2011 Budget

The budget adopted by the board this Tuesday, December 21, 2011 allocates $10,000 to purchase books, a spending item that had been cut for 2010. It should be noted that the 2009 budget was $12 133 for that item and the standard referred to in Québec is $ 24 377.


A budget of 2.6 million has also been planned to build a new library in 2013, should the project be received by the Ministry of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women. The board said it was aware it had to apply as soon as possible.

Furthermore, the population was informed of a tax increase of over 20% for the year 2011.

A Small Step for the Library - Some Hope for the Russell House

At the last council meeting of Brownsburg-Chatham held on the 6th of December was adopted a resolution to accept the letter of intent to purchase the building said Roussell.


It is an offer from the Maison de la famille, for which the committee has been reunited by Mr. Gilles Desforges. He has indeed found people to revive the project. The tender offer is conditional (financing, engineering report, contractors, insurance) and for a period of 6 months. There would be opportunity to partner with other organisations to occupy the house. A story to be continued.

Another resolution adopted at the same meeting was the amendment to the hiring of the loan officer at the public library. After verification, it is an increase in working hours of one of the staff. So it's a small step towards getting back to the situation that prevailed last year. They'd just need to hire a third person and bring back the budget to purchase books to get us back at where we were. The story is always, of course, to follow.

The budget will be adopted December 21, 2010. We will report back at that time.

Have a good weekend!

Follow up on last Library Committee meeting

It was last Oct. 28.


We discussed possible avenues for a future library in Brownsburg-Chatham. It was unreal, too good to be true. Mayor Dinel joked, raising the idea of creating a library of Alexandria here.

The message was clear: We will have a new library, it must be large enough to meet demand that will inevitably be 30% higher, as is the case with any new library. The next step was to identify potential sites. There was talk of a three-year plan.

You may have the impression of a bitter downside to come as I use the imperfect. The flaw in this beautiful scenario is the departure of Mr. René Lachance as executive director of the city.

Mr. Lachance demonstrated competence in his position which could reassure us as to the likelihood of actually achieving these steps. His departure is no good news. Will the council stick with these resolutions in preparing the next budget? Will it simply be overwhelmed by the task of finding a new general director? This new person will need to get familiar with the city's issues, go a period of probation. Will he realize the importance of a public library for a population?

These are just a few questions. The next budget in December is to watch closely. Have we bought time or has the committee's creation been successful and helped our cause?

Semaine des bibliothèques publiques

It's October 16 to 23 across Quebec.


Why not take the opportunity to subscribe? There is even a contest for young people! (In French)

The national competition: It's really not complicated, all you need is to be 12 and over and subscribe between 1 and October 31. Thus, one can enter the contest online: iPod touch, video games, gift cards of $ 500 to spend in the Renaud-Bray and more are within reach of the new subscriber. Good luck!

And, yes, there are not many books in the library of Brownsburg-Chatham. It's small. There are not many places to sit. We know all of that. That's why we demand better! Please be aware that there is what is called pruning. Employees take out books to bring in new ones. Go for a ride. Enjoy the good service. Show that we want a better library, because we deserve it!

Follow Up on the Library Committee - The Need For Citizens to Express Themselves

After the meeting of experts proposed by the coalition, the library committee formed by the City, including myself as a citizen and member of the coalition, met on Monday, October 4, 2010.
We identified the strengths and weaknesses of the current library with the help of Réseau BIBLIO des Laurentides. Two key findings emerged:

1) The library suffers from a lack of communication with its citizens, who do not know it sufficiently, when they know it.

2) The library must be at the city center to ensure the greatest possible visibility and at the same time can be a leverage to revitalize the downtown.

Those are the main conclusions of the committee. Some recommendations have already been put forward. The next meeting will focus specifically on what would be the most appropriate infrastructure.

Personally, I come to a further conclusion. Obviously, the city council and the mayor still need to hear the citizen's voice on the need to have a library here in Brownsburg-Chatham. If you read this and you are reassured to know that there is a coalition to advocate for the library in Brownsburg-Chatham, know that it is not enough. We must understand that for every action we do, there are opponents to our ideas who assert their views. If you do not want the coalition to be considered as representing a minority view, you must also express yourselves, either through us, at council meetings or by letter to City Hall.

I wish the same opportunity to thank all those who have already spoken, no matter how. We must make our point of view, if we leave to others the chance to advance their ideas. Encourage your family and friends to stay informed and to express themselves. It is the quality of our environment.

The cynicism is fashionable, and it saddens me. I suggest you a link to an interview with Julie Bélanger of Génération d'idées, a group of refreshing young people!

We will need you soon. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Cynthia Dubé

Heritage buildings are being valued throughout the Province of Québec

Here is a "potpourri" of recent announcements:

"Un art d'habiter"

Permanent exhibition devoted to the built heritage of Deschambault-Grondines.

Heritage buildings and architectural detail photographs is a major player in the exhibition. An interactive medium, accessible through Internet, allows heritage homeowners to find the information needed to make the best choices possible when undertaking work.

Church of Grandes-Piles will become a cultural space

The Making of Grandes-Piles bequeathed to the municipality, in August, the church built in 1899. While religious celebrations are still held, a community hall will be built at the front of the building with a view to presenting concerts and plays, for example. In addition, the library will be located, according to plans, at the top of the church. The work is estimated at nearly $800,000.

Source: Les Arts et la ville, which takes it source from Sandra Lacroix. "L'église de Grandes-Piles sera transformée en lieu de culture et culture", L'Hebdo Mékinac des Chenaux, August 11, 2010.

Victoriaville launches its Heritage Policy on the Web

Historic houses in the area of the Bonaventure island will be restored

The Québec Ministry of Culture is acquirring the men's house (part of the mother house of the Soeurs-Grises-de-Montréal)

The heritage building housing the municipal court located in Sainte-Julienne, Lanaudière, will be restored

Montréal Should Invest More in its Public Librarys - and a Serial Novel on the Web to Promotre Reading

Released this week in La Presse:


The Commission permanente sur le développement culturel et la qualité du milieu de vie, consisting mostly of elected members of the party of Montréal Mayor Gérald Tremblay, recommends that the City Executive invest more in its public libraries.

The Bibliothèques publiques de Montréal's Web site for its part offers a serial novel, Mille vies (in French):

Skibbereen, Montréal, Kingston, Vicksburg, Boston and Lowell are some cities that mark the 1000 lives of Molly Galloway . Nurtured by the upheavals of her era, she takes the train of ideas and battles for life and freedom. Her path leads her on the pavement of emerging cities, the railway tracks and trenches of the battlefield.

The story is narrated by a young immigrant traveling through America in the 19th century. During her adventures, Molly, just as her own hero, D'Artagnan and the Count of Monte Cristo, is to get involved in causes and disorders of her era.

The adventure is at the heart of this saga. It depicts major moments in the history of Montréal, Québec, America and the world around 1850.

Follow Up on Experts Meeting

The expert meeting as previously announced has therefore been held last Thursday. The ensuing discussion was rich with complementary perspectives and valuable information.

A clear message has been articulated in relation to recent cuts in the purchase of books. These cuts have really hurt and users feel it. The question was posed to the mayor Dinel whether it was possible to reverse this decision and he has not closed the door to such an eventuality.

