The Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel Report: CANADA’S LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND PUBLIC MEMORY NOVEMBER 2014 Guylaine Beaudry, Concordia University Judith Hare, Halifax Public Libraries Pam Bjornson, National Research Council Ernie Ingles, FRSC, University of Alberta Michael Carroll, American University, Washington College of Law Eric Ketelaar, University of Amsterdam Carol Couture, Université de Montréal Gerald McMaster, Philadelphia Patricia Demers, FRSC, University of Alberta (Chair) Ken Roberts, Hamilton Public Library Charlotte Gray, FRSC, Carleton University CAN.Library and Archives report cover.FINAL.indd 1 14-11-05 10:43 AM CANADA’S LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND PUBLIC MEMORY Prepared and submitted by Guylaine Beaudry, Concordia University Pam Bjornson, National Research Council Michael Carroll, American University, Washington College of Law Carol Couture, Université de Montréal Patricia Demers, FRSC, University of Alberta (Chair) Charlotte Gray, FRSC, Carleton University Judith Hare, Halifax Public Libraries Ernie Ingles, FRSC, University of Alberta Eric Ketelaar, University of Amsterdam Gerald McMaster, Philadelphia Ken Roberts, Hamilton Public Library CANADA’S LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND PUBLIC MEMORY NOVEMBER 2014 A Report of the Royal Society of Canada’s Expert Panel on the Status and Future of Canada’s Libraries and Archives Walter House 282 Somerset St. West Ottawa, ON K2P 0J6, Canada (613) 991-6990 • www.rsc-src.ca ISBN: 978-1-928140-01-6 RSC: EPR 14-2 The report should be cited as follows: Demers, Patricia (chair), Guylaine Beaudry, Pamela Bjornson, Michael Carroll, Carol Couture, Charlotte Gray, Judith Hare, Ernie Ingles, Eric Ketelaar, Gerald McMaster, Ken Roberts. (2014). Expert Panel Report on The Future Now: Canada’s Libraries, Archives, and Public Memory. Royal Society of Canada, Ottawa, ON. ISBN: 978-1-928140- 01-6 The opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Society of Canada. Cover images Title spread: (left to right, top to bottom): Images 1, 2, 4, 5 Public domain Public domain Image 3 Sam Steele Collection Exterior Bruce Peel Special Bilbliothèque Collections Library, Memphrémagog University of Alberta Québec (Stéphane Lemire) Exterior, 2014 Halifax Public Library Halifax, Nova Scotia Interior, 2014 Halifax Public Library Halifax, Nova Scotia Louis Riel materials Bruce Peel Special Collections Library, University of Alberta Grey Nuns Reading Room, Concordia University Grande Bibliothèque Montréal, Québec (Bernard Fougères) Bibliothèque Paul-Mercier Blainville, Québec (Menkès, Sooner, Dagenais, LeTourneux, architects) Public domain Preface ibraries and archives are Canada’s collective public memory. They represent a cherished repository of how, and why, we have become the Canada and LCanadians we are today. However, the world is changing. The digital revolution that has transformed so many industries and sectors in recent years, is also transforming libraries and archives. This raises many questions, including: What is the status and role for Canada’s libraries and archives in the 21st century? How should they embrace these new technologies and what should be done with their physical assets in this new, digital age? What expectations do the Canadians of today, including our rapidly growing aboriginal and immigrant populations, have for these repositories of knowledge and insight? And perhaps of most importance, what changes are needed in the resources, structures and competences in our libraries and archives to ensure that they continue to serve the ‘public good’ well into the future? These questions led the Royal Society of Canada to commission, in 2013, this Expert Panel report on the Status and Future of Libraries and Archives. The Expert Panel process is a key part of the mission of the Royal Society to “…advance knowledge, encourage integrated interdisciplinary understandings and address issues that are critical to Canadians”. Royal Society Expert Panels provide independent, timely and authoritative insights and advice to Canadian governments, industry, non-governmental organizations, and citizens regarding subject areas that are in the public interest and that would benefit from a critical assessment of existing knowledge from a range of disciplinary and sectorial perspectives. The Royal Society has commissioned many Expert panels over the past 20 years, but this is the first report to have its disciplinary ‘roots’ deep into Academy I (the Academy of the Arts and Humanities). Special appreciation goes to Len Findlay, FRSC and Geoff Flynn, FRSC for their persistence in getting this initiative off the ground, and to the University of Alberta for providing some critical logistical and financial support when we needed it most. We wish to