Canadian Federation of Library Associations
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The Canadian Federation of Library Associations / Fédération canadienne des associations de bibliothèques (CFLA-FCAB) is a
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
federation of Canada’s
library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
associations. It was incorporated on 16 May 2016 and replaced the
Canadian Library Association The Canadian Library Association (CLA) was a national, predominantly English-language association which represented 57,000 library workers across Canada. It also spoke for the interests of the 21 million Canadians who are members of libraries. C ...
(CLA). The CFLA-FCAB’s stated mission is to be “the united voice of
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
’s libraries” and its stated vision is to influence public policy and advance the success of libraries. Membership is open to associations, groups or corporations that further the interests of the Canadian library community and entails an annual membership fee. The CFLA-FCAB's stated strategic priorities are to amplify the influence and impact of libraries in national and international
public policy Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to solve or address relevant and real-world problems, guided by a conception and often implemented by programs. Public p ...
; anticipate and respond to the changing information environment by defining national policy positions to advance library excellence; raise the visibility of libraries as contributors to Canadian intellectual, social, and cultural life; and develop a sustainable organization to effectively support CFLA-FCAB’s mission and vision. CFLA-FCAB’s work is carried out through committees, public-facing position statements, and the creation of resources and reports, including the CFLA-FCAB Truth and Reconciliation Report and Recommendations. CFLA-FCAB also contributes and makes available its responses to federal government consultation requests, including on Canadian Content in a Digital World and the Canadian accessibility legislation.


History

The CFLA-FCAB was preceded by the
Canadian Library Association The Canadian Library Association (CLA) was a national, predominantly English-language association which represented 57,000 library workers across Canada. It also spoke for the interests of the 21 million Canadians who are members of libraries. C ...
(CLA), which had struggled to maintain financial stability and membership in the complex twenty-first century library sector, despite its 68-year history.Future Federation Working Group. (2015). Toward a Federation of Library Associations in Canada. http://cfla-fcab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Proposal_Cdn_federation_library_associations_Final_2015_12_18_EN.pdf The CFLA-FCAB was created in response to the need for stronger national representation across the diverse range of Canadian libraries, including
academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...
,
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...
,
school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes comp ...
, and
special Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer Literature * ''Specia ...
libraries. In January 2015, the CLA’s Executive Council began formal discussions to address the sustainability challenges it was facing. On December 18, 2015, the Future Federation Working Group released a proposal to dissolve the CLA and form “a new federation that unites, supports, and represents the diverse library communities that make up anada'slibrary ecosystem”. The model was conceived of as an ‘association of associations’ and was inspired by the
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of people who rely on libraries and information professionals. An independent, non-governmental, not-for-p ...
(IFLA). In January 2016, at a Special Meeting of the membership, members voted to dissolve the CLA and to create the CFLA-FCAB. The new Federation was formally incorporated on 16 May 2016. The inaugural CFAB-FCAB Annual General Meeting was held on 1 February 2017 in
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. The inaugural CFLA-FCAB National Forum was held on 2 May 2018 in
Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 census, Regina had a city populatio ...
and focused on topics of
Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
and
intellectual freedom Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas without restriction. Viewed as an integral component of a democratic society, intellectual freedom protects an individual's right to access, explore, consider, and ...
. CFLA-FCAB is a current member of IFLA.


List of CFLA-FCAB Member Associations

* AMPLO - Administrators of Medium-Sized Public Libraries of Ontario * ABPQ - Association des Bibliothèques Publiques du Québec * ABQLA - L’Association de Bibliothécaires du Québec / Quebec Library Association * APLA - The Atlantic Provinces Library Association * Association of British Columbia Public Library Directors * BCLA - British Columbia Library Association * BCLTA - British Columbia Library Trustees Association * CALL / ACBD - Canadian Association of Law Libraries / Association Canadienne des Bibliothèques de Droit * CAPAL / ACBAP - The Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians / L’Association Canadienne des Bibliothécaires en Enseignement Supérieur * CARL / ABRC - Canadian Association of Research Libraries / Association des Bibliothèques de Recherche du Canada * CCA - Canadian Council of Archives / Conseil canadien des archives * CHLA / ABSC - Canadian Health Libraries Association / Association des bibliothèques de la santé du Canada * CSL - Canadian School Libraries * CULC / CBUC - Canadian Urban Libraries Council / Conseil des Bibliothèques Urbaines du Canada * ELA - Ex Libris Association * FOPL - Federation of Ontario Public Libraries / La Fédération du Bibliothèques Publiques de l’Ontario * LAA - Library Association of Alberta * MLA - Manitoba Library Association * Nunavut Library Association * NLLA - Newfoundland and Labrador Library Association * NSLA - Nova Scotia Library Association * NWTLA - Northwest Territories Library Association * OLA -
Ontario Library Association The Ontario Library Association (OLA) was established in 1900 and is the oldest continually operating library association in Canada. With 5,000 members, OLA is also the largest library association in Canada and among the 10 largest library associ ...
* SLA - Saskatchewan Library Association * Yukon Library Association


Truth and Reconciliation Committee

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee (T&R Committee) was mandated from 30 September 2016 - 1 February 2017. Before the dissolution of the CLA in 2016, this body prioritized the need to advance the 94 Calls to Action that were issued in 2015 by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada. In keeping with this prioritization, the first committee to be created under the new CFLA-FCAB was the T&R Committee. Chaired by Camille Callison (founding CFLA-FCAB member and Indigenous Representative, 2015-2019 ), the T&R Committee delineated ways that libraries, archives, and cultural memory institutions can support the Calls to Action and can become more welcoming to, inclusive of, and respectful towards Indigenous peoples and communities. The Committee also consulted with Indigenous Elders, including Norman Meade and Marlene Kayseas.


