Cuts to budget will significantly affect Shelburne Library

April 25, 2019 · 0 Comments

Written By ROSE DOTTEN

All our programs are running as per our normal schedule so please check our library website or our Facebook page for details

We wanted to let you know about the serious impact of the Government’s 50 % funding cutback to the Southern Ontario (and Northern Ontario) Library Services. We wanted to let you know how these cutbacks will affect us, you, our patrons and indeed all libraries in Ontario.

Although, Mister Tibollo in his Statement on Public Library Funding wrote that the cutbacks to SOLS would have no effect “on the day-to-day-operations of Ontario’s public libraries,” the contrary is true. The cuts had to be absorbed into the SOLS 2019- 2020 budget necessitating immediate action.

Accordingly, SOLS has had to cut back on the Interlibrary loan services by terminating the courier service and suspending all Interlibrary loans until May 31st . This is an arbitrary date while they are trying to see if a solution can be found.

This drastically affects us and other small, rural libraries who augment their collections and thereby provide quality services to their patrons. We routinely borrow and lend approximately 500 items per month. We have been able to provide materials for our patrons for which we have no room or budget by having the opportunity to access all provincial libraries.

I have written to both Minister Tibollo and Minister Jones in an attempt to have them review the situation. There is a provincial petition circulating that already has 16,000 names. We are exploring other means as well to have some impact on this issue.

Further information:

Email: Minister Michael Tibollo – michael.tibollo@pc.ola.org

Minister Sylvia Jones – sylvia.jonesco@pc.ola.org

We will post direct links to the electronic petition, the SOLS blog and the Minister’s feedback line on our website,

We will also have a petition in our library for those who wish to address their concerns in that way.

Our programs, other services we provide, and our dedication to you, our patrons is not going to change.

Come in and see us and continue availing yourself of all these services and with that in mind, we list our New Books for you to borrow.

NEW BOOKS:

Fiction

– High white sun by Todd Scott

– Playing with death by Simon Scarrow

– Age of war by Michael J. Sullivan