Manitobans will have greater access to information with a $5.8-million investment in libraries, Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport Minister Eric Robinson announced, as the three-day Manitoba Libraries Conference kicked off.
“Public libraries have become valuable gateways to online information in their communities, providing free access to vital information, especially in rural and remote areas,” said Robinson. “Essential services and resources are increasingly available online. Public libraries provide a vital role in promoting equal access to information to all members of the community.”
Included in the $5.8-million investment:
• $5.4 million for operating and collection development costs for established and emerging library systems.
• $423,000 for technological innovations and support for enhanced co-operation between local library systems through the Manitoba Building Fund. This provides $100,000 for Winnipeg public libraries and $323,000 for 56 rural libraries to provide current technology, such as computers, e-books, relevant databases, high-speed Internet and software services to library clients.
“These measures reflect the province’s ongoing commitment to implement the recommendations of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities and Public Library Review report to provide more Manitobans with access to books and information,” added Robinson.
For library systems experiencing demand for multilingual resources, the province is investing $60,000 over three years to provide direct access to high-quality resources in multiple languages to support new Manitobans with economic and social integration through the Manitoba Opportunities Fund for Effective Multilingual Literatures. To date, libraries have purchased catalogued, shelf-ready material in Spanish, Chinese, German, Russian, Ukrainian and other languages to support client demand. Materials are available province-wide through inter-library loan.
Building on successful pilot library projects in First Nation communities, the province is supporting an emerging library system in the Norway House Cree Nation in partnership with the University College of the North.
