Canada: Saskatchewan: “Provincial Cuts ‘Absolutely Devastating’ to Regional Libraries”

UPDATE May 1, 2017 Interlibrary Loan Service Restored In Sask. But System ‘in Its Current Form’ To Be Examined (via Saskatoon Star-Phoenix)
UPDATE April 24, 2017 Good News! Calling Budget Cuts ‘a Mistake,’ Saskatchewan Government Restoring Funding To Provincial Libraries: (via Saskatoon Star-Phoenix)

In a multi-million-dollar budget reversal, the provincial government is reversing its funding cuts to Saskatchewan libraries.
The change of course, announced Monday, will restore funding back to the 2016-17 levels “to ensure that regional and municipal libraries and the interlibrary loan services remain operational,” the government said in a news release. The provincial government will provide $4.8 million in funding in addition to the $3.5 million that was announced on March 22.

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UPDATEApril 20, 2017 Saskatchewan’s Education Minister is R eviewing $4.8M in Library Cuts (via Global News)
and
Sask. Party Reviewing $4.8M in Cuts to Libraries (via CBC)
Findings will be released next week.
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UPDATE April 8, 2017 Thousands Protest Provincial Budget Cuts to Saskatchewan Public Libraries
Two Reports:

• Thousands Drop Everything and Read to Restore Saskatchewan Library Funding (via Global News)

• Protesters Drop Everything and Read at MLA Office Rallies (via Regina Leader Post)

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UPDATE April 7, 2017 After Huge Provincial Budget Cuts to Public Libraries, Support Rallies to Take Place in Saskatchewan Today
Two Reports:
1. Library Support Rallies to Take Place in Saskatchewan on Friday (via CTV)
2. Rallies Expected Throughout Saskatchewan After Regional Library Budget Cuts (via CKRN)
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UPDATE April 4, 2017 Budget Cuts Force Public Libraries in Saskatchewan to End Interlibrary Loans Throughout the Province
Two Reports:
1. Inter-Library Loans Shut Down after Povincial Cuts (via CBC)
2. Sask. Libraries Forced to Stop Inter-Library Loans Due to Budget Cuts (Via Ctv)
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UPDATE April 2, 2017 Library Manager ‘Debunking’ Province’s Budget Cut Defence (via CBC)

During the March 30 question period, Education Minister Don Morgan outlined the government’s reasons behind cutting library budgets. A library branch manager is speaking out to “debunk” some of the minister’s arguments for cutting library budgets.

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UPDATE Protesters Decry Steep Library Budget Cuts Across Saskatchewan (via Global News)

From the Regina Leader Post:

Expecting minor cuts to libraries in the 2017-18 provincial budget, library systems throughout the province have been left shocked by the deep cuts that happened instead.
“It will be absolutely devastating,” said James Richards, regional branch manager for Southeast Regional Library. “We will lose services left and right. It is hard to understate how devastating this will be.”
For most library districts in the province, provincial funding has been cut between 50 and 60 per cent. The funding decrease will now result in staff cuts and an impact on services to many rural libraries.
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The RPL [Regina Public Library] will lose $600,000 in funding through the elimination of the provincial resource sharing grant. The loss of the grant will decrease the revenue of the RPL by three per cent. In addition, the RPL will must also deal with the City of Regina’s $11-million loss of the grant-in-lieu of property taxes from the province.

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See Also: With No Provincial Funding, Saskatoon Public Libraries to Put Saskatoon First, Says Director (via Saskatoon StarPhoenix):

When Carol Cooley learned that Saskatoon Public Libraries would receive no provincial money this year, she was “shocked.”
“I certainly understand the fiscal situation in the province and we were expecting some kind of a cut, but certainly not 100 per cent of our provincial funding,” the director of libraries said.
The provincial budget, released Wednesday, eliminated funding for public libraries in Saskatoon and Regina in order to save $1.3 million. The seven regional library systems saw their funding reduced by $3.5 million.

Read the Complete Article

Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News, Public Libraries, Reports