Mr. Speaker, return to Written Question 11-13(4) asked by Mr. Picco to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment concerning community libraries. On February 4, 1997 the Member for Iqaluit requested information on community libraries concerning:

1. The funding allocated in the 1997-98 budget for training and ongoing support services for libraries and library staff in the Baffin and Keewatin Regions.

Funding for local librarian training and ongoing support services in both the Baffin and Keewatin Regions is provided through the regional O and M budget. O and M budgets for Baffin and Keewatin are as follows:

REGION 1996/97 1997/98

Baffin $26,000 $26,000

Keewatin $15,000 $15,000

The funding for local librarian training in the western Arctic is provided through the budget from headquarters in Hay River. Libraries in the western Arctic receive funding support from the GNWT to cover salaries only. All other services are provided directly from headquarters in Hay River.

Ongoing support services, such as: centralized ordering, receiving, cataloguing, processing, database and automated library system maintenance, are provided to all regions from headquarters. All the library materials purchased, including books, videos and audio cassettes, have been allocated to the western Arctic, the Baffin region and the Keewatin region. One-half of the resources are allocated to the east and one-half to the west.

2. The number of training workshops provided by the headquarters staff, the headquarters staff in the Baffin and Keewatin and the regional librarians in the Baffin and Keewatin.

Training is provided by headquarters staff for all regional staff.

a) Training related to implementation of new systems is provided through workshops.

In 1996 fifteen individual on-site workshops were provided for libraries in the western Arctic; that is, libraries in Inuvik, Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith and the Legislative Library in Yellowknife. These workshops enabled staff to become familiar with changes in the computerized systems, as libraries in these communities became able to access the systems.

Similar training workshops for regional staff in Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet were not provided in 1996 since they were not yet able to access the on-line systems to the same level. Once the Digital Communications Network has been enhanced in these communities in 1997-98 similar on-site training workshops will be delivered.

Smaller libraries operate according to the Local Librarian Handbook with assistance from headquarters and a local library board as needed.

b) Ongoing training in procedural updates and problem solving is also provided:

- by telephone and electronic mail as part of daily routine work at headquarters;

- through the Local Librarian Handbook which is updated and revised at headquarters as needed.

In 1992 there was a general training workshop in Iqaluit for both the Baffin and Keewatin community librarians held by the territorial librarian with the participation of the regional librarians. In 1994 and 1995 general workshops were provided in Iqaluit by the Baffin regional librarian for all Baffin community librarians. There was no workshop in 1996; however, regional librarians in the Baffin and Keewatin regions also provide additional ongoing training within their regions during visits to communities and by telephone and electronic mail.

3. Confirmation that the Baffin region is the only region where all library holdings are completely documented in the system.

All the collections from the six local libraries have been entered into the on-line database, partly by regional staff and partly by headquarters staff.

4. Identification of the contract or contact position available to consult with community librarians in the Baffin about local issues such as relations with hamlet councils, education authorities and school principals.

The regional superintendents for Education, Culture and Employment will provide this service in the Baffin and Keewatin regions. This service is already provided by regional superintendents in the western Arctic.

5. Confirmation that community libraries in the Baffin and Keewatin will be able to recover all expenses from this department for additional long distance charges for telephone, fax or computer to headquarters or Yellowknife rather than the regional centre.

The need for calls to headquarters or Yellowknife from the Baffin and Keewatin regions is not expected to be significantly increased since initial contact will be with the regional library technician. This position will still be based in Iqaluit and will continue to provide ongoing advice and support to community librarians in the east. The regional superintendent will also provide support and either the library technician or the regional superintendent can call headquarters staff to provide direct help to community librarians at headquarters' expense if such support is required.

In addition, the Digital Communications Network will provide more economical communications between all communities as they become connected, thereby reducing telephone, fax and computer links to headquarters.