MANAGEMENT REPORT

Date: June 12, 2019 Author: Kay Cahill, Director, Collections & Technology Phone No.: 604.331.4004 VanDocs#: DOC/2019/080270 Meeting Date: June 26, 2019

TO: Library Board FROM: Kay Cahill, Director, Collections & Technology SUBJECT: InterLINK Grant Annual Report for 2018

SUMMARY

This report provides the 2017/2018 InterLINK grant report, which is provided annually for the InterLINK Administrators Advisory Group to support the $100,000 grant from InterLINK to VPL.

PURPOSE

This report is for information.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Board receive this report for information.

POLICY

There is no applicable VPL policy.

BACKGROUND

Public Library InterLINK is a co-operative federation of eighteen autonomous public libraries, including Vancouver Public Library, which operates as a Library Federation according to the Library Act of British Columbia (1994) Section 49 and is governed by a library board constituted in accordance with that act.

DOC/2019/080270 Page 1 of 2 In 2001, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between Public Library InterLINK and Vancouver Public Library acknowledging its role as a public library resource for the InterLINK service area. The terms of agreement state that Public Library InterLINK will provide an annual grant of $100,000 to Vancouver Public Library. This recognized VPL’s demonstrated capacity and function as the foremost public library resource in the InterLINK service area, the use of the Central Library for information and reference service by non-Vancouver InterLINK residents, and our extensive collection of databases and collections with regional interest.

In 2010, the InterLINK Board requested information from the Vancouver Public Library that would demonstrate that the $100,000 annual grant to VPL was still warranted. VPL committed to annually surveying Central Library patrons at the same time as the provincial Typical Week Survey in order to provide an annual report to InterLINK on use by InterLINK residents. That same year, two member Library Boards requested further information regarding the unique collections held by VPL that would justify its position as a regional research hub. This information was reported annually for the InterLINK Board’s information and consideration until 2017.

DISCUSSION

In 2018, VPL missed submitting the annual report. In 2019, the InterLINK Board requested reconsideration of the grant given the changes that have occurred among the region’s libraries. The attached 2019 report focus on VPL’s collections and resources in more detail, rather than the use of reference services by InterLINK residents.

The attached InterLINK Grant report summarizes the unique collections offered by VPL that provide value over and above the collections provided by most InterLINK patrons’ home libraries. These collections are primarily offered at the Central Library, and also include online resources that are available for InterLINK patrons to use both from home and at VPL locations. One of the unique aspects of these collections is the content they contain relating to British Columbia history and culture. The report emphasizes that VPL provides a depth of information about the province which is unmatched by any other public library.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

InterLINK provides an annual grant of $100,000 in recognition of VPL’s role as a regional resource. This grant is part of VPL’s operating budget.

DOC/2019/080270 Page 2 of 2

TO: InterLINK Administrators Advisory Group FROM: Christina de Castell, Chief Librarian, Vancouver Public Library DATE: May 6, 2019 SUBJECT: InterLINK VPL Grant

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The InterLINK Reference Grant report summarizes the unique collections offered by Vancouver Public Library (VPL) that provide value over and above the collections provided by InterLINK patrons’ home libraries. These collections are primarily offered at VPL’s Central Library, and also include online resources that are available for InterLINK patrons to use both from home and at VPL locations. One of the most notable aspects of these collections is their focus on content relating to British Columbia history and culture, providing a depth of information about the province which is unmatched by any other public library.

VPL’s 2019 collections budget is $4,892,140. In 2018, VPL purchased over 8,000 copies of 1,400 titles published in British Columbia, at a cost of over $180,000, and provided original cataloguing to create over 1,700 records for Canadian content that are freely available to other libraries.

The unique collections that InterLINK patrons are able to access through VPL include:

 Historical records and resources, with extensive primary records relating to British Columbia back to the early 1900s  Genealogy and census data for British Columbia and Canada dating back to the 1600s  A reference periodical collection with back holdings of over 1,000 unique titles  Topographic, hydrographic and bathymetric maps covering BC and other parts of Canada  Subscription databases with a combined annual cost of $250,000 which are not available through other InterLINK libraries  Deep, specialized subject collections in law, business, career planning, fine arts, and music  An expanded Indigenous collection built on a collection profile developed in consultation with local First Nations and urban Indigenous community representatives  300+ musical instruments to borrow  Content by local self-published authors from Vancouver and the Lower Mainland

BACKGROUND In the spring of 2010, InterLINK requested information from the Vancouver Public Library that would demonstrate that the $100,000 annual grant to VPL was still warranted. VPL committed

Page 1 of 8 to providing an annual report for InterLINK, and produced such a report for each year from 2010 through 2014, and 2016. This report updates the 2016 report for 2018 and presents an overview of the unique collections and services that VPL provides to InterLINK member library residents through its role as a regional library hub.

