News

Amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act in Bill C-15 (the Budget Implementation Bill)

This Friday, the Canadian Parliament will hear the second reading of Bill C-15, which includes a proposal to amend the Canada Post Corporations Act and repeal Canada Post’s Library Book Rate and the Free Materials for the Blind clause. This loss would have catastrophic impacts on library services in our region, and across Canada.

The Free Materials for the Blind service is currently protected, and allows eligible individuals to receive accessible materials by mail at no cost, while the Library Book Rate allows for reduced postage for library materials.

The proposed repeal of Section 19 (1)(g)(i) was included in Bill C-15 without the government mentioning their intent to do so in the budget delivered by the Federal Minister of Finance on November 4, 2025; nor was there consultation with libraries or organizations that provide library services for Canadians with print disabilities.

Without the Library Book Rate, library systems will not be able to share material between libraries, and patrons in rural areas will be limited to whatever materials are housed in libraries within driving distance. Many of our Atlantic Canadian Library systems use Canada Post to ship materials across their provinces, a service that greatly benefits rural and urban populations. In addition, organizations who support people with print disabilities across Canada, like CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Services) and NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service), will not be able to continue mailing accessible formats like braille and audiobooks to library patrons. This will have a negative impact on library systems across our region, and on literacy Canada-wide. We are encouraging people to write their MPs about this and let them know how important your local library service is to your community.

As Parliament continues its study of Bill C-15 at Second Reading, it is incumbent upon organizations impacted by this change to raise their objections to the Minister responsible for Canada Post, the Hon. Joël Lightbound, and to seek an opportunity to appear before the House and Senate Committees that will be charged with reviewing the legislation.

If opposition to the repeal is not voiced, Parliament will assume that there are no concerns with the proposed changes.
Time is of the essence, as the House of Commons is seeking to complete its Second Reading debate of Bill C-15 and refer the legislation to Committee before the House rises for the winter break on Friday, December 12, 2025.

The Senate has begun a pre-study of the legislation and the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications has been charged with reviewing sections of Bill C-15 impacting the Canada Post Corporations Act. To date, it is has not heard from any witnesses affected by the proposed repeal of Section 19 (1) (g)(i).

We would expect the government to seek to have Bill C-15 pass all stages of review in the House of Commons and the Senate by early February 2026.

This leaves little time for Parliament to consider amendments to the legislation, including the reversal of the proposed repeal of Section 19 (1) (g)(i) of the Canada Post Corporations Act from Bill C-15.

A coalition of organizations, including APLA, has prepared a letter to federal elected officials urging them to remove this clause from Bill C-15.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

APLA regrets to report the death of Richard Ellis, Librarian Emeritus, Memorial University.

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It is with sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Richard Harold (“Dick”) Ellis on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. Much loved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and grandpa.

Born July 11, 1942, in Salem, Oregon, the eldest son of J. Harold and Marion (Driggs) Ellis. Predeceased by his parents.

Leaving to mourn the absence of his expositions on a variety of topics, his loving wife and partner for 51 years, June; his son, Sean (Alicia); daughter, Anneliese (Jenn Ghaney); granddaughter, Ryen Beckett (Travis); grandsons: Seamus and Arlo Reardon and his sister, Margaret Ivey (Frank), as well as a large circle of family, friends, and colleagues.

From UCSF, Seattle University, to Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1971, Dick brought his engaging and curious personality to the province, where he worked in Memorial University’s libraries for 37 years. For his 25 years as University Librarian, his approach to librarianship, his interest in change, and his commitment to open dialogue placed Memorial on the map as one of the more progressive library management systems in Canada. He viewed the QEII as a pillar of the community and snowshoed through blizzards to open it on more than one occasion.

Throughout his career, he received awards from a variety of library associations (CLA, APLA, CARL) but was most pleased to receive the Librarian Emeritus distinction in 2009 from Memorial University. This was a reminder of his love for the province, its history, its adventure, its invaluable educational institutions and the colleagues within. On campus, he was known for his humour, calm approach and interest in all elements of the university.

At home, he was found reading, tinkering with the ’72 Triumph, and later the ’85 VW Westfalia, in which he and June shared many camping adventures around Newfoundland. He enjoyed a good family game, the general contentment of others, and oration over a nice glass of wine. Never one to forget a fact or detail, his retelling of stories often became as long and wonderous as the events themselves.

The family would like to thank the St. Clare’s Hospital, the Dr. L.A. Miller Centre, and the teams who helped him live many comfortable days looking out at June’s garden. He would also have liked to thank Angel, Comfort Home Care, and Drs. Lee and Johnston for their exceptional care and compassion over the course of their time together.

Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held at Barrett’s Funeral Home, 328 Hamilton Avenue on Sunday, December 7th from 2pm-4pm and 7pm-9 pm. A private family service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, Dick would love for you to purchase a new book for yourself or your children to enjoy. Donations in Dick’s memory may also be made to Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries.

Barrett’s Funeral Home

The head of a regional library service in western Nova Scotia says that without increased funding from the province and municipalities, branches will have to reduce operating hours and services, and even cut staff or close some locations.

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library considers the situation so grim that it is placing posters in its 11 branches asking people to contact their MLA and municipalities and “share [their] story about why the library matters to you.”

“The library board is very aware of the time-sensitive nature of making these [funding] decisions,” said Julia Merritt, the CEO of the regional library that serves West Hants, Kings and Annapolis counties.

“We want to make sure that people have enough time, enough notice to be able to have this conversation with their elected officials should they wish to.”

For Temma Frecker and her children Nico, 9, and Teo, 12, potential cuts could have a big impact on their lives. The New Minas family goes to the library at least once a week, and the kids quickly go through comic books and graphic novels that they take home.

“There’s no way that I could afford to keep my kids in books, the quantity that they read,” said Frecker, speaking about the importance of the library system. “It’s something that we rely on so much.”

Earlier this year, the Council of Regional Libraries, which represents all nine regional libraries, asked for $1.6 million in emergency funding from the province to stabilize the public library system.

The province provided a top-up of $800,000 for the 2024-25 fiscal year and another $800,000 for the current fiscal year.

The libraries have also asked for a change in the funding formula, saying the current system was designed before 2020 and doesn’t take into account inflation that followed the pandemic and the uptake in use in recent years.

Libraries get 71 per cent of their funding from the province, 26 per cent from municipalities and need to fundraise the remaining three per cent. The exception is libraries within Halifax Regional Municipality, which are primarily funded by the municipality.

The Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library posted information on its website to explain to library users what could change in 2026 if it does not get “sustainable funding from the province.”

Eric Stackhouse, the chief librarian for Pictou-Antigonish, says he wants the public to know ahead of time before their resources change.

“I don’t know where people will go” if libraries start cutting programs or reducing hours, he said.

Ashley Nunn-Smith, the head of the Council of Regional Libraries, said with the provincial deficit forecasted to hit $1.2 billion, she’s aware libraries may face a challenge getting the funding they need.

Still, she hopes the province will hear them.

“There was no significant additional investment when economic times were good,” she said. “Now that times are tough and the province is facing a large deficit, decades of underinvestment have really left libraries unable to weather the storm.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage said in a statement that it values the role libraries play in communities and it acknowledges their financial challenges.

“We’re still early in the provincial budgeting process, and the financial situation remains challenging. Libraries’ requests and concerns have been received and will be considered as government prepares next year’s budget,” the department said.

The department could not accommodate an interview with CBC News.

As for Frecker’s children, the two boys are helping in whatever way they can. Over the weekend, they did a bottle drive through their neighbourhood to raise money for the libraries.

They both said they’d be disappointed if the libraries they go to in Kentville and Port Williams had to change how they operate.

“I’d be sad,” said 12-year-old Teo. “Not only because they had to cut down their staff, but also because that would mean that the situation is so dire that they just can’t keep up the people that they have.”

Source: CBC Nova Scotia

The ABC Copyright group is a grassroots organization made up of individuals involved in the day-to-day aspects of copyright and its implication for their respective organizations.

The Program Committee for ABC 2026 invites submissions for presentations addressing any aspect of the intersection of copyright and users’ rights. Sites of intersection might be the realms of education, research, innovation, and creative endeavor, just to name a few. Characters in these endeavors might include creators, copyright owners, users, or stewards of public information and our collective history. We encourage submissions of any form; i.e., seminar style, lightning talks, interactive activities with the audience, etc.

The Committee has refrained from emphasizing a theme and looks forward to receiving a variety of content, perspective, and analysis. Please submit your proposal here.

Deadline is Monday, December 15, 2025.

For further information about the conference, please visit the website.

If you have any questions or comments about the ABC Copyright Conference 2026, please contact Eva Revitt at RevittE@macewan.ca

Call for Proposals: Ungrading in Credit-Bearing Library Instruction: Alternative Assessment Practices

About the Book

Ungrading in Credit-Bearing Library Instruction: Alternative Assessment Practices invites readers to rethink traditional grading and adopt strategies that prioritize reflection, feedback, and student agency. This book will be published through the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association.