It also emerged that the Ministry of Culture has a lot of grant applications for new libraries and the funds will be limited before 2013. If Brownsburg-Chatham wants to benefit from them, it must submit a strong proposal, and soon, especially advocating the need for people to make its candidacy a priority.

Mayor Dinel reiterated the lack of budgets. We hope the council find a way to adjust so as not to deprive the people of this essential service. The opening of the City to form the clibrary ommittee allows us to keep hope. We will continue to argue the benefits of library service.

The first meeting of this committee will be held in early October 2010. At that time, Réseau BIBLIO des Laurentides will present the first draft of the development plan. We will keep you informed of developments.

Meeting Experts and Library Committee

This Thursday, August 19 will be held a meeting with those we have called our experts. Seeing how little interest the public shows towards the project of moving the library into the Roussell house, the coalition has said: So then what would be the ideal library for the city of Brownsburg-Chatham? Seeing how time flies and wanting to benefit from the experience of credible people, the coalition has offered the City a meeting with experts in the field.

Mr. Mayor Dinel accepted. He will therefore be present as well as Madame Paule Clotteau Blain, designated representative for the library within the council. Unfortunately, we cannot benefit from the presence of other city council members. The General Manager and Treasurer René Lachance will also be present, as well as Nathalie Lafleur, a citizen of Brownsburg-Chatham who has long been concerned by this issue. Coalition members who will be present are François Jobin and Cynthia Dubé.

Experts consulted:

• Jean-Marc Parent, the Ministry of Culture and Communications;
• Catherine Lapointe, cultural development at the MRC of Argenteuil;
• JoAnne Turnbull, CEO Réseau BIBLIO des Laurentides, and
• Brigitte Bowen, employee responsible for the Library of Brownsburg-Chatham.

Subsequently, a library committee formed by the city will work in collaboration with the Réseau BIBLIO des Laurentides in order to elaborate a development plan. Will be a member of said committee: Nathalie Lafleur, citizen, and Cynthia Dubé, representative of the coalition We Deserve Better.

We sincerely hope that this will help the future of the library, for the good of the whole population on the territory. Let's recall that at our first meeting with the City Council December 16, 2009, it was said that a library project would be put forth in a horizon of 1 or 2 years.

Regarding the Roussell house, the coalition now considers the fate of the latter as a second problem. A vocation has still not been found. At the last City Council meeting held August 2, 2010, the building was put on sale. Will the heritage value of the building will be preserved? We are entitled to ask the question.

Quotations

Les choses ne se font jamais facilement dans le domaine culturel, ce n'est jamais considéré comme essentiel. On en revient à ce que disait Lapalme : les bouts de route et les ponceaux l'emportent toujours sur les affaires culturelles.

Lise Bissonnette

in L'Actualité, « Le flambeau aux jeunes », by Roch Côté, July 9th, 2010 (link is doomed to disappear some day)

Kansas City Public Library

In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, though they should fail immediately, they had better aim at something high.

Henry David Thoreau

Grande Bibliothèque in L'Actualité

To read (in French) a series in L'Actualité about the Grande Bibliothèque of Montréal to mark its 5 years of existence. The archives of the magazaine is available on the Internet for a limited time. You will find among others a gide to 5 hidden treasures of the website of BAnQ.

Heritage Highlighted

Municipalities and regions in the province of Québec are more and more valuing and highlighting their heritage to attract tourists. Here are some examples:

Tourisme patrimonial du Bas-Saint-Laurent (in French)
Circuit du patrimoine religieux de l'île d'Orléans (the site has an English version but the brochure on religious heritage in pdf format can be seen on the French version)
La Sarre City (population 7336 in 2006 according to Statistics Canada)

New Libraries

We made ourselves quieter lately. During that time, new projects were announced in Québec. Among others: new libraries in Saint-Isidore (population 2503 in 2006, according to Statistics Canada) and La Minerve (population 1295 in 2006, according to Statistics Canada) to meet the growing needs of their populations.

Support from Stéphane Legault, President BPLLL - Press Review

Citizens of Brownsburg-Chatham,


As President of Les Bibliothèques publiques de Laval, Laurentides, Lanaudière (BPLLL), I was seized with the situation of the public library in your town and the creation of the coalition We Deserve Better. Hereby, I congratulate you on your position and I support the approach you have taken in order to establish a quality public library .

As citizens paying taxes, you're entitled to ask your elected officials to provide municipal services that meet the quality standards established in all public areas. At present, according to the 2008-2009 financial report (in French) of Réseau BIBLIO des Laurentides, the library in Brownsburg-Chatham meets only 24% of standards on the size of a public library. Thus, reaching 100% of the current standard, the minimum desirable, your library should be at least four times greater than it currently is. In comparison with another well-known municipal service, imagine an arena that would lose 75% of what is essential to providing good service to the public. Imagine an arena with no room for players, without resurfacing (Zamboni), no bands or fillets. Only four walls and an ice maintained by employees full of good will. Some say that only 11% of the population of Brownsburg-Chatham subscribes to the library. Would you use an arena into a state as described above?

To attract people to the library, it must develop services, have an attractive place, be friendly. We must make it the heart of the community. In order to achieve that, we must invest in infrastructure in the personnel and the acquisition of documents. How many people thought that the Grande Bibliothèque is a white elephant? Built in the midst of budget cuts aimed at achieving a zero deficit, yet the library now attracts five times more people than expected. Lucien Bouchard, Louise Beaudouin and Lise Bissonnette able to meet a need that was not clearly expressed by the population. In Brownsburg-Chatham, citizens ask for a new library. Its success is assured!

Les Biliothèques publiques de Laval, Laurentides, Lanaudière were also made aware of the resolution number 10-04-150 stating that "the City Council of the City of Brownsburg-Chatham demand for employees of the municipal library not to proceed, from this point, the purchase of books, journals, periodicals, DVDs, etc. otherwise than through the Centre régional de services aux bibliothèques publiques (CRSBPL) Laurentides Inc." What citizens need to know is that the CRSBPL is not a library. It does not sell books or periodicals, and even fewer DVDs. The CRSBPL (also called Réseau BIBLIO) buys books he lends to its member municipalities. Thus, the resolution abolishes the purchase of books. Moreover, politicians should know that Bill 51 requires public libraries to purchase books in at least three accredited bookstores in their administrative region, at the price set by the publisher. In other words, it is unlawful for a public agency to buy books at Wal-Mart, Jean Coutu, etc.

Also according to the 2008-2009 Réseau BIBLIO des Laurentides, the municipality has only 5,451 documents, which gives only 0.8 books per capita. If one adds to this figure the 6,959 filings by Réseau BIBLIO, the ratio rises to 1.8 books per capita, which is well below the 3 books by people you want in Politique de la lecture et du livre of the Ministry of Culture and Communications, produced in 1998. The Discrepancy in your municipality is increasingly oppressive and the gap continues to widen as the population increases. How can we attract people to the library without new books? The loans conducted through the Réseau BIBLIO can definitely not meet demand for new products and bestsellers. Abolishing the budget for the purchase of library books is the equivalent of melting the ice in an arena. Eventually, nobody will be interested to come.