British Columbia Purchasing and Cataloging VPL strives to balance the demand for popular and recreational material with the responsibility to build appropriately comprehensive collections to meet the varied information needs of users across BC. VPL’s Collective Development Policy identifies this responsibility: “We actively collect Canadian authors and subjects and build comprehensive collections on British Columbia and Vancouver history and culture. The Central Library maintains collections to meet a wide range of needs, and acts as a support resource for branches across the system, as well as being available as a provincial resource.” Among Canadian public libraries, VPL has one of the highest rates of per capita spending on collections at $7.91 in 2018.

VPL places particular emphasis on developing deep collections of material on British Columbia, and titles by British Columbian authors, and on retaining these collections for historical research. In 2018, VPL purchased over 8,000 copies of 1,400 titles published in British Columbia at a cost of over $180,000, and VPL holds many specialized collections of historical content and primary records relating to the province which are described in more detail below. VPL is the only InterLINK library to take this comprehensive approach to collecting and retaining materials in areas relating to provincial history and culture.

Additionally, VPL carries out original cataloguing for content from British Columbia and Canada. In 2018, VPL provided over 1,700 new records for Canadian content to OCLC that can be used by other libraries, and are freely available as MARC records on the VPL website for re-use. VPL maintains an internal team of librarians who provide this original cataloguing freely available to every library and library service provider, with a combined annual salary cost to VPL of over $200,000.

VPL’s branch libraries maintain current popular collections similar to those at other Interlink libraries. In comparison, VPL’s Central Library collects and preserves materials of local, regional, provincial and Canadian interest. Individual subject collections include basic as well as specialized published and limited archival materials, supporting both recreational and research uses. The unique collections to which InterLINK patrons have access through VPL and the Central Library are described below:

Historical Resources and Special Collections The materials contained in VPL’s Special Collections have an appraised value of $10.9 million. VPL’s unique historical resources include:

 British Columbia Sessional Papers British Columbia Reports 1900-1948, which are excellent sources of social history as well as case law;

Page 2 of 8  regional district, hospital district and municipal annual reports and financial statements from throughout the province, many dating back to the 1940s;  provincial government departmental annual reports; electoral registers for federal and provincial ridings in BC;  the Northwest History Index (card file) and its successor, the British Columbia Index (database) which provide deep indexing to articles from journals, magazines and newspapers, chapters and specific pages in books, and uncatalogued pamphlets and ephemeral materials dealing with local history throughout BC;  fire insurance maps; historical maps of the Pacific Coast and British Columbia;  the Historical Photographs Collection containing more than 250,000 images from BC and the Yukon;  the Northwest History Collection of rare, unique and historically valuable books, periodicals, and pamphlets pertaining to BC and the northwest coast;  the Reference Canadiana and children’s Reference Canadiana collections, which include examples of early Canadian literary publishing and Canadian children’s books;  the Marion Thompson Collection of Children’s Books, representing publishing and illustrating for children and including works from 1728 through to the 1950s; and  the Canadiana microfiche collection which makes available hundreds of books published before 1900 focusing on Canada’s Indigenous peoples.

Many of these resources are found in our Special Collections Reading Room on Level 7 of the Central Library. The Northwest History Collection is housed in a climate controlled vault designed to preserve the collection for future generations. The mandate of Special Collections is twofold: encouraging and facilitating access to the collection, while at the same time conserving and preserving the material in line with best practices.

As part of this mandate, VPL is digitizing various parts of our collection, including historical photographs (more than 38,000 are currently digitized); the BC City Directories, 1860-1955 and an early BC newspaper: The BC Saturday Sunset, 1907-1915. Digitizing allows us to share our rich historical resources across the province without the need for users to travel to the Central Library.

Genealogy and Census Records VPL offers an extensive collection of resources of interest to family history researchers, with a strong focus on Canadian content. Primary sources in both print and microfilm include:

 Canadian census records dating from 1666 to 1916 and census statistical reports from 1871 to the most recent census; publicly released BC birth, death and marriage registrations;  ships’ passenger lists for Vancouver and Victoria;  the General Register of Chinese Canadian Immigration (a vital source of information for those descendants of individuals who had to pay the notorious Head Tax),

Page 3 of 8  cemetery records from communities around British Columbia; early BC coroners’ Records; indexes to probated British Columbia wills; and  Canadian border entry Lists for BC and the Yukon from 1908 to 1918.