Editors will write an introduction exploring the role of librarians as educators, the limits of conventional grading, approaches such as contract, specifications, and standards-based grading, and ungrading’s alignment with critical information literacy and equity. They will also provide a conclusion synthesizing key themes, envisioning the future of ungrading in library instruction, and offering a quick-start guide for educators ready to experiment with these transformative practices.

Contributed Chapters

Core chapters feature case studies of real-world applications, from minimalist integrations within traditional systems to comprehensive ungrading models. Contributors will share practical strategies, examples, and candid reflections on challenges and lessons learned. This section could also include essays on theoretical approaches to alternative assessments.

Call for Proposals

We seek case study chapters that explore ungrading and alternative assessment approaches used in credit-bearing library instruction, whether integrated within traditional grading structures or used as the dominant approach. Chapters should share practical strategies and examples of ungrading or alternative grading methods, such as contract, specifications, or standards-based grading. We are also interested in reflections on challenges, considerations, and lessons learned during implementation, as well as discussions that connect assessment practices to pedagogical values like empowerment, exploration, and lifelong learning. While most chapters will explore courses in which the librarian is the primary instructor, we also invite chapters that explore librarian partnerships with disciplinary instructors who use alternative assessment approaches.

Submission Guidelines

Use this proposal submission form to submit a proposal. The form will require:

• Author name(s), job title(s), email(s), and institutional affiliation(s)
• A working chapter title
• An abstract of approximately 300–500 words outlining your chapter focus and approach
• A current CV or list of publications

Proposal due date: January 31, 2026, 11:59 pm ET.

Chapter Guidelines

Tentative Chapter Length: 3,000-6,000 words

Tentative Timeline:

• Proposal due date: January 31, 2026
• Proposal notification date: March 1, 2026
• First draft due date: May 31, 2026
• Final draft due date: August 30, 2026

Accepted authors will receive detailed chapter guidelines and timelines.

Contact Information

Join us in shaping the first book dedicated to ungrading in library education and help inspire a shift toward learner-centered assessment practices.

For questions and inquiries, email: ungradingbook@gmail.com

• Megan Benson, Assistant Head of Instruction and Outreach, Binghamton University
• Andrea Brooks, Associate Professor, Head of Education & Outreach Services, Northern Kentucky University
• Robyn Hartman, Associate Professor, Information Literacy Librarian, Fort Hays State University
• Lindsay McNiff, Learning and Instruction Librarian, Dalhousie University

 

There’s a new library serving the Advocate Harbour, N.S., area less than a year after the previous branch was demolished due to safety concerns.

Carly Cleveland of the Advocate District Development Association said the condition of the local community centre had deteriorated. The Cumberland Public Libraries branch was in the basement.

“Ultimately it came down to a determination that the building was, in fact, not safe for community occupancy,” Cleveland said.

Demolition began in May. “So, that was a really kind of dark time in our community.”

Cleveland said the development association’s first priority was to return library services to the community, located more than 90 kilometres from Amherst.

However, space in the community was limited and did not meet the municipality’s standards.

A decision was made to construct a building that is less than 1,000 square feet to house the library. Cleveland said the eight-month project cost about $118,000.

The building is on pillars so it could be relocated in future.

“Our community members are a huge part of what has made this possible,” she said. “So, we really appreciate them.”

The project received $26,000 in grants from both the Municipality of Cumberland and Christie-Smith Community Fund, in addition to interest-free loans and private donations.

“There’s a whole crew of people down there that have been involved in this from Day 1 and they have worked extremely hard,” said Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy.

Gilroy said library services were offered at the fire hall in Advocate Harbour on an occasional basis in the interim.

The development association plans to build a larger community centre that will also include a bigger kitchen, gym and a space for events. It will be attached to the library.

Gilroy said council is expecting to discuss financial support to replace Advocate Harbour’s community centre in next year’s budget deliberations. The municipality is also working on an approximately $3-million community centre in Parrsboro on the heels of a nearly $2.2-million library branch completion in Pugwash.

Cleveland said there is no timeline for the Advocate Harbour community centre, which could cost up to $5 million.

A grand opening ceremony for the new Advocate Harbour library branch is planned for Nov. 22.

Source: CBC Nova Scotia

New Brunswickers can now access free radon test kits at libraries across the province.

The provincial government is partnering with the New Brunswick Research and Productivity Council and NB Lung to provide the free kits, which include a 90-day test and information about radon gas.