It is obvious that each municipality's capacity to pay is not unlimited. Each municipal council was elected last November having made such an election platform, projects and priorities. However, nothing prevents a city council to enact new priorities while in office according to needs, interests and pressures of the population.

In fall 2005, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has authorized the Center for Economic Development at Carnegie-Mellon University to determine the impact of the library on the regional economy. The results of this study will surprise more than one; for every dollar spent by the library, the community derives economic benefit of three dollars. Thus, if one transposes the total benefits to the entire population of this municipality, the library contributes
$ 75 per capita.

Investing in the library is an investment in the community education and it contributes to the reduction of dropout because libraries greatly facilitate the learning of young people. To learn to calculate, to operate a machine tool and to solve various problems, we must understand what is asked of us and for that, to read well. Unfortunately, we often forget that all learning is through reading. Investing in the library is also developing its local economy. To attract industries and create new jobs in Argenteuil and Brownsburg-Chatham, we must develop a skilled workforce who can read!

Citizens of Brownsburg-Chatham, continue your efforts, Les Bibliothèques publiques de Laval, Laurentides and Lanaudière are behind you!

Stephane Legault, bibl. prof.
President, Public Libraries
Laval, Laurentides, Lanaudière

An employee leaves the library

Caroline Richer (who also collaborated to the project "Bébé chevreuil découvre Argenteuil", see previous post) has resigned and is no longer in office. Thank you Caroline for your good service, your dynamism and your generosity.

What Do Librarians Do All Day?

Congratulations to the creators of "Bébé chevreuil découvre Argenteuil"

I learned from the newspapers that babies born in the year 2009 would receive through their municipality a copy of "Bébé chevreuil découvre Argenteuil". I found the idea delightful, as I am convinced of the usefulness of providing books to children and that, as soon as possible. In my view, it was also a great way to help nourish a sense of pride among residents and for those who participated in the preparation of the book, as it is indeed an accomplishment to be proud of. But most importantly for me, it allowed me to give roots to my son born in 2009, whom - I wanted and I still want - will grow in the region of Argenteuil, specifically in Brownsburg-Chatham.

And now I learn that the Les Arts et la ville recognizes the work of ÉLÉ (Éveil à la lecture et à l'écriture) and the Board of the MRC d'Argenteuil by giving the latter the price Culture et développement 2010 for a "municipality" of 20 000-100 000 (this is a first , this award given to an MRC).

"Comments of the jury:
The jury was charmed by the outstanding achievement that offers a novel, original and touching answer in a region with significant dropout rates and illiteracy. The introduction to the culture from an early age will have a positive effect in the long term. The jury also underlines the active participation of mayors of participating cities. "

Congratulations to Louise Blouin, who coordinated the project, and to all of the collaborators, including students from the Lavigne High School who illustrated the book.

Cynthia Dubé

New cuts at the library

Stated in paragraph 10.7 of the minutes of the Board of the Town of Brownsburg-Chatham April 6, 2010, which has just been posted on the city website:


"Public Library: New City Council Directive - Prohibition on proceeding with the purchase of books, journals, periodicals, DVDs, etc. / The provision of such items will come exclusively from the Regional Service Centre for Public Libraries (CRSBPL) Laurentides Inc. ".

Again, the board shows how little importance it attaches to the municipal library. The more we backstep, the longer will be the path of reconstruction. Are we now assisting to a slow death?

Finland's Model

Finland is often cited as an example when it comes to public library. No wonder. The attendance rate is nearly 80%, the school dropout rate around 0.034%. In comparison, the estimated attendance rate in Québec is 35.8% while the school dropout rate is around 31% according to the report of the Groupe d'action sur la persévérance scolaire au Québec of March 2009. (The figures come from a press release issued by Suzane Payette, President of Public Library of Quebec. In French.)

 

One reason that may explain the success of Finland in the field lies in the good relations that librarians have with politicians (and vice versa!). (See Demain, la bibliothèque..., BBF 2006 - Paris, vol 51, No. 6)

 

 

 

Internet Bus

 

To see and learn a little more, here are 2 French blogs:

• http://lebibwebzine.blogspot.com/2009/03/decouvrir-les-bibliotheques.html
• http://www.bibliobsession.net/2007/10/28/un-regard-sur-les-bibliotheques-finlandaises/

Cuts Consequences

The inevitable happened, because of staff cutbacks, the library of Brownsburg-Chatham has closed its doors on 14, 15, 22, 23 and April 24 as well as since May 2 until May 16. When staff is reduced to a minimum...

Quotes

Le danger, ce n'est pas ce que l'on ignore, c'est ce que l'on tient pour certain et qui ne l'est pas.

Mark Twain

Bibliothèque Rina-Lasnier à Joliette

But what can a man see of a library being one day in it?

James Boswell

The Grande Bibliothèque Celebrates 5 Years of Existence

« Grâce à la Grande Bibliothèque, je sais qu’il y a un endroit au cœur de cette ville où des solitaires se retrouvent pour former une communauté. »

Dany Laferrière

The Great Library today marked its fifth anniversary.

It was the topic of Maisonneuve en direct today.

« On a beaucoup écrit sur l’immense succès de fréquentation de la Grande bibliothèque, lequel ne s’est pas démenti depuis son ouverture au printemps 2005. (…) Les raisons de ce succès sont nombreuses. Il faut souligner la qualité et la convivialité du bâtiment, la richesse des collections, la gratuité des services, l’approche client qui a été adoptée, l’autonomie de l’usager qui a été favorisée, le grand nombre de postes informatiques disponibles,la diversité des services offerts, la variété et la fréquence des actions d’animation (conférences, expositions, club de lecture, visites guidées, etc.). »

Taken from "Bibliothèques publiques au Québec: une institution stratégique pour le développement culturel" by Marcel Lajeunesse; Bulletin des Bibliothèques de France, Paris, 2009, t. 54, no 3

They Are Talking of Our Blog

Contact Express, the newsletter of Réseau BIBLIO Montérégie invites its readers to come check out our blog in Volume X, No. 1 on page 6. Thank you, Contact Express, and welcome to any new reader!

Reading and Politicians

Jean-Frédéric Légaré-Tremblay, a blogger for L'Actualité, addresses the issue of reading and our American politicians, Canadian and Quebecer. He even invites readers to make suggestions of books to read for politicians, including mayors:


Nous, anti-intellectuels ? Plus que les Américains, en tout cas !

