News

The library community in Newfoundland and Labrador is worried legislation before the House of Commons would give Canada Post the ability to increase mailing costs for library materials across the province.

They’re also concerned the Mark Carney government’s proposed changes—outlined in the Liberals’ recent budget bill—will remove Canada Post’s requirement to provide free postage for materials for persons with visual disabilities.

Bill C-15, which passed its second reading in Ottawa last Wednesday, would implement parts of Carney’s controversial federal budget.

Tucked into the 634-page document are amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act, including a provision which allows public libraries to benefit from what’s called the “Library Book Rate” — a postage discount for libraries.

Josh Smee, vice-chair of the St. John’s Public Libraries Board, says the legislative change came as a surprise. “There was no consultation or notice before this,” he says. “It was just caught by some eagle-eyed observers looking at the actual budget legislation, and they realized that the section was being repealed.”

Libraries are a critical part of the province’s social fabric, says Smee. “We have this amazing library system. We have branches all over the province in communities of every size [that] provide a free public space, which is incredibly rare.”

Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Paul Dinn said the provincial government would be “very disappointed” by any federal government action that would negatively impact provincial libraries, but that the province has been reassured.

“We have received confirmation from the federal government that Canada Post will maintain free mailing of materials for the blind, as well as the current reduced rate of postage for library materials through the Library Book Rate,” Dinn told The Independent.

Canada Post would not need approval to raise postage rates

St. John’s researcher and activist David Brake says even if Canada Post keeps the Library Book Rate in place in the short term, the crown corporation’s ability to change its mind at any time is a worry public libraries would have to live with going forward.

Smee says Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should be contacting their MPs and calling on Parliament not to amend the Canada Post Corporations Act.

Currently, to make any changes to the book rate, Canada Post has to seek approval from the federal government. If Bill C-15 receives royal assent, the crown corporation will no longer need that approval.

This is especially important for Newfoundland and Labrador, where a majority of the province’s 94 public libraries are in rural areas, and where nearly half the province’s residents are library cardholders. In 2024, NL Public Libraries says it sent nearly 214,000 books to residents across the province.

With the final decision expected early in the new year, Brake says there isn’t much time; he says the federal legislation should be “a wake-up call” for those who care about and benefit from public libraries. “They continue to be underfunded, and there is a threat to them now.”

The Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries Board said in a statement that the removal of federal oversight could “leave the door open for Canada Post to change the [Library Book Rate] in a way that could negatively impact how we carry out our business.”

Dianne Keeping, dean of libraries at Memorial University, says she’s “extremely concerned” about the proposed changes, adding MUN libraries extensively ship materials across multiple locations in their library system.

Keeping says if Canada Post’s library book rate is increased or cancelled, “the impact on our ability to share resources efficiently and affordably will be significant, especially given the budget challenges we are already facing.”

The change wouldn’t just affect the university, she stresses, but also students, researchers and communities across the province, especially in rural and remote areas, “where access to library materials depends on affordable shipping.”

Smee says it would be “financially unsustainable” for libraries to lose the benefit of Canada Post’s Library Book Rate, explaining that losing the discounted rate, “you’re certainly into the millions of dollars.”

It’s not just books that libraries offer, says Brake. They provide audiobooks, DVDs and a variety of other materials that many communities would otherwise not have free access to.

Provincial libraries already underfunded, says advocate

Brake says public libraries in the province are “catastrophically underfunded.” In 2016, the public libraries board announced it would close 54 library branches due to budget cuts but public outcry forced the provincial government to suspend the decision. A 2017 report found that Newfoundland and Labrador libraries are funded 42 per cent below the national average.

Libraries level the playing field between those in smaller communities and those in larger cities by providing access to educational resources, technology and a safe space to learn and connect, says Smee.

“I would hope that we would be hearing something from MPs soon to just clarify what’s going to happen here, and then to at least indicate that they heard the concerns of the library community.”

Source: The Independent

The provincial government says it is aware of proposed changes to Bill C-15, the Canada Post Corporation Act and has been assured that the current reduced postage rate for library materials will be maintained.

Changes to the bill will allow the corporation to set it’s own rates without seeking the approval of the federal government.

That was a great concern for the province’s 94 public libraries that regularly send books and other materials through the mail.

Regional Librarian for St. John’s Public Libraries, Emma Craig says libraries make regular use of the postal service to share materials not just between libraries in the province, but with libraries in other provinces as well.

“If an item is not available with us here at NLPL, but another library in Canada has it, we will be able to work with them in order to get items that might be a little harder for patrons to get” says Craig.

“About a quarter of our library circulation just from last year were done through this system-wide hold system.”

The Department of Education says it has received confirmation from the federal government that Canada Post will maintain free materials through the Library Book Rate.

Source: VOCM

Libraries across Canada are ringing alarm bells about pending changes to the Canada Post act, which they say will threaten their ability to ship books at low rates.

The changes are contained in Bill C-15, the federal government’s budget implementation act. Provisions in the massive 634-page bill are set to remove specific clauses in the Canada Post act that allow the corporation to set special rates for libraries.

Those special rates provide massive discounts for libraries for shipments of written, visual and audio material up to five kilograms in weight.

While spokespeople for Canada Post and Public Services and Procurement Canada both told CTV News the program will continue, critics say the changes remove legislative oversight and will allow Canada Post to more easily set rates as they wish.

“The devil’s always in the details, right?” said Mary Chevreau, Executive Director of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council “We want this at a legislative level. We want this approval to stay at that level in terms of rate changes.”

Chevreau’s organization administers the online tool that allows libraries to access Canada Post’s preferred rates. She said the program is used 30,000 times per month and that it’s the backbone of inter-library loaning provisions.

“Millions, millions of Canadians literally across the country rely on that library book rate in order to receive materials and the entire public library system,” she said.

“The question really is how affordable it will become, and can libraries really participate going forward,” she added. “Not only is it interlibrary loans between systems, it’s within their own systems that they use.”

According to an example calculation published on the program website, the Library Shipping Tool allows a three-pound book to be mailed within Toronto for less than $2. Without the program, it would cost nearly $26.

The Ontario Library Association launched a letter-writing campaign Wednesday to attempt to pressure MPs on the issue. It wrote in its campaign website that “Canada Post could raise rates dramatically, making interlibrary loans financially impossible for many libraries.”

Canada Post spokesperson Lisa Liu wrote in a statement that the corporation “is not contemplating any changes to the service at this time.”

“We are proud of our longstanding commitment to provide reduced rates in our library materials services,” she wrote.

A spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada wrote in a statement that the changes in Bill C-15 were designed to reduce “administrative burden,” and wrote that Ottawa “will maintain” the reduced rate program.

The legislation enshrining the ability of Canada Post to offer the library rate was enacted in 2013, however Chevreau says some form of library discount has been in effect in Canada since the 1930s.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial library system is particularly reliant on the program for its inter-library loans. The system has 94 branches across the province. Between July 2023 and June 2024, more than 200,000 loans were facilitated through the library board’s inter-library loan program.

St. John’s resident David Brake said he hopes the federal government changes course. He is also encouraging other Newfoundland and Labrador residents to contact their MP to push for a reconsideration.

“I absolutely take the point that it might be for now that Canada Post says we have the freedom to continue to provide discount books to the library, and we intend to do that. But unless their hands are tied by the legislation as it is now, there’s always going to be that temptation to save a few bucks.”

Source: CTV 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.

**********

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