The province says radon tests should be conducted during the colder months, when people typically keep their windows and doors closed.

The New Brunswick Research and Productivity Council will analyze the tests and provide the results.

“Our team of radon-certified scientists have been working hard over many years to ensure that families across New Brunswick have access to reliable, accurate radon testing,” said Diane Botelho, the council’s CEO and executive director, in a news release. “We don’t just test; we educate, guide and feel the duty to help protect our communities.”

According to the province, one-in-four New Brunswick homes have high radon levels, with radon exposure being the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada.

“With this program, New Brunswick is poised to be a leader in preventing preventable lung cancer as the first province to implement free access to testing,” said NB Lung president and CEO Melanie Langille. “High radon in a home is fixable, but you must test to know if your radon is high.”

According to Health Canada, radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally when the uranium in soil and rock breaks down. It is invisible, odourless and tasteless. High radon levels in homes can have a negative impact on a person’s health.

Source: CTV New Brunswick

Nearly 100 library workers across three school districts in New Brunswick are once again fighting for their jobs.

Layoff notices went out Friday, just before the Thanksgiving weekend.

It’s the latest move in a months-long battle between the provincial government and the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

“I guess they want to go and fight this out for a third time,” said Theresa McAllister, president of Local 2745 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

That fight began after the original layoffs in April, when the districts said they had to make up for a $43 million budget shortfall from the province.

In July, the New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board sided with the workers and found the government violated its duty under labour laws to bargain in good faith, negotiating contracts knowing layoffs were looming.

The province was ordered to reverse library staff layoffs and a decision to reduce the working hours of school administrative assistants.

But after weeks of the government failing to comply, the Court of King’s Bench stepped in and ordered the workers be reinstated.

Instead, the province applied for a stay of the labour board decision but failed just days before the new school year. Emails began popping up in library worker inboxes that afternoon, advising them to return to their old jobs.

McAllister said she believed that after all of that, the workers would be safe for the remainder of the school year. The union planned to hold a vote on Oct. 16 on the new tentative agreement.

But just before the long weekend, the province sent out notices of layoffs that will be issued once the collective agreement is ratified.

“We thought we had the guarantee of hours and weeks, but they are not agreeing with that,” she said. “So all the people that were originally laid off at the first round are now being placed back into layoff.”

McAllister said she is now in meetings to discuss next steps.

A statement from Anglophone West School District spokesperson Paul MacIntosh said that 26 library workers and 83 administrative assistants are affected by the recent staffing decisions.

“Individuals who are laid off from these positions will all have the opportunity to exercise staffing rights within their collective agreement to secure other positions within the bargaining unit,” the statement said.

“It is the intention of ASD-W to not continue with library hours when they are in a legal position to do so. All the impacted administrative assistant positions will be reposted as vacancies with the new associated hours.”

CBC News asked for an interview with Education Minister Claire Johnson, but the request was turned down, as were all other CBC requests for Johnson since June.

In August, Finance Minister René Legacy said in a statement that “should a stay not be granted, government intends to proceed with the layoffs of the library workers again once we are legally in a position to do so.”

The statement went on to say that in an effort to improve reading and math scores, the province wants to see more resources in the classroom, and those plans “do not include library workers as they do not provide direct support to students.”

McAllister disagreed with those comments, and so did a report from Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock last month, slamming the province’s budget ‘fiasco’ that led to the layoffs.

Lamrock said the government talking points “had a dubious relationship with the truth,” and the department had no plan to steer more resources into classroom teaching, while the cuts deprived teachers of resource staff they’d relied on.

The government message “seemed more designed to gaslight than to illuminate,” the report said.

According to documents obtained by CBC News after a right to information request, the layoffs were the result of a calculation that was rushed through without considering the impact of the losses on the schools, staff or students.

CBC News requested records, including communications, correspondence, email attachments, reports, memos, and minutes related to the elimination of library positions. It specifically requested the research, planning and rationale behind the decision.

In the 150-page package, there were letters from staff, parents and community members urging the government to reconsider.

There were also media requests, internal discussions about how to handle them, and pages counting up positions, hours and salary totals, but no similar accounting of the impact on students and their learning.

McAllister said members are dealing with a lot of mixed emotions, and called this latest layoff a “kick in the teeth.”

“They say they’re always looking for consistency and less movement and the impacts on the kids,” she said. “Hogwash. If they cared, they wouldn’t be doing this.”

Source: CBC New Brunswick