Invitation to the Municipal Council

The coalition We Deserve Better had to celebrate the World Book and Copyright Day on this April 23. Inspired by the initiative of the writer Yann Martel, who has been mailing twice a month for the last 2 years now a selection of books to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the coalition invites the City Council members to visit our library. Here is a list of titles that are available:

• Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec : un siècle d'histoire / Denis Goulet. This comprehensive work, lavishly illustrated, is an important contribution to the history of public libraries and research libraries in Canada.
• Historique de la corporation municipale de Brownsburg
• Dix animations lecture en bibliothèque jeunesse / Solange Aleberteau ... [et al.] ; sous la direction de Christian Poslaniec. The library appears in this work as an actor at the heart of the city, because it goes out in the street to bring in readers, it brings them together in clubs of young critics, or because it organizes literary prizes, the library is located at the crossroads of initiatives from various institutions and as such plays a unifying role.
• Le roi de la bibliothèque / Michelle Knudsen ; illustrations de Kevin Hawkes
• Le parfum : histoire d'un meurtrier / Patrick Süskind
• Le prophète / Khalil Gibran
• Le vide / Patrick Senécal
• Stupeur et tremblements / Amélie Nothomb
• Une vie de toutes pièces / François Jobin
• La Détresse et l'enchantement / Gabrielle Roy
• All Henning Mankell
• Kamouraska / Anne Hébert
• Library Mouse / Daniel Kirk
• La belle et la bête / Giulia Baiocchi; illustrations de C. Cernushi et Martha Buga

Also, other readings of interest suggested by the coalition and friends: 

• S’appauvrir dans un pays riche. For author Richard Langlois, economic growth is no guarantee of a fairer distribution of wealth in society.
• Quand votre enfant apprend à lire /Anne Froissart et Noëlle Herrenschmidt. So that reading becomes a celebration and not a chore.
• Savoir écouter / A. Conquet. Opening quotation taken from the Book of Wisdom: "Listen, kings, and understand! Listen, you who command the crowds. "
• L’Administrateur public, un être «pifométrique » / Alphonse Riverin et al. A book praised by Gilles Boulet, former president of the University of Quebec, which celebrates the creativity and imagination in public administration.
• La Grande Bibliothèque / Michèle Lefebvre et Martin Dubois
• État des lieux du livre et des bibliothèques / Institut de la statistique du Québec
• Revue de Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec / Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
• Recyclage architectural à Québec / École d'architecture de l'Université Laval
• Une politique de la culture et des arts / Groupe-conseil sur la politique culturelle
• Avancer dans le brouillard (full text in French)
• Max ou le sens de la vie / François Jobin
• La deuxième vie de Louis Thibert / François Jobin
• Farenheit 451 / Ray Bradbury
• Les rayons de l'aube (Les lois naturelles du corps, de l'esprit et de l'âme) / Dr. Thurman Fleet
• Cent ans de solitude / Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• L'Étranger / Albert Camus
• All Arthur Rimbaud
• Les Fleurs du mal / Charles Beaudelaire
• Le Petit Prince / Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
• Le Monde selon Garp / John Irving
• Des souris et des hommes / John Steinbeck
• Kafka sur la plage / Haruki Murakami
• Soie / Alessandro Baricco
• Les Fourmis / Bernard Werber
• All Colette
• L'Avalée des avalées + L'hiver de force / Réjean Ducharme
• Le Procès / Franz Kafka
• Almost all Dostoïevki
• 1984 / George Orwell
• En attendant Godot / Samuel Beckett
• Madame Bovary / Gustave Flaubert
• Le Vieux qui lisait des romans d'amour / Luis Sepulveda
• L'Amant de Lady Chatterley / D.H. Lawrence 
• Tropique du cancer / Henry Miller
• Lolita / Vladimir Nabokov
• Sur la route / John Kerouac
• Le Nom de la rose / Umberto Eco
• Le Monde de Sophie / Jostein Gaardner
• La Vie devant soi / Émile Ajar
• Le Deuxième Sexe / Simone de Beauvoir
• Confucius

Why a Public Libary When There's Internet?

Typing a keyword into a search engine on the Internet opens a window on what seems to be infinity. It can be astounding to see the results unfold and to locate the desired information. For the one who has the playful spirit and a boundless curiosity, the matching game can lead to discoveries totally wacky and sometimes just great.


That can lead to believe that, at the Internet era, the public library is useless, outdated and an unnecessary expense. Error! An article by Mark Y. Herring, published in American Libraries (magazine of the American Library Association) in 2001 and revised slightly in 2010, gives 10 reasons why Internet is no substitute for the library, the first of which that the Web does not contain all the information. It is far from infinity, after all. It also disproves the belief that electronic books will replace the paper version. It was tempting to copy the entire article here. Go on, treat yourself and go read it yourself.

Moreover,

"According to a study by the American Library Association (ALA), the arrival of the Internet have contributed greatly to increase the rate of use of public libraries. The results released by this study in the United States indicate that the number of visits to libraries increased 61% from 1994 to 2004. ALA attributed the increase to the growing popularity of the Internet, which would help develop the thirst for knowledge and information of citizens. Remote services that allows the use of the Internet, such as renewals or reservations online, are also factors that promote the use of libraries. "

Paul Cauchon, "Internet contributes to increased participation in public libraries", Le Devoir, April 27, 2007, p. B4.

A survey of California residents in 1999 came to similar conclusions. In fact, the likelihood that users of public libraries have Internet access are higher than in the case of non-users. Very well!

But, when Internet and the public library meet, it gives BREF, a service of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales Québec.

"BREF lists reference resources on the Internet that are of interest to the general public. All areas are covered, from meteorology to genealogy, through international politics and astronomy.

The database offers quality resources in French language, English language resources of interest to the Quebec population and few resources specifically for youth. "

The organization of information facilitates research on the Web. Another demonstration of the usefulness of librarians and archivists. And hours of fun await you.

Au profit de la Maison populaire d'Argenteuil

Conférence sur la langue française avec

monsieur Marcel Tessier, historien

À la Villa Mont-Joie

241, rue Élizabeth

Lachute

Le 24 avril 2010

19h

Coût:

Adulte: 20 $

Étudiant: 10 $

65 ans et plus: 10 $

Places limitées

Billets disponibles à la Maison populaire d'Argenteuil

335, rue Principale

Lachute

Informations: 450-562-1996

Salon de la lecture - Argenteuil-Laurentides

De la parole aux livres

Entrée gratuite

Kiosques d'auteurs des Laurentides

Halte-Garderie gratuite sur place

23 et 24 avril - de 10 h à 16 h

École l'Oasis

80, rue Hammond

Lachute

(entrée rue Durocher)

Vendredi 23 avril - Salon de la lecture

Jeunesse

10 h à 16 h:
Kiosques d'auteurs des Laurentides. Heures du conte, ateliers d'écriture de chansons et de théâtre avec Robert Simard, Fanny Guay et Caroline Richer

Samedi 24 avril Salon de la lecture

Pour tous

10 h à 16 h:
Kiosques d'auteurs des Laurentides

11 h:
Conférence de François Jobin sur l'avenir du livre

13 h 30 - 14 h 30 - 15 h 30:
Heures du conte avec Caroline Richer

Pour informations: 450-562-1996

What Is Promotion? - If You Invite the Librarian for a Special Activity, You'll Have to Wait for the Next Municipal Council Meeting to Get Your Answer...

Mr. Georges Dinel
Mayor of Brownsburg-Chatham

March 25, 2010

Mr. Mayor,

Invited to the Salon de la lecture sponsored by Maison populaire de Lachute, I learned during a casual conversation with the organizers that they have asked one of the librarians of Brownsburg-Chatham to kindly host a Storytime activity. But the young woman replied that henceforth there should be a formal request to the clerk of the city, who would be responsible for providing information to the council which, in turn, will decide to give (or not) the green light . This was following a logical continuation of another board's decision to the effect that the librarians will no longer visit schools, such visits being deemed unnecessary and too costly.