Teams

Guided by Elder Norman Meade, Callison used the model of the
medicine wheel To some indigenous peoples of North America, the medicine wheel is a metaphor for a variety of spiritual concepts. A medicine wheel may also be a stone monument that illustrates this metaphor. Historically, most medicine wheels follow the basic ...
to organize the T&R Committee and the focused teams within it. The T&R Committee teams were formed as follows: * Black Team: tasked with compiling best practices already in place across libraries and Indigenous communities; * White Team: provided a gap analysis on the 94 Calls to Action; * Yellow Team: focused on existing relationships, including the development of a living contact database * Red Team: focused on strategies for the future, including through recommendations regarding access, classification, Indigenous knowledge protection,
decolonization Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...
of library spaces, and outreach and service.


Outputs

The T&R Committee created the CFLA-FCAB Truth and Reconciliation Committee Report and Recommendations, which were released publicly on 20 April 2017 and include recommendations for long-term actions that the CFLA-FCAB, its members, and cultural heritage institutions more broadly can undertake to support Indigenous peoples living in what is now known as Canada. The Report was presented at the CFLA-FCAB 2017 Annual General Meeting in the presence of the International Indigenous Librarians’ Forum Mauri Stone. The report consolidates the recommendations from each of the four teams to offer 10 overarching recommendations: # creation of a "Standing Committee on Indigenous Matters utilizing the medicine wheel framework developed by the Truth & Reconciliation Committee" within CFLA-FCAB # endorsement for the CFLA-FCAB Position Statement on Library and Literacy Services for Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) Peoples of Canada # "encourage libraries, archives and cultural memory institutions to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 94 Calls to Action, several of which have been identified as having a direct impact on libraries and archives and are prioritized in this report, and to implement a status report on a yearly basis to monitor their implementation" # ensure accessibility of material produced and programming planned, including with the support of CELA (the Center for Equitable Library Access) and NNELS (the National Network for Equitable Library Service) # "decolonize Access and Classification by addressing the structural biases in existing schemes of knowledge organization and information retrieval arising from colonialism by committing to integrating Indigenous epistemologies into cataloguing praxis and knowledge management" # "decolonize Libraries and Space by recognizing and supporting Indigenous cultures, languages and knowledges through culturally appropriate space planning, interior design, signage, art installations, territorial acknowledgements of geographic-specific traditional territories and public programming in collaboration with local Indigenous stakeholders" # "enhance opportunities for Indigenous library, archival and information professionals as well as the inclusion of Indigenous epistemologies in the Canadian library and archives profession through culturally appropriate pedagogy, recruitment practices, professional and continuing education and cross-cultural training in collaboration with local Indigenous stakeholders and partners" # "recommend the implementation of Indigenous Knowledge Protection protocols and agreements with local and other Indigenous groups who have holdings in libraries, archives and/or cultural memory institutions to respect the Indigenous cultural concept of copyright with regard to Indigenous history or heritage, which is often located in but not limited to oral traditions, songs, dance, storytelling, anecdotes, place names, hereditary names and other forms of Indigenous knowledge; recommend that CFLA-FCAB actively participate in reforming the
Canadian Copyright Act The ''Copyright Act'' of Canada is the federal statute governing copyright law in Canada. It is jointly administered by the Department of Industry Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage. The ''Copyright Act'' was first passed in 1921 and s ...
to include protection of Indigenous knowledge and languages while advocating for changes to include
traditional knowledge Traditional knowledge (TK), indigenous knowledge (IK) and local knowledge generally refer to knowledge systems embedded in the cultural traditions of regional, indigenous, or local communities. According to the World Intellectual Property Organ ...
as outlined and recommended by the
World Intellectual Property Organization The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; french: link=no, Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishi ...
(WIPO) – Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore. We join the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in calling upon Library and Archives Canada to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action #69 (Appendix D) by fully implementing the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP or DOTROIP) is a legally non-binding resolution passed by the United Nations in 2007. It delineates and defines the individual and collective rights of Indigenous peoples, including th ...
(UNDRIP) and the Updated Set of Principles for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights through Action to Combat Impunity (2005), more commonly known as the Joinet/Orentlicher Principles" # "establish an online database of 'living documents' to highlight existing Best Practices of Indigenous Services in libraries, archives, and cultural memory institutions that will serve as a foundation to help disseminate those best practices" with at least semi-annual updates # "maintain a database of Indigenous organizations or groups committed to preserving cultural memory primarily, but not limited to, libraries, archives, language preservation, cultural history/museums to build relationships; to support the development of an Indigenous association of library, archives and cultural memory institutions; and to support in principle the National Aboriginal Library Association (NALA) regarding their stated intent of developing First Nations public libraries on reserves." In 2017, the CFLA-FCAB implemented the first call of the Report by creating the Indigenous Matters Committee, which now carries on the work started by the T&R Committee. Among other of its outputs, the T&R Committee started collaborations with the
University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...
that led to the launch of the Indigenous Canada MOOC.


