Where to put Alberta Public Libraries
Controversy over which department to locate provincial responsibility for Alberta's public libraries has bubbled over! Library Trustees this weekend, overwhelmingly supported motions to recommend staying in the department of Municipal Affairs. Trustees Clearly endorsed the support they had received from the department of Municipal Affairs in meetings with the Deputy Minister Paul Whittaker. Not lost on Trustees or library staff is the fact that moving libraries back to the department of Culture takes them back to a traditionally under funded, low priority department with a bias of responding to the Arts lobby. This is illustrated by the erosion of support for the voluntary sector, community development, heritage resources, museums and archives over the years. The PC Policy Book (page 32) commits to a $10 million increase to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Municipal Affairs is a larger department that has embraced Public Libraries since its move in 2006. Strong support fr