I was surprised to hear that of a mayor who, in January, had ensured the coalition We Deserve Better of the importance he attached to the culture and the library. But I'm surprised even more to hear that from someone claiming to be respectful of democratic principles of freedom and transparency.

Whether you disagree with the coalition about the future location of the library, this is understandable. But when you stab in the latter's budget, when you fire a librarian, when you ban those who are involved in activities outside their normal place of work, it sounds like fierceness.

This way of acting reminds me of some African potentates who are legitimately elected and then become dictators drunk on power.

Requiring librarians to remain at home in their small room, is to punish the children of Brownsburg-Chatham. They are the ones that you deprive of a gateway to culture and also - more seriously - access to their imagination. That, Mr. Mayor, is a violation of this unwritten law that requires that the child has all the tools available to develop his talents and become a responsible and respectable adults.

The role of the school is to teach young life. The visits of librarians are part of that learning. Their participation in local cultural events is also part of their prerogatives as they give visibility to the institution that employs them.

I think, finally, that your council has other fish to fry than this kind of misery. When the board takes on such issues, he says both that it does not trust the employees and secondly it shows that he has not quite fully understood what a priority is.

I sincerely hope, Mr. Mayor, that you're going to try to rectify this situation which is giving an unenviable reputation to Brownsburg-Chatham .

François Jobin


Excerpt taken from Politique de la lecture et du livre, Tiré à part: « Les bibliothèques publiques » du ministère de la culture et des communications, Le temps de lire, un art de vivre :

Promoting regional initiatives and animation projects to reach  mobile customers

Until now, the libraries have been unable to extensively promote their services due to insufficient resources. However, to reach more people, it is important to create new services on a regional basis as well as advocacy and leadership. Libraries could use more partnerships in organizing promotional activities, such as regional events to promote reading. They could also pool their expertise in the development of specialized services to reach specific groups (disabled, cultural communities, etc.). And serve some customers through services "without walls" (clubs and retirement homes, hospitals , literacy groups, etc..). This type of service already exists in Denmark, for example, since the early 1980s.

We know that across Quebec the rate of users is on average 31% and that there are significant differences from one region to another, with rates ranging from 19% to 40%. When comparing these data with other Canadian provinces where the rates can sometimes exceed 50%, it is unrealistic to think there is a pool of potential subscribers across the province. Moreover, given the nature of the factors that prevent some of the public to attend these public services and the negative consequences of social exclusion which is the case for citizens who live outside of reading, a higher rate of users must necessarily be based on new activities for cultural and community action to be more dynamic and better targeted.

To achieve these objectives, the Ministry of Culture and Communications will develop a program of engagement facilitators or mediators of the book that act as intermediaries between the library and the citizens whose task will be to:

• prioritize reaching people who do not attend public libraries;
• create animation activities with those persons involved in the living areas of the district;
• organize activities in the personalized library to help citizens to appropriate places and learn about the tools available books and documentaries;
• develope collaborations between the public library, school and child care to develop reading habits and interests of use libraries in the young customers;
• promote exchanges between citizens on presentation of books and entertainment activities around the original book;
• establish ongoing relationships with partners in social and community organizations concerned about reading and books.

Let us note that since the development of the policy by the Parti Québecois in 1998, the Observatoire de la culture et des communications du Québec has studied the situation of public libraries in Québec compared with other Canadian provinces. And it seems that Québec is doing better. Alas, Brownsburg-Chatham goes against the grain. The report is still hot and will be talked of shortly on this blog. Come again!

Inpsiring Libraries

The Library Design Showcase 2010 in the United States features 10 distinct sections, each highlighting one specific facet of library architecture or design.

It ranges from green libraries to historic style, from techs to focused on community.

Heritage and Public Library - The Françoise-Maurice Library in Coaticook

Located in a former post office,  the Coaticook library has 680 square meters and occupies 2 1 / 2 floors. It offers its citizens a collection of over 40,000 documents. The staff team includes a professional librarian in charge of management, a full time library technician , two  part time loan officers, and a contract employee in animation.

In order to compare apples with apples, here are the 2006 figures (Statistics Canada) for the population:

Coaticook:                  9204 - 680 square meters

Chatham-Brownsbrg: 6664 - 138 square meters

Network and closeness

Network ...

Two visitors to the blog raised the issue of the benefit derived from the strength of a network in the public library service (including a citizen from Saint-Philippe in Brownsburg-Chatham, whom unfortunately has not signed his comment). The Ministry of Culture and Communications also recognized in 1998 in its Politique de la  lecture et du livre (link in French): "No library can meet all the needs of its users, it must rely increasingly on the sharing of library resources and cooperation between all libraries to improve this service *. "

The Library of Brownsburg-Chatham is already part of Réseau BIBLIO, which is definitely an advantage. Thus, users have access to all affiliated libraries' collections. In 2 to 3 weeks, we receive books that we would not find otherwise on site (normal time for any library making loans between institutions). Also, the computer system can allow us to view the catalogs through Internet and to reserve books. The Network also provides users with access to encyclopedias, newspapers and softwares, through a licensing consortium. Not to mention the tools and management training for staff, which can then better serve customers.

The Politique de la lecture et du livre recommended collaboration of local libraries with a resource public library  located in a bigger city. It reminds you of something? Mayor Daniel Mayer told the local press recently that the Library of Lachute was no competing with those of Brownsburg-Chatham or Saint-André d'Argenteuil, that it was complementary**. He also said he did not see why all citizens of the MRC d'Argenteuil could not access it ***. The Library of Lachute would obviously be the main resource, the pillar of the network in the MRC.

The government policy also was conting on existing structures to create a regional network. With the new computer system installed in the Réseau BIBLIO, it will be possible to join in a network member libraries in Argenteuil in 5 minutes: those of Brownsburg-Chatham, Grenville, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge (which has 2 points of service , one at Pointe-au-Chêne and one at Pointe-Calumet). To nclude Lachute and Saint-André d'Argenteuil  libraries would be a matter of political will to resolve the technical details.

Imagine the strength of such a network, both in terms of professional and documentary resouces! Imagine how the opening hours could be harmonized in a way which would assure to all citizens of the MRC the best possibilities to access the service!

... And closeness

But beware, it would be wrong to believe that a single central library may be sufficient for all the MRC. Do we want a vibrant city center with dormitory suburbs around? It has been shown that the more the distance, the less services are used. The new trend in urban planning promotes the establishment of neighborhood where everything is accessible on foot as possible. The scope and geography of Brownsburg-Chatham makes such a goal unrealistic. But it is not because you must drive to the library that we should all make a trip a little longer pushing to Lachute. Besides, the Saint-Philippe library should never have lost its branch. In the Laurentians, 6 municipalities have more than one point of service on a large territory ****. Closeness of services allows the possibility to adapt to each library population and to better identify needs. Cultivating the unique identities nourishes the sense of belonging. And to counter illiteracy and school dropout, the MRC d'Argenteuil needs all the points of service possible.

The population of Brownsburg-Chatham amounts to nearly 7,000 people. We are not talking of a village with no resources. It deserves a library that meets the minimum standards in Québec. At the risk of repeting ouselves, it is undeniable that quality service is an asset for to keep current residents and to attract new ones.

