WHEREAS the Library Act prohibits the payment of a per diem to library board members for attendance at library board meetings; AND WHEREAS this results in local taxpayers being responsible for remuneration to elected representatives attending meetings that may not benefit those taxpayers: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of BC amend the Library Act to allow for remuneration of a per diem to library board members for attendance at library board and library board committee meetings.
Ministry of Education Todays Library Act is the result of extensive consultations with the public and with library stakeholders throughout the province, beginning with the publication of The New Approaches Ministerial Task Force on Public Libraries in 1988 and culminating in the 1993 White Paper for Public Review. Since the introduction of Bill 12, which became the Library Act of today, the complexion of the province has changed and so too has the business of running a modem library. Technology has driven an even greater need for change recognized in the 2004 Public Library Services Branch Strategic Plan, Libraries Without Walls. The provincial government remains open to considering the subject amendment along with other amendments identified from within government and from the larger library stakeholder community. The review of the Library Act is underway and ongoing and we are committed to ensuring BCs public library legislation remains relevant, useful, and productive.