by OLA and FOPL will ensure that libraries can continue to adapt and perform their critical role during the disruption of the pandemic and beyond:
- Maintain critical provincial funding for Ontario’s public libraries at current levels and work with municipalities to prevent unsustainable cuts to public library funding.
- Leverage Ontario’s broadband action plan funding to ensure that modern broadband connectivity is available in more public library branches in communities across Ontario.
- Provide critical e-learning support through fair access to modern, digital resources for the people of Ontario – no matter where they live – by creating an Ontario Digital Public Library.
- Preserve the proven impact of school libraries on student achievement and success by requiring that provincial funds currently allocated for school libraries, teacher-librarians and school library professionals are used for their intended purpose.
Learn more:
Send your MPP OLA and FOPL’s Pre-Budget Submission
We understand it may be difficult to meet with your MPP during this time. You can still help amplify OLA and FOPL’s Pre-Budget submission by writing to your MPP to share our joint recommendations:
- Template Letter – introducing the budget submission
- OLA and FOPL’s Joint Fall 2020 Pre Budget Submission
- Complete the Direct Submission Tracking Worksheet to let us know you’ve shared this with your MPP
Organizing a meeting with your MPP?
If you are able to organize a meeting with your MPP:
- Email Sarah Roberts for key messages to guide your meeting.
- Check out pages 12-17 of OLA’s Advocacy Toolkit for tips and advice on how to organize a meeting locally.
- Afterwards, take some time to reflect on your meeting and complete the Post-Meeting Worksheet to let OLA and FOPL now how it went