2014/01/04
New Information about the closure of major science research libraries in Canada…
For what has been financially gained, the loss is scandalous. See the report in the Huffington Post, Jan. 3, 2014 entitled, “How the Harper Government Committed a Knowledge Massacre” which states:
“Scientists are calling it “libricide.” Seven of the nine world-famous Department of Fisheries and Oceans [DFO] libraries were closed by autumn 2013, ostensibly to digitize the materials and reduce costs. But sources told the independent Tyee in December that a fraction of the 600,000-volume collection had been digitized. And, a secret federal document notes that a paltry $443,000 a year will be saved.”
There is more encouraging news. Share with colleagues and politicians. The CBC Fifth Estate is airing a special about this situation on January 10, 2014 entitled, “Silence of the Labs”
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/m/episodes/2013-2014/the-silence-of-the-labs
View this post in: French
2014/01/20 @ 9:04 pm
Dear Sirs/Madams,
Surely an association such as yours can be more proactive on this scandalous situation of library closures and collection loss, rather than simply point to other websites for the stories. For marine and aquatic science in Canada, despite the good intentions of remaining librarians, the impact of the closures across the country, the dismantling of regionally important collections, the loss of non-digitized materials, and the loss of the librarians and their skilled advice and assistance within the research institute, is going to be huge – harder access to essential materials, lower quality research, less informed input to EIAs, possible less informed health research and advice, etc. It is time for the Library Associations and their members across the country to speak out, individually and collectively. To remain essentially silent is unacceptable. Do we no longer value the collective knowledge of the nation?
Peter Wells
Environment Canada (retired)
Dalhousie University,
Halifax, NS.
2014/01/24 @ 1:15 pm
Dear Peter,
The steering committee for CAPAL fully concurs with your suggestion, in fact, that is exactly why CAPAL was formed, just one year ago. We have been actively monitoring what has been transpiring and have been in contact with the Royal Society of Canada’s Expert Panel on the Library and Archives Canada situation, the Scientists Right to Know group, http://scientistsfortherighttoknow.wildapricot.org/ and are currently compiling information what has been transpiring in the library environment. The message is going out, although perhaps too slowly to be of significance for the libraries which have been closed. We will shortly release a statement. In the meantime, it is important to document what is happening. Please forward any information or contacts you have regarding what has and might transpire to the CAPAL email: capalibrarians@gmail.com . Thank you.