A drastic and “demoralizing” cut to library services is “hurtful” to small, rural libraries, says Larry Thompson, chair of the Ramara Library Board.
In 2018, library patrons in Ramara ordered 3,000 different items - about 500 each month - through the popular inter-library loan program.
“We have two small branches in a township that has 10,000 residents,” said Thompson. “The only way we can have access to all of that material is through this service.”
That free service, allowing people to order materials (books, audio tapes, magazines, etc.) from any other library in southern Ontario, was hastily cancelled on Friday by the Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS).
That decision came after its $3-million budget was slashed by 50% as part of the Progressive Conservative’s budget tabled earlier this month.
Orillia Public Library CEO Suzanne Campbell said the cuts will be felt by many people in the region.
“I was very sad to hear (about the end of the program) and very sad to know we wouldn’t be able to do what libraries do best, which is share materials,” said Campbell. “It’s very frustrating.”
Campbell said use of the interlibrary loan program had been increasing steadily in recent years.
In 2018, the Orillia library received more than 4,320 items from other libraries for its patrons. The Orillia library also sent 2,130 items to other libraries in 2018.
“We have a strong interlibrary loan program that has been growing year over year,” said Campbell.
In the first three months of 2019, 1,185 items were brought into the Orillia Public Library from other libraries at the request of local patrons. During that same time period, the Orillia library loaned more than 500 items out to other libraries throughout the province through the program.
She said the service was valuable for those who prefer large print books, which are more expensive and more difficult to obtain.
“It was nice to have the opportunity to borrow these items from other libraries,” said Campbell, who added that students who are home-schooled or involved in distance education would also be impacted.
“This is a service we’ve offered forever. I’ve been here over 30 years and we’ve always had it,” said Campbell. “There was no warning at all that it was going to be cut.”
Thompson predicted the end of the popular program could spell the end of several book clubs in the area.
“We use the interlibrary service to support our book club,” he explained. “We have 25 members of our book club and we use the interlibrary loan service to make sure all 25 members can get their book for the month.”
That option is no longer on the table.
“I don’t know what it means for our book club, if they will have to disband,” he wondered. “We also support three other local book clubs … so they could all be in jeopardy.”
But it’s bigger than that, he stressed.
“We see it impacting well beyond our library and all rural libraries,” said Thompson. “We see it as an equity issue. We think people in Ramara should have the same basic right to information as all of the rest of the residents of Ontario.
“We shouldn’t be disadvantaged because we’re in a rural area,” he added.
Thompson said it’s “disappointing” and “short-sighted” for the province to cut funding in this manner.
The way it was announced - on the Friday of a long weekend - also causes hardships.
All materials previously loaned out through this program must be returned to Ramara libraries by today. The weekly courier will be in Ramara to pick up the materials Wednesday.
The library will have to foot the bill for postage costs to return any materials after Wednesday.
“It’s really short-term thinking how quickly this was shut down, which is unfortunate,” said Thompson.
Erosion of library services could have a wider impact, he predicted.
“(The library is) seen as an economic driver for Ramara Township,” noted Thompson, who said a good library is “up there with police and fire in terms of value to the township” according to a recent survey of Ramara residents.
He said young families are “looking for those kind of services” when they are considering a place to live.
“It’s a knowledge economy, so to cut back is so short-sighted … when you start chipping away at that, you are really cutting your own throat.”
The cut also means 24 drivers will be losing their jobs, said Thompson.
While there are already petitions circulating provincially, Thompson said he expects people will soon begin to protest the cuts at a more grassroots level.
“I think it will take a bit for the groundswell to grow, but when people start losing their access to resources and clubs start folding, I think you are going to see a fairly major backlash,” he predicted.
“Libraries are real community hubs - especially in a rural area like ours,” said Thompson. “People come here, it’s free, open, accessible and anything that cuts back on that sense of community is really hurtful to rural communities like ourselves.”
Campbell said she will be bringing the matter to the library board meeting Wednesday night, but said there are no easy solutions.
