Canada: Cuts to Nova Scotia Librarians Match Trend Seen in Ontario

From the Canadian Press (via CBC):

A Nova Scotia school board’s proposal to cut all of its 41 librarians to balance its books highlights a larger trend at some Canadian schools as libraries become victims of continued budget cuts, a development that some argue is having an impact on the quality of children’s education.
And with the amount of information students have at their disposal because of the Internet, librarians are needed now more than ever to help sort through the wealth of information, the executive director of a parent-led group in Ontario says.
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Linda Shantz-Keresztes, chairwoman of the school-library advisory committee of the Canadian Library Association, says librarians provide an essential service and parents should be aware of their vital role.
“I think they need to become informed about the importance of school libraries and certified teacher-librarians and support staff in ensuring that their students get the skills and the strategies to survive in the 21st century,” she says.
In Nova Scotia, the provincial government stepped in last week to stop the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board from cutting its librarians. The government has appointed a senior Treasury Board adviser to begin a review of the board’s budget before any final decisions are made.

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Filed under: Jobs, Libraries, School Libraries