News & Updates

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  

Please join us in welcoming Jodie Player Delgado as our new Small/Medium Caucus Representative. Jodie is the CEO of Springwater Township Public Library. She has worked as a Teacher-Librarian and Children’s Librarian in the Florida Keys and is happy to be back in her hometown of Elmvale, although she is not a huge fan of…

FOPL and OLA met with Minister Lumsden (Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport) immediately following the Ontario Public Library Week celebrations in Hamilton, ON. Margie Singleton, CEO of Vaughan Public Libraries and FOPL Interim Vice-Chair,  and I sat down with Minister Lumsden together with our OLA partners and Hamilton CEO Paul Takala to talk in…

FOPL and OLA have created a new government relations priorities document to guide our advocacy work throughout the fall and winter. While this document may look familiar, there are two main changes to note; Our ask regarding the Provincial Libraries Operating Grant has changed. We are now asking for an increase to the PLOG of…

The Canadian Urban Institute has released a new report titled “Overdue: The Case for Canada’s Public Libraries”. It was written as part of the Canadian Urban Institute’s role “to highlight the critical components of the urban and community fabric that are essential to Canada’s social, economic and environmental resilience and post-pandemic recovery.” It includes lots…

FOPL attended the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) Conference earlier this summer and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conferences just last week to continue our campaign to reach out and spread awareness among our municipal partners. We spoke to hundreds of delegates at each, highlighting the importance of…