Provincial Funding Levels for Libraries

Whereas the Vancouver Island Regional Library is the fifth largest library system in British Columbia, serving over 430,000 people on Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii and the Central Coast Bella Coola through 39 branch libraries, an e-Library and books by mail service; And whereas the Vancouver Island Regional Librarys focus has dramatically changed as our society has changed through technological advances in order to remain relevant, while the level of provincial funding has decreased from 21 per cent of total revenue in 1986 to five per cent of total revenue in 2016, leaving its member municipalities and regional districts to bear the increases through increased contributions while their capacity to continue to do so is severely limited: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon the provincial government to restore funding for the public library system to a level of 21 per cent of the core annual budget required to operate the library system in an efficient, effective and equitable manner for the local government taxpayer.