News & Updates

I’m exceptionally pleased to share with all of you that the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport will be providing additional funding for First Nations Public Libraries! An additional investment of 1.25 million per year for a total of 3.75 million over three years will be allocated through the First Nations Salary Supplement and Provincial…

It's interesting to keep an eye on what is happening with the libraries of our southern neighbour. Often we can look to American libraries to forecast trends as issues tend to creep upwards from the USA.  The American Library Association has just released the 2024 installment of the "State of America's Libraries". This report reveals…

The Annual General Meeting for the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries will take place virtually via Zoom on Friday, APRIL 26, at 10:00am. Registration will begin at 9:30am so please be sure to log in prior to 10am so that you can be marked in attendance. The draft agenda and all supporting documents can be…

CFLA/FCAB's Intellectual Freedom Committee is searching for TWO new members.  We welcome nominations from CFLA/FCAB member associations and self-nominations from members of CFLA/FCAB member associations. Once appointed to the Committee, the responsibility of members is to the Committee, not to the nominating body.  The Committee strives to include a wide variety of backgrounds and interests,…

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On February 6, 2024 I joined Minister Lumsden, Ministry officials, surrounding library CEOs and the lovely staff at the Gravenhurst Public Library as Minister Lumsden announced a $122,000 increase to the existing Internet Connectivity Grant! This new investment of funds will enable up to 155 of Ontario’s more rural, northern and First Nations Public Libraries…

The Ex Libris Association Board is pleased to report that the Indigenous Student Bursary, created in 2023, has been awarded to William Fayant, a student with an excellent GPA in his second year in the Library and Information Technician Program at Red River College of Applied Arts, Science & Technology. William sent us the following…

The CFLA-FCAB Intellectual Freedom Committee has been hard at work and in light of the current state of censorship attempts in Canada have proactively drafted the following letter that the CFLA-FCAB board approved to send to related federal Ministers. It primarily seeks to remind Ministers of this important topic and to urge the Government of Canada to take…

Library CEOs and representatives have been making deputations to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs since December 12, 2023.  Deputations are still ongoing, and the committee seems invested in hearing how the Ontario Digital Public Library and enhanced provincial funding will impact local public libraries and their communities. Thank you to everyone who…

In today's world, the battle against censorship is more critical than ever. We believe in the power of knowledge and the importance of unrestricted access to information. That's why we're excited to share a video that addresses the rising censorship issue in America and how it affects libraries, books, and the right to read. This…

The fallout of ransomware attacks is not just a privacy challenge; it’s a social equity challenge and these attacks are getting more sophisticated and more frequent... Read more of this article: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/why-i-cant-wait-for-the-public-library-to-be-back-online/article_76b95c34-aa63-11ee-bbe6-e77dc629c4dc.html

Two large library systems in Ontario have been recent victims of cyber attacks, impacting services to millions. An interesting read puts a fine point on the dire circumstances. https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/the-disturbing-impact-of-the-cyberattack-at-the-british-library