Census data is particularly vital for historical research, tracking population trends, and business research.

InterLINK cardholders also have access to the vast genealogical holdings of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, through an affiliate library agreement with VPL. In 2017, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) launched a public service point at the Central Library. Services offered by LAC include orientation services, reference appointments with LAC staff, a digital kiosk with access to LAC’s website and databases, and programs offered in collaboration with VPL staff.

Maps VPL’s considerable historical map collection includes topographical maps from across Canada with very extensive holdings for British Columbia at the 1:50,000 and 1:20,000 scales; hydrographic charts for the Pacific coast of Canada; bathymetric charts for BC (comprehensive) and other parts of Canada; trail and park maps from across the province; and catalogued maps with a particular emphasis on British Columbia covering many subjects such as land use, economic activity, Indigenous communities, electoral boundaries, historical events, geology, and transportation.

Newspapers, Magazines and Journals VPL’s 2019 periodicals budget is $279,800.

The Central Library offers more than 50 newspapers in print from Vancouver, BC, Canada and around the world, as well as an extensive collection of microfilmed newspapers. In addition to complete microfilmed editions of The Province (1894- ), The Vancouver Sun (1912- ) and the Victoria Times-Colonist (1858- ), VPL offers access to microfilmed runs of many historical BC papers dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Holdings include:

 selective runs of the North Shore Press (1913 – 1933, North Vancouver),  the British Columbian (1861 – 1869 and 1882 – 1942, New Westminster), the Mainland Guardian (1870 – 1889, New Westminster),  Outside Interlink: Hope News/West Yale Review (1910 – 1916, Hope), Nanaimo Free Press (1874 – 1931, Nanaimo), Cariboo Sentinel (1865 – 1875, Barkerville), Inland Sentinel (1880 – 1916, Kamloops) and the Bella Coola Courier (1912 – 1917, Bella Coola).

Current issues of more than 100 popular magazines and journals are available to borrow for adults, teens and children, in several languages. The Central Library Reference periodicals collection has almost 1,000 current titles, back issues of most of which are retained for research purposes. The collection is especially strong in the following areas:

 Trades, industries and professions (70 titles)

Page 4 of 8  Sport (70 titles)  Religion and cultural groups (42 titles)  Politics and international relations (40 titles)  Environment (29 titles)  Municipal issues, urban life and city planning (23 titles)  Library science, museums and galleries (23 titles)  Book reviewing and book industry (15 titles)  Investing and real estate (15 titles)

Database Collection VPL’s annual database budget for 2019 is $800,000.

VPL provides from-home access to InterLINK patrons to six databases that are not available through other InterLINK libraries, with a combined annual subscription cost of $100,000. An additional sixteen databases that are unique to VPL are available for InterLINK patrons to access at VPL locations, with a combined annual subscription cost of $150,000.

VPL provides access to over 60 subscription databases in total. The database collection is the most extensive in the province and includes specialized and costly resources that are not available through other public libraries.

Available for InterLINK patrons at home Available for InterLINK patrons at VPL locations (not available at other InterLINK libraries) Books 24 x 7 (business and technology) Academic Search Ultimate (journal articles) Encyclopedia Britannica Online + For Kids Art Index Retrospective FP Advisor (financial information) Books in Print Gold Book (consumer information) Business Source Ultimate (journal articles) Maclean’s Magazine Archive CBCA (Canadian Business and Current Affairs) Medici TV (streaming music video) Globe & Mail Historical Reader’s Guide Retrospective (literary information) Ulrich’s Periodical Index Value Line (consumer information) CARD Online (advertising) City of Vancouver Plumbing/Building Bylaws Martin’s Criminal Code RxTX (pharmaceutical information) SRDS Consumer Media (advertising) Advertising Source Annual subscription value: $98,350 Annual subscription value: $150,335

Page 5 of 8 VPL staff have also created several unique databases including the BC City Directories, which contain detailed historical information about BC communities including name and street listings, population figures, government listings, operating newspapers, schools and libraries; the Vancouver Building Register which contains information on buildings in Vancouver, including designated heritage locations; and the Historical Photograph Collections, which contains over 38,000 digitized images of BC and the Yukon. These are all available to InterLINK patrons from home.