* Ministère de la culture et des Communications. Le temps de lire, un art de vivre – Politique de la lecture et du livre. Tiré à part : « Les bibliothèques publiques », 1998.

** The Progress, February 27, 2010.

*** The Regional, March 2, 2010.

**** Lac-des-Peel, Mont-Laurier, Red River, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Amherst and Mont-Tremblant.

Testimonies 3

The council is studying various scenarios for a new library in a horizon of 1 or 2 years. Let us speak up and express our need and desire for a library as we deserve. Let us speak up and express our need and desire for a library as we deserve. Why do we believe our library to be important? What does she bring us? Or why are we not going? What would lead us to attend? What kind of library do we dream of? What inspiring and great libraries have we visited?

All your comments are important, be them short or elaborate, whether you are young or not so young. Thank you to indicate your name and city (and your organisation if applicable). The Coalition reserves the right to remove any comment demonstratring a lack of respect, with personal attacks and without signature or name of city. Go to the end of this message to write your own testimony. Click on "comment" to open the window if necessary.

 You can also send your comment by email (citbrownsburg-chatham@live.ca) as did this citizen from Saint-Léonard:

Reading is one of the best way to understand one's language. To speak it well, read it well and write it well. A library is a paradise of dreams, a knowledge space, a place of learning, a quiet place for meeting and sharing. The books, let's admit it, are very expensive. Who can really afford it? The budgets of individuals are often too tight and basic needs must be a top priority. Where is the reading in this case? Where can the parent find the books that will awaken and delight the children? Is not one of the criteria put forward by the Education Ministry: "Read to your children at an early age to teach them the joy of reading, desire to know and thus begin language learning"? With the "chatting" - conversations so often prized by the youth of today - we lose our language. The French will soon only exist in the form of verbal expression as the written one is getting lost.

My Library - St-Léonard - even offers a more personalized service to those unable to travel. It is obvious that not all municipalities have many points of service as does Montréal, where the books can move from one library to another. But is it not practical to have a place where you can "borrow" a book from another place? Saint-Léonard is not part of the library network in Montréal, but the library of Saint- Léonard can borrow a chosen book from Laval if it is to be found only there!

A library is important.

Good luck, do not give up.

Linda Bousquet

To read previous testimonies:

• http://citbrownsburg-chathameng.blogspot.com/2009/12/library-testimonies.html
• http://citbrownsburg-chathameng.blogspot.com/2010/03/testimonies-2-books-reading-from.html

New Libraries in Saint-Hippolyte and in Nouvelle

Two recent news:

• Saint-Hippolyte (population 7,219 in 2006 according to Statistics Canada) receives a grant of $600,200 for the construction of a library.
• Nouvelle (population 1815 in 2006 according to Statistics Canada) has inaugurated the premises of its new library March 12.

The recent Nouvelle library has 224 square meters of space. The Brownsburg-Chatham one, 138 square meters (for a population of 6,664 in 2006).

 Excerpt from the press release announcing the opening in Nouvelle:

The grant comes from the Québec government comes from the Plan québécois des infrastructures, announced in November 2007. Let us recall that the cultural component of this plan will enable the investment of 1.2 billion dollars through to 2013. Thanks to the participation of partners, it is expected to generate total investments valued at over $ 2 billion. These funds will enable the government to accommodate a larger number of projects under its current programs and to contribute more particularly, as the investment announced today, to city and regions throughout Québec.

Meanwhile, in Brownsburg-Chatham, we look at the parade.

Architectural Heritage in Saint-Jérôme

From the Web site of the City of Saint-Jérôme (in French), the presentation of a heritage guide detailing architectural influences at different times. Document to consult for anyone interested in heritage:

Discover the guide "Saint-Jérôme and Its Architecture" (in French)

Saint-Jérôme holds a wealth of architecture

St. Jerome is a city that has grown and evolved since it was founded nearly 200 years ago. The architectural landscape of the city has changed, obliterating the same time, several witnesses from the past, but we still find today many architectural treasures.

In the brochure "Saint-Jérôme and architecture guide-discovery and enhancement of built heritage" (in French), Saint-Jérôme discover and learn how to recognize the heritage buildings.

A tool for owners

This guide will be especially useful to support owners in their efforts to renovate and enhance heritage buildings while respecting the architectural qualities. Funding could even be available.

The document follows the study and inventory of built heritage of Saint-Jérôme which were made some years ago by the City and which have identified the buildings deserve special attention.

The guide was published with the contribution of the Ministry of Culture, Communications and Status of Women.

School Library and Public Library

Some may believe, rightly or wrongly, that our elected officials confuse school library and public library. Both are essential. They are certainly complementary. Here is what said the Ministry of Culture and Communications (originally in French):

The school library has an educational role that distinguishes it from the public library. Thus, the type of services offered by the school library is directly related to the implementation of curriculum, hence the importance of having in each school a place accessible to teachers and students where to find collections consisting of basic reference books. The school library does not yet meet all the needs of staff and students, and if we want the student to continue reading and using libraries after graduation, it is at school that these habits must be developed. Students should therefore be encouraged to read not only by obligation, but out of curiosity and pleasure. To do this, the school library should make available a varied collection including works of fiction and documentary. Cooperation between municipality and the school is a solution to enrich the choices offered by the school library. We must also develop an early habit of frequenting the public library.

Le temps de lire, un art de vivre – Politique de la lecture et du livre

(Tiré à part: "Les bibliothèques publiques")

Ministère de la culture et des communications, 1998

Experience suggests that, in general, a public library located in a school has less members from general public. Is this due to how the premises are organized and where the entrance is situated? Is it because the public perceives the institution to be addressing students more than them? Is it a matter of opening hours?

Certainly, a library such as that of Bromont * allows one to dream with its green architecture and its open spaces. It calls to drop any reluctance to the coexistence of the school entity and the public, at least for those sensitive to the green arguments.

* 6049 population in 2006 according to Statistics Canada

Let us recall here that the coalition We Deserve Better is open to any reasonable proposal for relocating the municipal library. There would then be a need to find a vocation to the Roussell house.

Municipal Council's Reaction - City Has No Money, Really?

As indicated on our blog January 14, 2010, the Coalition We deserve better presented to City Council on January 5 its official demands. We asked for a response by early February 2010.


On February 9, 2010, during a telephone conversation between Cynthia Dubé, a member of the coalition, and Mrs. Paul Blain Clotteau, Advisor to the City of Brownsburg-Chatham, the latter reported not having received such formal requests. Cynthia Dubé then transmitted them directly by email that same day. On 22 February, Mrs. Clotteau sent an unsigned email, reproduced here in full (originally in French):

Hello, we have received your message. The library is in our future projects, but the current state of the city's finances is, and you will surely understand it, that we are handling the most urgent matters, the state of infrastructure in our municipality is currently in our priorities.

The Mayor, Mr. Georges Dinel had also made statements to the local press that the city's finances were disastrous.

The 2009 financial profile of Brownsburg-Chatham available on the website of the Ministry of Affaires municipales, Régions et Occupation du territoire nonetheless suggests that it compares very well with other cities.

The total long-term net debt per $100 of RFU (richesse foncière uniformisée in French) and the long-term debt per capita are hardly superior to other municipalities of the MRC d'Argenteuil, but equivalent to those of the administrative region Laurentides and all of Québec.

