The Changing of the Act

During this century major revisions have been made to the Public Libraries Act on four previous occasions: 1909, 1920, 1966, and 1984. Now, in 1997, the most recent proposals are the culmination of a series of changes that began about four years ago when authority for public library legislation was transferred to a new ministry in February 1993, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation, and then, toward the end of 1995, to the Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation. Since early 1993, a number of significant reports have appeared and fundamental organizational changes have occurred:

• the 1994 report of the Provincial-Municipal Task Force (established under the municipal sector framework agreement to the Social Contract regarding areas where duplication and overlap exist) made a number of recommendations regarding public library finance, service, and administration;
  
• the December 1994 response by the Ontario Public Library Strategic Directions Council to the Report of the Provincial-Municipal Task Force reviewed many of the recommendations;
  
• the dissolution of the Libraries and Community Information Branch and transfer of public library direction and support for provincial library programs to the Cultural Partnerships Branch in autumn 1995;
  
• the introduction of provincial legislation at the end of 1995, the Savings and Restructuring Act (Bill 26), which proposed to allow municipalities to charge fees for local services and dissolve or change local boards;
  
• the government announcment in November 1995 that public library per household grants would be reduced by 20% of the 1995/96 base for 1996/97 and a further 20% of the 1996/97 base for 1997/98;
• the Ontario Library Association presentation at Queen's Park committee hearings on Bill 26 in December 1995;
  
• the final letter of the Who Does What Panel, chaired by David Crombie, advising the government on restructuring municipal aspects of public libraries released on 20 December 1996.

Electronic forums

Bill 109, the Local Control of Public Libraries Act, introduced in Ontario legislature for first reading on 20 January, originally was displayed at the Cultural Partnerships Branch's home site. The statement made in the Ontario Legislative Assembly by the Minister, Marilyn Mushinski, a compendium of proposed legal changes, news releases, and other pertinent information also was provided by this office. The Minister's speech at the February OLA Super Conference also dealt with this legislation. Later, in the autumn, the Ontario Library Service prepared more detail on the bill's impact. After a cabinet shuffle on 10 October, Isabel Basset became the new minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation.

The Hansard record for the introductory statement regarding Bill 109 on 15 January is provided by the Ontario legislature. As well, questions and statements took place in the house on 5 February with subsequent remarks; and additional comments on 20 February. A two and-a-half hour debate took place at second reading on 25 February, followed by a recorded vote on 5 March and direction to send the bill to the general government committee for public hearings in early April. On 21 April (the start of Information Rights Week) a member's statement was made. A statement by the Minister on April 23 about northern libraries and citizens on boards was followed by a response on April 24. Further comments, questions, and statements appeared on April 30th, May 1st, August 26th, and Sept. 8th, the day before third reading.
Third reading for Bill 109 was introduced by the Minister on the afternoon of Sept. 9th, with commentary on Sept. 11th.

Many petitions to the legislature have been presented from St. Mary's; Arnprior; Grey County; two from Kingston and the islands; Alfred; two from Prescott & Russell; Rockland; Vankleet Hill; three from Kingston and the islands (latest on 26 May); Bourget; the Book and Periodical Council; and another on Sept. 25th.

A number of library replies to the forthcoming legislation were made by library boards and organizations. The Ontario Public Library Association has requested specific changes. Toronto's Citizens for Local Democracy has provided a web site with information on Bill 109 and links to groups, such as CUPE, that are opposed to its passage as it stands at second reading. The Libraries Today response was also sent to the Legislative hearings in early April.

The Standing Committee on General Government held public hearings on Bill 109 commencing Monday, April 7th. Hearings were in Toronto (7th) [see Toronto Star, 8 April], London (8th) [see London Free Press, 9 April], Ottawa (9th), and Thunder Bay (10th). Few changes were made when the general government committee reviewed the bill on 15 May and reported to the legislature on 26 May. In September, Bill 109 was designated to be read under a time allocation motion limiting debate and was scheduled to come into law on 1 December or when it received royal assent (whichever came first). However, it was withdrawn on 7 November.

The text of the existing act, passed by the legislature in December 1984 after extensive discussion and review, is also available.

HOW DOES ONTARIO COMPARE? Recently, in 1994, British Columbia also revised its library legislation and improved provisions for free access to non-print formats, the composition of boards, etc. In Alberta library planning is moving toward an "Alberta Library," a provincial multi-type library system which shares resources among public, university, college, and school libraries. In February, New Brunswick's Bill 89 revised the 1973 provincial library act by including cd-roms, videos, and electronic resources as materials to be provided by a public library (defined as offering services "available without charge to residents of the Province.")

Some background reading on the evolution of representative and responsible features of Ontario's library boards between 1945-1985.

Current readings

"Ontario to pave way for fees at libraries," Toronto Star 19 October 1996, A3 [editorial].
Bruce DeMara, "$24 million in cuts will 'improve' library services, Minister predicts," Toronto Star 16 January 1997, A16.
Mary Land, "Ontario proposes overhaul of Libraries Act," Quill and Quire March 1997, 14.
Val Ross, "Budget cuts mark end of chapter in library history," Globe and Mail 1 March 1997, C2.
Judy Stoffman, "Libraries face money story's scary ending," Toronto Star 11 March 1997, D5.
Mary J. Moore, "Ont. government introduces legislation to amend Public Libraries Act," Feliciter 43, 2 (February 1997): 17-19.
Judy Stoffman, "Bill would two-tier libraries, province told," Toronto Star 8 April 1997, D4.
Hank Daniszewski, "Provincial Cuts: Board, council clash on libraries bill," London Free Press 9 April 1997.
"Tory attack on libraries," Toronto Star 13 May 1997, A18 [editorial].
Val Ross, "Rural libraries fear new legislation," Globe and Mail 24 May 1997, C2.
Mary J. Moore, "Bill 109 and Ontario--what does it mean?" Feliciter 43, 7/8 (July/August 1997): 65.
Greg Hayton, "The View from inside OLA [Bill 109 special report]," InsideOLA 35 (September 1997): 2.
"Bill 109, Bill 89 and a new regulation on fees reflect tone of Harris government," InsideOLA 35 (September 1997): 6.
Judy Stoffman, "Libraries escape funding cutback," Toronto Star 7 November 1997, A11.
Elizabeth Renzietti, "Librarians amazed as Ontario Tories withdraw Bill 109," Globe and Mail 13 November 1997, D5.

Academic work:
Lorne & Karen Bruce, Public Library Boards in Postwar Ontario, 1945-1985. Halifax: Dalhousie University School of Library and Information Studies, 1988.
Diane Mittermeyer, "The public-library boards of trustees versus the committees of city council," Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science 19, 1 (April 1994): 1-17.
Diane Mittermeyer, "Public libraries without autonomous boards," Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science 19, 2 (July 1994): 23-39.