Manitoba Library Association has continued its work responding to calls for censorship in Manitoba libraries through the month of May. Our board and staff have worked hard on these responses and we would like to express sincere thanks to our members and partner organizations for their collaboration – without your active engagement, these responses would not have been possible.
Category: Advocacy
Intellectual Freedom Toolkit
Posted in Advocacy, and Intellectual Freedom
Manitoba Library Association continues to express its ongoing concern regarding book censorship efforts in the province. As recently as this week, Brandon School Division was approached by a delegation suggesting the banning of books from school libraries.
In response to these matters, MLA is announcing its release of the
Public Libraries Intellectual Freedom and Anti-Censorship Toolkit.
News – Censorship in BC
Posted in Advocacy, and Intellectual Freedom
RCMP Confirms Censorship Attempts Were Unwarranted at BC School Libraries
CFLA/FCAB Press Release
14 March 2023, Canada
Libraries continue to defend students’ freedom to read in the face of increased censorship
tactics.
A recent RCMP investigation found that items in Chilliwack, BC school libraries – while they
may be deemed inappropriate or concerning to some people – do not contain child
pornography. The investigation was in response to a complaint from a member of a Canadian based group which is actively trying to have certain titles – primarily those with LGBTQA2S+
content – removed from libraries. Read the full press release here.
Winnipeg is falling behind in funding and staffing its libraries
Check out this news article in the Uniter about the urgent need for increased support at public libraries in Winnipeg as the new budget approaches. Our director of advocacy Richard Bee lends his voice to express concern about the need for arms length distance between the government and the library administration.
CFLA/FCAB’s Intellectual Freedom Committee is searching for THREE new members. We welcome nominations from CFLA/FCAB member associations and self-nominations from members of CFLA/FCAB member associations. Once appointed to the Committee, the responsibility of members is to the Committee, not to the nominating body.
CFLA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee is Searching for New Members
Posted in Advocacy, and Professional Development
CFLA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee is searching for four new members. We welcome nominations from CFLA member associations and interested individuals who are members of a CFLA/FCAB member association. Once appointed to the Committee, the responsibility of members is to the Committee, not to the nominating body.
Call for Expressions of Interest!
Posted in Advocacy, and Professional Development
Call for Expressions of Interest to represent CFLA-FCAB on the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing
The CFLA-FCAB Cataloguing and Metadata Standards Committee (CMSC) is seeking expressions of interest in representing CFLA-FCAB on the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing (CCC). One CFLA-FCAB position is currently open and CMSC would like to have someone in place for September 1, 2022. The appointment will be for a three-year term ending August 31, 2025.
Survey – Manitoba Libraries and Serving Those Experiencing Homelessness
Posted in Advocacy, and Professional Development
In January 2022 Manitoba Library Association was invited by Manitoba Department of Families to review the discussion paper Developing Manitoba’s Homelessness Strategy and attend a strategy call. MLA provided feedback to the Department of Families on the role that libraries play as community hubs for connecting all users, including users experiencing homelessness, to information resources that they require to support their cultural, social, and economic well being. The Department of Families has since developed the What We Heard report from their consultations.
This past December, representatives from the MLA Board spoke with representatives from the CFLA Board to address concerns about the lack of consultation regarding the CFLA Intellectual Freedom Statements. After stating concerns, a verbal agreement in principle was made by the meeting attendees that greater consultation should be undertaken. A tentative and high-level plan was discussed whereby CFLA and MLA would jointly consult with MLA members. Meeting attendees agreed to bring this high-level plan back to their respective Boards to obtain commitment on next steps.
Following our organizations’ Board meetings in December and January, CFLA has provided the following response:
“The CFLA board understands that there are divergent opinions on the topic of intellectual freedom in libraries, especially as it relates to the goal of supporting social justice and inclusion. We thank MLA for their commitment to engaging in a consultation process with their members to inform future directions, but feel that at this point CFLA does not have the capacity to develop a consultation process with the robustness and attention it deserves, so this issue is being deferred until after a new Board takes office in February. We are also committed to facilitating a National Forum on this topic, as was planned for the canceled MLA conference in 2020, but this event continues to be deferred due to the pandemic.”
– Todd Kyle, Chair, CFLA
The MLA Board will continue to engage CFLA on this matter, and will keep our membership informed of new developments as they arise.
Letter of Support for the Librarians, Archivists, Professors, and Instructors represented by the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA)
Posted in Advocacy
MLA has sent this letter in support of the Librarians, Archivists, Professors, and Instructors represented by the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA), dated November 17, 2021.