The standardized overall rate of taxation (TGT in French) is below the average of municipalities of the same class (2000 to 9999 population), as well as of those of the MRC d'Argenteuil, the Laurentides administrative region and throughout Québec .

As hard as we search for the catastrophe, we do not see it in these numbers.

The provincial government also provides grants for infrastructure projects (sewers, water pipes, etc.)

The Magic of the Library

A Fun video Presentation of The University of Bergen.


This link was discovered on the bibliothécaire errant's blog, who suggests another blog to read in his message of February 22nd, 2010... Thank you, bibliothécaire errant!

Quotes

Quand on pense au patrimoine légué par les générations qui nous ont précédé, on constate que le livre en est le véhicule le plus important. Il est à ce point marquant qu'on a identifié les périodes du temps qui ont précédé et succédé à l'avènement de l'écriture comme étant la préhistoire et l'histoire.

Jean-Paul Baillargeon,
Plaidoyer pour une bibliothèque publique culturelle – Dix défis à relever

Library of Alexandria

(Image taken from a video game: Cleopatra - A Queen's Destiny)

Presumed site of the famous library:

Knowledge is free at the library. Just bring your own container.

Unknown

The State of Public Libraries in Québec in 2004

Excerpt taken from Réjean Savard's conclusions in État des lieux du livre et des bibliothèques - Chapitre 13: "Les bibliothèques publiques de 1995 à 2001", Observatoire de la lecture et des communications du Québec, 2004.


Although the text dates back to 2004, it is entirely appropriate to our current situation.

Given that Québec is proud to be the province most open to culture, we must admit that the figures for the libraries are somewhat troubling. Even if the statistics of recent years indicate improved inputs, the comparison with Ontario and British Columbia shows that this progress is entirely relative.

Quàbec does not yet seem to have understood the importance of a good network of public libraries in the knowledge society. The cost of libraries is often perceived as an expense when it is in fact an investment. Compared to other utilities, Québec still invests much less in public libraries.

It is obvious that Quàbec could not catch up the backlog in terms of the reading public: we know that for a long time, developing tis growing sector has been the subject of a filibuster from the clergy first, then from conservative politicians (the "Duplessis"), that reading was reserved for the elite and was not essential to social development. One wonders sometimes if there does not remain a relic of the anti-intellectualism in Québec.

Our governments nevertheless praise the information society in which we enter, and for which we must "be prepared". How can we think that Quebecers are ready to compete with other societies in the knowledge world if their skills in writing and reading are so poor? We know that in some districts of Montréal, the illiteracy rate reached almost 25% of the population.

The public library network can be a key strategy to allow a society to make the most in the information society. The recent World Summit on the Information Society has well demonstrated it. Some countries like Finland, whose size and population can be compared to those in Québec, public libraries are the cornerstone of their strategy to access the information society. Unesco has been supporting for several years a manifesto on the public library, making it the main key access to knowledge. This manifesto is published in 24 languages and supported by the governments of several countries. In other countries, municipalities are mobilizing to develop reading their citizens and create, as in France, an association of "Villes-Lecture".

The virtual and new technologies alone will not allow a society to respond adequately to the challenges of the Information Society. The premise is to encourage the public to read more and learn better, what public libraries well equipped and well organized can do well.

Developing and Revitalizing Rural Communities through Arts and Culture

This is serious.  Arts Research Monitor has reported of a series of reports on Developing and Revitalizing Rural Communities through Arts and Creativity commissioned by The Creative City Netword of Canada.

The summary overview of these reports sets the context: “As rural communities re-envision and reposition themselves, they are seeking to revitalize, diversity their economic base, enhance their quality of life, and reinvent themselves for new functions and roles.” Important challenges in rural communities include declining or aging populations, youth retention, as well as limited social and economic opportunities.

In this context, the report argues that “arts, culture and heritage are viewed not only as amenities to improve the quality of life, but as a foundation upon which the future of these rural/small communities rests. The arts and creative activities can profoundly affect the ability of a town not only to survive over time, but to thrive.” Rural festivals, events and facilities can help create and maintain rural identities, foster a collective sense of belonging, as well as enable community-building and community cohesion. However, the report also recognizes that “the extent of cultural/creative work occurring in rural communities tends to be undercounted, under-recognized, and often undervalued”.

The report notes that artists and other creative workers can be drawn to rural areas by the quality of life, an appealing landscape, lower rents, strong artistic concentrations, access to urban markets, opportunities for part-time employment, a local organizational catalyst, or the overall size of the community or region.

According to the report, critical ingredients in rural artistic vitality include:

-“An underlying appreciation and attitude of acceptance toward local culture, history, people and assets, and a community’s ‘sense of place’;

-A valuing of the arts in everyday life, and an inclusive encouragement of broad-based participation;

-Key leadership roles representing the broad community, and a community-based coalition willing to work towards a common goal;

-Social networks of key volunteers and arts supporters”; and

-Cultural infrastructure development.

Testimonies 2 - Books, Reading, From Generation to Generation

My grandparents, Albert Tremblay and Margaret Roy, had 15 children, whom they raised in Saint-Clément, a village located near Rivière-du-Loup, Bas-Saint-Laurent. He was a blacksmith, she, a dressmaker. They have also been farmers for 17 years and traders for seven years (general store).

 

My grandmother had a 6th grade, but she loved to read. This leisure ativity was of such importance she would not have missed for all the gold in the world the Sunday pilgrimage to church, where was located the library (magnificent church, by the way). At that time the village had 1200 residents. My grandmother and her children were standing in line to choose unpretentious readings . Because my grandmother loved to read, she could write with very little spelling mistakes. And it is through writing that she offered a gift of family history, by giving each child a book recounting the birth of all of them. Because love is told with words, and so history.

 

In 1980, my aunt Yolande Tremblay moved the library out of the church of to the Recreation Center. This will be the first library affiliated to the central library loans Ports. It is with pride that I learned recently that the Bas-Saint-Laurent region has the highest rate of library use (text to come on the blog). The population of Saint-Clément is today around 530. The library service is still available, now in the community center. This little town has lost the post office despite the fierce resistance of the people who occupied the premises for 59 days. Never mind, it created the first Center for Community Internet Access in eastern Quebec in the disused Canada Post premises. Moreover, despite its smallness, the community has a development officer. It is never too small to think big.

 

I always saw my mother with a book in her hands before going to sleep at night and she often slept on his book. It was natural for her to offer me books as gifts. They were beautiful surprisesand I appreciated them . And I as well read in front of my children. The books go from the night table to the kitchen, from the office to the living room and, yes, to the bathroom ... In my children's bedrooms, there are shelves for books that they can reach. And we visit the municipal library. For the pleasure of discovery, for the pleasure of getting suggestions relating to concerns of the day (fear of bugs taste for mixing colors, interest in the sounds we hear ...) My elder, which is three years old, takes pleasure in reading the same volumes throughout the duration of the loan, so much so that he can fill himself sentences, sometimes even repeating them word for word.

 

That is how I want to educate my children: by giving them the words that will allow them to interact with others, create, think objectively and independently, to express their opinions and their rights and thus to participate fully in society.

