It's Operating Budget planning time at the City of Winnipeg and recently staff members at Winnipeg Public Library "went public" with the message that the city's library system should not - and cannot - withstand another round of budget cuts.

Winnipeg Public Library workers are members of CUPE Local 500. The Local recently produced a pamphlet titled "Public Libraries Serve Winnipeg" which is being distributed to library branches and other locations in the city, and which staff members handed out in front of the Millennium Library earlier this year.
 
The 2010 Operating Budget is expected to be approved by the end of March. The 2009 Operating Budget, found here:

http://www.winnipeg.ca/FinEXT/FPR/files/2009_adopted_operating_budget.pdf

has projected staff cuts for this fiscal year and moving forward (see pages 108 and 109 of the PDF).

For more information about the Local's campaign to support public library service in Winnipeg visit:
http://cupe500.mb.ca/campaigns/publiclibraries.htm

and be sure to contact your City councillor to let your voice be heard on behalf of libraries.

Freedom to Read Week - February 21 - 27, 2010

Organized by the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council.

Visit freedomtoread.ca for information including kits, material order forms, a calendar of events and to post your own library's event.

Canada Post will be maintaining the Library Book Rate program throughout 2010, according to a joint statement from the Canadian Library Association, Canada Post, and Association pour l’avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED). From the statement (from December 15, 2009):

The current Library Book Rates will remain unchanged through 2010.

There has been no increase in the Library Book Rates since January 2005, despite the fact that the inflation rate has risen by 8.7% since then. Libraries are required to use the electronic shipping tool to continue to access the Library Book Rates. These rates continue to apply only to printed library materials.

The reduced rates remain well below Canada Post’s costs to ship library books, and Canada Post receives no Government appropriation or compensation of any kind for the reduced Library Book Rates.

For more information, go to:

• Library Book Shipping Tool (Canadian Library Association)
• Library Book Rate in Danger! (Manitoba Library Association)
  

Vendors are invited to book exhibit space at the 2010 Manitoba Libraries Conference, which takes place May 17-19, 2010 at the Delta Hotel in Winnipeg. Full information and registration forms are available via the Exhibitors & Vendors page.

If your library offered the TD Summer Reading Club in 2009, be sure to send in your submission for the TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards by November 15th!

Two awards will be given to the most innovative TD Summer Reading Club programs in English and in French.  A panel of judges will evaluate all entries for their effective outreach strategies and creative program implementation.

First prize winners will also have their expenses paid to attend the TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards Presentations at the Canadian Library Association Conference 2010 in Edmonton, AB.

Visit the program website at www.td-club-td.ca and

print the application form.  Send the completed form with a description of your program and supporting materials by mail or courier to:

Library and Archives Canada

TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards

395 Wellington Street, Room 196

Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N4

From the Winnipeg Free Press, November 10:

"Winnipeg hopes to save $160,000 by contracting out library-book cataloguing, processing and shelving services, says the city’s largest union.

City council’s executive policy committee held a meeting with the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500 this afternoon to discuss the replacement of seven city workers with a library-services company located outside the city, CUPE 500 president Mike Davidson said."

Go to the full article.