Editor:
We at the Gibsons and District Public Library, are very pleased that MLA Nicholas Simons will continue to advocate for ongoing and proper funding for libraries in B.C. As he stated, the role of libraries has changed dramatically. Many services that should be provided by government offices have been devolved to us; proctoring exams, assisting patrons with online government forms, serving as a refuge during the extreme heat wave and providing a cold weather sanctuary during periods when emergency shelters are not open. These additional services put a strain on the library’s staff and budget and we get no compensation from any level of government for performing them.
And this is precisely the problem with the current provincial library funding approach because, apart from these grants, we have seen no per capita increase in overall provincial funding for B.C. libraries in over 10 years and no compensation for the additional costs associated with our changing role. Depending on one-time grants to cover operating costs, sets up an expectation that those programs and services supported by the grant money will continue after the grants have expired; impossible if overall funding is reduced when the one-time grant ends. In addition, our library is very undersized for the population it serves, so at some point in the near future, we will be faced with the need to expand; also impossible without the means to build a budget reserve for such an eventuality.
Proper library funding would address these issues so we encourage our residents, the majority of whom are active library users, to let the provincial government know how important consistent support is for libraries throughout the province. The viability of public libraries in BC depends on it.
Rob Bennie
Gibsons & District Public Library board chair