 

Cynthia Dubé
Brownsburg-Chatham resident

The council is studying various scenarios for a new library in a horizon of 1 or 2 years. Let us speak up and express our need and desire for a library as we deserve. Let us speak up and express our need and desire for a library as we deserve. Why do we believe our library to be important? What does she bring us? Or why are we not going? What would lead us to attend? What kind of library do we dream of? What inspiring and great libraries have we visited?

 

All your comments are important, be them short or elaborate, whether you are young or not so young. Thank you to indicate your name and city (and your organisation if applicable). The Coalition reserves the right to remove any comment demonstratring a lack of respect, with personal attacks and without signature or name of city. Go to the end of this message to write your own testimony. Click on "comment" to open the window if necessary.

 

You can also send your comment by email (citbrownsburg-chatham@live.ca).

To read other testimonies:

• http://citbrownsburg-chathameng.blogspot.com/2009/12/library-testimonies.html
• http://citbrownsburg-chathameng.blogspot.com/2010/04/testimonies-3.html

Philippe Girard, saved by a book

Philippe Girard, a talented Quebecker cartoonist , has received several awards for his books. He is the author of Killing Velasquez, an autobiographical album that addresses the subject of pedophilia. Killing Velasquez has enabled him to free himself of an episode of his life long kept secret, but hopefully, he hopes, to also help victims of this crime.

http://pilule.telequebec.tv/occurrence.aspx?id=693
(text and television extract both in French)


Did he need to write to save himself? No, he had to read Bob Morane...

Valuing Heritage - Cacouna's example

When beauty is inviting.

http://cacouna.net/circuitPatrimonial_e.htm

Quotes

C’est un grand crime que de ne pas mettre une bibliothèque ordonnée à la portée de l’enfant qui aime lire. En cela plus qu’en n’importe quelle autre chose, le temps perdu ne se retrouve pas.


Claire Martin, La Joue droite

Libraries in Ghana (text in French)

Four out of 10 adult Canadians, age 16 to 65 - representing 9 million Canadians - struggle with low literacy.

ABC Canada

Quotes

"L'univers (que d'autres appellent la Bibliothèque)"


Jorge Luis Borges

Bibliothèque infini par Job Koelewijn

"Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest."

Lady Bird Johnson

One Less Employee at B.-C. Library

The council had announced the abolition of a position at the library by the end of 2009. He seemed to have questioned this decision because there were still three employees on duty in January 2010. This is no longer the case. Since February, they are only two to hold the fort.

When the Coalition "We deserve better" had met the council, the mayor and some councilors said that the library was important but it is simply not a top priority. There are emergencies. The fact that the library has been waiting for fifteen years does not change anything. Let's keep on waiting! It will be relocated in two years, maybe three. We were told the project has to be well prpared. However, the hesitation waltz on the abolition of a post does not look like an action well weighed, nor the various relocation scenarios that have been put forth (use of school premises in Bouchard school or sub - floor of the new Youth Center, or provide for a joint construction with the future hockey school).

Question: Until then, is it the intention to stifle the library? Under finance mangement pretenses, we subtract a few thousand dollars in a city budget of over eight million dollars. Mr. Mayor said to the community television wanting to cut promotion conducted by one of the library employees and thus keep her at the counter to serve customers. Asked about what the promotion is, he has failed to answer. Ignorance of the role of library staff does nothing to reassure. Does anyone believe that the library is operated as is a grocery store and needs only to have books placed on shelves, as products? What will happen when one of the two employees will be sick or on vacation? The library will obviously have to close the door and not respect the opening hours as displayed.

According to the Québec minimum standard, the library of a city the size of Brownsburg-Chatham must have three full-time employees, plus a professional librarian. The issue is no longer here just to question the merits of the proposed relocation of the library put forward by the previous administration. The current Board demonstrates how little importance it attaches to the cultural services he has yet to provide its population.

Libraries - The New Cultural Destination

Taken from L'Unique of Decembre 2009 (UNEQ's publication)

Lanaudière - Linda Amyot

Too often forgotten, the extraordinary work of many libraries in Québec to promote literature, however, deserves recognition. It is in this spirit that was created this year the new price Bibliothèque Grand Prix Desjardins de Lanaudière culture. A similar price will be awarded next year in other regions of Québec. "The library has changed," says Johanne Gaudreau, head of Animation, promotion et communication of Réseau Biblio Centre-du-Québec, Lanaudière and Mauricie. "It is now recognized as a place of cultural diffusion, dynamic and accessible, especially for less wealthy families. Elected officials have now understood their role, as demonstrated by such investments for the construction and renovation of public libraries. "Libraries teams are demonstrating ingenuity to enliven and promote books and reading: author lectures, book bingo, story time, sections dedicated to local writers, book club, etc. "The library has become a destination in itself, where we no longer go just in passing. We take an evening or afternoon to browse, discover, read, relax, attend a lecture, participate", says Chantal Brodeur, director of the library Repentigny, winner of 2009 new library award.

There is also the Prix Gérard Desrosiers awarded to municipalities for the quality of their library premises.

Les Arts et la Ville

A non-profit organization founded in 1987, Les Arts et la Ville reunites municipal and cultural organisations to promote, support and defend the cultural and artistic development of municipalities.

With its 488 municipalities and 170 cultural organizations as members, the network currently has more than 2 000 people - elected and municipal officials, artists and cultural workers - concerned by the local cultural development.

The organisation has developed a tool for municipal interverners: La valise culturelle de l'élu municipal.

La valise culturelle de l'élu municipal aims to assist the elected officials responsible for cultural issues in the exercise of their functions. Who are the main stakeholders in the cultural system and what is the role of the municipality in terms of culture? What planning tools and management features does it have to intervene in this sector? What are the financial programs available? 

Of interest: the Argenteuil MRC is a member of the network.

Also, no need to be a big city to join. Here is the list of municipalities in Quebec of 10,000 or less population who are members (Statistics Canada 2006):

Baie-Saint-Paul (7 288)            Bromont (6 049)
Cantley (7 926)                          Chelsea (6 703)
Chibougamau (7 563)               Coaticook (9 204)
Deschambault-Grondines (2 032)
Farnham (7 809)                         L'Islet (3 840)
La Pocatière (4 575)                   La Sarre (7336)
Lac-aux-Sables (1 312)              Lac-Brome (5 629)
Lac-Etchemin (4 045)               
Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan (430)
Lorraine (9 613)                         Mont-Joli (6 568)
Mont-Tremblant (8 892)            Natashquan (264)
New Richmond (3 748)             Nicolet (7827)
Otterburn Park (8 464)              Perce (3 419)
Port-Cartier (6 758)                   Richelieu (5 208)
Saint-Antonin (3 780)         
Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville (1 570)
Saint-Didace (668)                     Saint-Donat (4 297)
Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré (2 985)
Saint-Jean-Port-Joli (3 363)   
Saint-Pierre-les-Becquets (1 183)
Saint-Placide (1 642)      
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts (9 679)
Sainte-Anne-des-Monts (6 772) 
Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval (3 790)
Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier (5 021)
Sayabec (1 953)                          Sutton (3 805)
Trois-Pistoles (3 500)               Val-David (4 216)