Forwarding unfortunate news. (from Angie)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Canadian Federal Library Closures
Date: Wed, 2 May 2012 17:46:04 -0400
From: Carla Graebner <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Discussion of Government Document Issues <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]

Dear Colleagues,

I haven't seen anything posted on this yet and so wanted to let you know
that a majority of Canadian Federal libraries are closing or have been
closed as a result of the recent Canadian Federal Budget.

Over the past few years libraries such as the Department of Foreign Affairs
and International Trade and Health Canada reduced services and collections.
  In December 2011, the Human Resources and Development Canada Library
received notice that it would close by March of this year. The following
libraries have recently received closure notices or will be significantly
reduced: Agriculture Canada, Environment Canada, Citizenship and Immigration
Canada, Industry Canada, the National Capital Commission, National Defence,
Public Works and Government Services, the Public Service Commission, and
Transport Canada.

Statistics Canada will lose approximately 2300 positions across the
department which will affect the way it collects and releases statistics.

Library and Archives Canada (LAC)--our national library--will lose
approximately 500 positions and cease to provide document delivery services
as of February, 2013. Other services will be eliminated or curtailed.
Further, LAC has decided "Using the "whole of society" approach, LAC will be
reviewing its holdings to determine what is relevant and what is either
surplus, duplicated, or best placed elsewhere" and that it no longer holds
the monopoly on Canadian Heritage: http://tinyurl.com/77k57ae

Additional information is available via Canadian news agencies like the CBC
[http://tinyurl.com/cucz7h6] and the Canadian Association of University
Teachers (CAUT): http://www.savelibraryarchives.ca/default.aspx. For a
personalized view of the changes to LAC, see
http://reviewcanada.ca/essays/2011/01/01/national-archives-blues/

These closures will effect everyone from government researchers to
genealogists to academic researchers to members of the public.

I am mindful that a concerted effort of librarians and researchers helped
re-instate the EPA libraries several years ago. I hope we can do the
same here.

Carla

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Carla Graebner
Government Information Librarian
W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 Canada
Email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: 778.782.6881
Fax: 778.782.6926