Cuts to library funding in the recent provincial budget are not being received quietly.
On Friday afternoon, more than 100 people showed up in front of Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit’s downtown constituency office for a “read-in” while Saskatchewan Finance Minister Kevin Doherty was just several blocks north defending the budget at St. Gerard’s Parish Hall.
Earlier in the week, in a press release, the Parkland Regional Library (PRL) announced it was reducing services and laying off eight people to deal with a 58 per cent reduction in funding from the provincial budget.
Specific measures include: eliminating five positions from PRL headquarters; laying off three permanent part-time employees from the Yorkton Public Library; a 50 per cent reduction in inter-branch loans; elimination of the ability to make returns at any branch; elimination of holds from other regions and municipalities; and a reduction of e-resources available on the library’s website.
These decisions were made at an emergency meeting of the PRL board called immediately after the budget dropped March 22, and despite the fairly drastic cuts will still face a 2017 deficit, which it says will be dealt with by cost savings measures and not be passed on to municipalities through levy increases.
Sharon Armstrong, PRL chair was critical of the budget in a letter to education minister Don Morgan stating, “…there will be an immediate negative impact on service delivery that will have long-term effects on the Province of Saskatchewan’s ability to maintain a high quality of life and attract and retain population.”
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents seven of the employees losing their PRL jobs also responded.
“The Sask Party has put our regional libraries in an impossible situation,” said Alex Lenko, CUPE national staff representative. “Facing a 58 per cent deficit with no warning means our communities lose out on the important programs and services our libraries provide. Our members who work in the library system love their jobs and are proud of the important work they do to provide an amazing service to the people of Saskatchewan. CUPE will fight these cuts and stand up for our members’ jobs.”
The union is not the only voice vowing to save Saskatchewan’s library system. The Yorkton protest was only one of many that saw thousands across the province “drop everything and read” in front of MLA offices and library branches April 7.
There is also an official petition going around. Merrilee Rasmussen, a Regina Lawyer, started the VOTE Library Petition and is coordinating the collection of signatures for presentation to the Minister of Justice according to the The Referendum and Plebiscite Act.
Under that legislation voters can force the government to put the question of library funding to a public vote if 15 per cent of electors sign. Rasmussen estimates approximately 125,000 signatures. As of press time, more than 10,000 signatures had been collected.
