Alberta Libraries - Doing Business Differently
Alberta Public Libraries have always done business differently but no one paid attention because they are... just libraries !! To get a sense of this look in on the first 100 years video . In 1993 the Klein administration was cutting budgets left and right and libraries were clearly going to be caught. At the time the government was dealing with requests for two new library systems; Chinook Arch in the south and Northern Lights in the north east. The Minister of the day, Gary Mar, proposed that no money would be cut from the budget if the "library community" could find a way to accommodate two new systems. An awkward compromise was developed that would see all libraries grants reduced from $4.29 per capita to $4.03 per capita and existing library systems grants reduced from $3.22 per capita to $3.07 per capita. The "found" money was used to start up the new regional library systems. While it worked there were some who still carry a different perspective about