Canadian Association of Research Libraries Reacts to 2013 Federal Budget

From CARL:

The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) shares the government’s belief that research and innovation are imperative for Canada’s long-term prosperity. We are content to see some notable commitments in the 2013 Economic Action Plan.

CARL is very pleased to see an additional $225 million allocated for Canada Foundation for Innovation programs. We are hopeful that this will enable the CFI to develop programming to enhance Canada’s digital research infrastructure, notably so that researchers and innovators can take full advantage of the vast amounts of research data generated every year.

CARL believes that the government must increase its support for Canada’s federal research granting agencies, which fund programs that fuel scientific discovery in all fields. Nevertheless, the $37 million allocated for industry research partnerships will be helpful encouragement for new collaboration opportunities.

We also commend the government’s commitment to celebrate Canadian history in the lead up to 2017. Museums and historical sites are important for the commemoration of our history, but broader online access to our documentary heritage will be crucial for teaching and researching our history.

Finally, we also note the importance accorded to a number of other measures that favour increased access to information for all Canadians. Notable examples are the continued funding for infrastructure programs that favour access to broadband Internet services and $3 million to improve access to library services by the visually disabled.