Laws, Legislation, and Historical Government Documents This print collection includes current and historical statutes and regulations for BC and Canada; City of Vancouver Bylaws; national, provincial and municipal building, plumbing, fire and electrical codes, as well as a complete historical collection of federal Sessional Papers; provincial and federal Hansard Debates; Journals of the Senate, House of Commons and BC Legislature; provincial and federal Gazettes; historical Vancouver City Council minutes; and City of Vancouver planning reports and documents. These sources offer a wealth of historical information including early election results, the texts of Royal Commission reports, minutes and verbatim transcripts of legislative proceedings, municipal incorporation documents including letters patent, and statistical data.

Business, Job & Career Resources VPL maintains the largest public collection of business material in the province, covering a broad spectrum of business subjects including materials focusing on the start-up and successful operation of small businesses, business planning, industry and marketing reports, market research, current and historical information on Canadian and international companies, international trade, import/ export, current and historical trade directories, BC business history, and BC and Canadian industry and labour statistics.

VPL also provides an extensive collection of materials offering vocational guidance, information on educational requirements for specific occupations, job & career forecasts, and salary estimates along with other materials supporting job seekers and those working through career change. Staff have developed more than 200 specialized guides covering careers, industry profiles, and workplace culture to support the work of the Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre. These guides are available in print at the Central Library and on the website at https://pwp.vpl.ca/siic/.

Fine Arts and Music Artists, actors and musicians both amateur and professional, students, collectors and the general public use these large collections. Strengths of the collections include: large retrospective and contemporary book collections of the works of visual artists, designers, and architects; sources for identifying and valuing collectibles of various types; indexing, documentation and exhibition catalogues on Canadian artists; research files on local art galleries; an extensive collection of popular and classical musical scores; music parts and folders for instrumental ensembles; and extensive collections in the areas of fine and performing arts. Extensive documentation files are available on visual artists who have lived or worked in British Columbia. These files contain Page 6 of 8 indexing, news articles, gallery mailings, exhibition catalogues and miscellaneous pamphlet material. Our collection supplements materials maintained by the Vancouver Art Gallery library.

Staff maintain an e-mail subscription service providing details of upcoming auditions for theatrical productions around the Lower Mainland. Participants are able to draw on VPL’s extensive collection of play scripts to prepare for their auditions. Information on this service is available via the VPL website: http://www.vpl.ca/digital-library/auditions-productions

Indigenous Collection In 2018, in response to the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action, VPL developed a new collection profile for Indigenous content and expanded its Indigenous collections into all branch locations. The new collection profile was developed in consultation with Indigenous community members and organizations in Vancouver, and ensures that the expanded collections acknowledge and honour the unique culture and experiences of Indigenous communities, including individuals living in an urban setting, and includes titles that reflect the impact of residential schools and the theme of reconciliation. The collections include content for all ages and are highlighted with signage and prominent locations in all VPL branches.

The 2018 expansion saw 6,700 copies of 730 titles added to the collection, an investment totalling $100,000. The collection overall comprises 12,000 items.

Indie Authors Collection The Vancouver Indie Authors Collection was created in 2017 to highlight local self-published writers. Its goal is promote local books that might not be available through traditional channels, both to increase exposure for local writers and to increase the selection for readers. The collection is open to authors from, or work about, Vancouver as well as members of the Musqueam, Squamish, or Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Submissions from authors who live in any Metro Vancouver municipality are also considered, and 30% of the current content is from authors who reside outside of Vancouver but within the InterLINK area. The collection is available online, at the Central library and two branches, and consists of over 300 titles in eight languages. There are graphic novels, works of history, philosophy and social criticism, language instruction, children’s books, and a broad range of genre fiction. VPL has also been responsible for the original cataloguing of around 60% of the collection, sharing the records via OCLC and vpl.ca so that other libraries can make use of them.

To date, VPL has invested approximately $30,000 in purchasing content (print and digital) from self-published local authors for the Indie collection.

Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library The Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library is a collection of over 300 instruments, available for InterLINK patrons to borrow from the Central Library. The collection contains a variety of stringed instruments such as acoustic guitars (nylon-stringed and steel-stringed in various sizes), acoustic bass guitars, violins (various sizes), ukuleles (various sizes), mandolins,

Page 7 of 8 and banjos; small hand instruments such as tambourines & kalimbas; digital keyboards & pianos; as well as a selection of drums such as bongos, cajons, doumbeks, djembes, frame and steel tongue drums. There are also electric guitars with amplifiers. VPL has produced a series of information guides to support patrons wishing to learn how to play instruments from this collection. The guides highlight related books and resources on playing the instrument, as well as online tutorials and useful websites.

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