thank the Panel Chair, Patricia Demers, FRSC, former President of the RSC, and her fellow panelists for volunteering their time and expertise to prepare this report. This represents a huge amount of work, but their passion for the topic can be seen in the report they have prepared. We also want to thank the Peer Review Monitor and Peer Reviewers who provided extensive comments, criticisms and suggestions on the first draft of the report. The changes in the report generated by that feedback have greatly improved the quality and value of the document. Finally, a special thank you to the members of the Royal Society’s Committee on Expert Panels, the Oversight Committee that was set up to advise on the administration of this initiative, and the dedicated Royal Society staff that worked with this Expert Panel. Graham Bell, PhD, FRSC President, Royal Society of Canada David B Layzell, PhD, FRSC Chair, Committee on Expert Panels Contents 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4 LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 16 1. VALUES 17 Preamble 22 Collective Civic Responsibility 25 Implementing Public Value 28 Transforming Lives 33 The Fact that They Exist 38 2. INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS 14 A. Library and Archives Canada 52 B. Library and Archival Associations 59 C. Library Consortia 65 D. The Canadian Archival System 70 E. Libraries and Archives Collaborating for Canada’s Documentary Heritage 85 F. Archives and Communities 93 G. Academic Libraries i. Analogue Cultural Patrimony ii. Strategies for Building Digital Spaces 116 H. Public Libraries Community Connections i. Divide Between Services offered by Canada’s Urban and Rural Public Libraries ii. Service to Underserved Canadians iii. InterLibrary Loan and Cooperation 139 I. Federal Libraries 153 J. School Libraries and Learning Commons 162 K. Cultural Spaces and Voice 166 L. Education of Librarians and Archivists and Professional Development 173 M. Copyright and Canadian Libraries and Archives in the Digital Environment 182 N. Libraries, Open Access, and Open Educational Resources 186 RECOMMENDATIONS 207 APPENDIX A 209 APPENDIX B 211 WORKS CITED Acknowledgements t is a genuine pleasure to acknowledge our indebtedness to the individuals who have advanced our work. We thank the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) Ifor striking a Panel on this critically important topic. The Provost at the University of Alberta, Carl Amrhein, has provided exceptionally generous support for our travel, meetings, and research assistance. He agreed from the outset that our consultations with Canadians were vital for the project. At each of these consultations the willing offers to arrange and advertise meetings underscored for us Canadians’ keen interest in libraries and archives. In Yellowknife Territorial Librarian Alison Hopkins, Aurora College Librarian Alexandra Hook, archivists Ian Moir and Richard Valpy at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, and Manager of the Yellowknife Public Library Deborah Bruser ensured a series of memorable conversations in the Northwest Territories. In Burnaby and Vancouver, colleagues Carole Gerson and Vice-President Research Mario Pinto at Simon Fraser University and Mark Vessey, Principal of Green College, at the University of British Columbia promoted our consultations with students and faculty, while Chief Librarian of the Vancouver Public Library, Sandra Singh, arranged for our meeting with the British Columbia Public Library Directors and a Saturday open session at the Vancouver Public Library. The Vice-President Research at the University of Ottawa, Mona Nemer, facilitated our series of meetings with the executives of organizations and institutions headquartered in the capital by providing a campus boardroom. University Librarian at the University of Manitoba, Karen Adams, and Shelley Sweeney, Head of the University’s Archives and Special Collections, arranged for a video-taping of our consultation on campus with faculty and students from institutions across Winnipeg. Manager of Library Services for the Winnipeg Public Library, Rick Walker, allowed us to meet with librarians and 1 users at the Saint Boniface Public Library and with delegates at the meeting of the Manitoba Public Library Advisory Board. At l’Université de Montréal, the support and assistance of Recteur Guy Breton and Sécretaire administrative Martine Gemme provided a wonderful venue, making our consultation with students, academics, and members of the public an energized, enlightening event. Clive Maishment, CEO of The Alberta Library, and Stacey Bissell, Librarian with the Alberta Public Library Electronic Network, arranged for our series of meetings during the Netspeed Conference in Calgary. University of Alberta Chief Librarian Gerald Beasley co-hosted our consultation