Professional committees


Cataloguing and Metadata Standards Committee

The CFLA-FCAB Cataloguing and Metadata Standards Committee (CMSC/CNSM) held its inaugural meeting on 1 September 2017. This Committee is mandated to undertake advocacy and provide advice regarding issues of
cataloguing In library and information science, cataloging ( US) or cataloguing ( UK) is the process of creating metadata representing information resources, such as books, sound recordings, moving images, etc. Cataloging provides information such as auth ...
and metadata standards. This Committee also oversees CFLA-FCAB’s representation on the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing (CCC) and on the Canadian Committee on Metadata Exchange (CCM). The CMSC/CNSM meets twice annually.


Canadian BIBFRAME Readiness Task Force

From 2018-2020, the CMSC/CNSM began a partnership with the Fédération des milieux documentaires (FMD), Library and Archives Canada (LAC), and the
Library of Parliament The Library of Parliament (french: Bibliothèque du Parlement) is the main information repository and research resource for the Parliament of Canada. The main branch of the library sits at the rear of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Otta ...
in order to prepare documents that could be used by CMSC/CNSM in response to the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...
’s planned migration from
MARC standards MARC (machine-readable cataloging) standards are a set of digital formats for the description of items catalogued by libraries, such as books, DVDs, and digital resources. Computerized library catalogs and library management software need to st ...
to the Bibliographic Framework (BIBFRAME) schema. The task force is called the Canadian BIBFRAME Readiness Task Force and its outputs include ‘A plain-language description of BIBFRAME and its potential impact on Canadian libraries’ report and the Task Force’s ‘Final Report’ in 2020 which includes a list of recommendations, including that BIBFRAME be included in
ALA Ala, ALA, Alaa or Alae may refer to: Places * Ala, Hiiu County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Valga County, Estonia, a village * Ala, Alappuzha, Kerala, India, a village * Ala, Iran, a village in Semnan Province * Ala, Gotland, Sweden * Alad, S ...
-accredited library school programs and that readiness surveys be conducted nationally before 2025.


Copyright Committee

The Copyright Committee was formed in December 2016 and is mandated to advise the CFLA-FCAB on matters of copyright and policy advocacy. The Committee also engages in collaboration and outreach with CFLA-FCAB members and the broader cultural heritage community both in Canada and internationally. The Copyright Committee meets monthly from June to September and reports to the CFLA-FCAB Board. The CFLA-FCAB website also includes a page that collects statements and resources related to copyright, including CFLA-FCAB’s position statements regarding ‘Indigenous Knowledge in Canada’s Copyright Act’ and ‘Fair Dealing’ in Canada’s Copyright Act.


Indigenous Matters Committee

The Indigenous Matters Committee was formed in 2017 following the work of the CFLA-FCAB’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee (T&R Committee). Camille Callison served as founding Chair (2017-2019). The Indigenous Matters Committee exists to ensure an ongoing commitment within the CFLA-FCAB to respond to the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC; french: Commission de vérité et réconciliation du Canada []) was a truth and reconciliation commission active in Canada from 2008 to 2015, organized by the parties of the Indian Reside ...
’s Calls to Action and to the T&R Committee’s 10 recommendations. The Indigenous Matters Committee works to promote collaborations among and between its members and other Canadian libraries, archives, and cultural memory institutions to implement these calls to action and makes annual progress reports to the CFLA-FCAB Board. In line with the T&R Committee’s recommendations, the Indigenous Matters Committee has also created an Indigenous Resources Hub on the CFLA-FCAB website.


Teams

The Indigenous Matters Committee continues the T&R Committee’s use of the
medicine wheel To some indigenous peoples of North America, the medicine wheel is a metaphor for a variety of spiritual concepts. A medicine wheel may also be a stone monument that illustrates this metaphor. Historically, most medicine wheels follow the basic ...
as a guiding structure and framework. Working groups for the Indigenous Matters Committee are divided into four teams: * Black Team: includes oversight of the Best Practices Database and tool kits; * Yellow Team: includes oversight of the Contacts Database and work with the National Indigenous Association; * White Team: includes gap analysis for Calls to Action and continuing work with Indigenous
MOOCs A massive open online course (MOOC ) or an open online course is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the Web. In addition to traditional course materials, such as filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets, man ...
; * Red Team: includes work with Indigenous knowledge protection,
copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educatio ...
,
subject heading In information retrieval, an index term (also known as subject term, subject heading, descriptor, or keyword) is a term that captures the essence of the topic of a document. Index terms make up a controlled vocabulary for use in bibliographic recor ...
s, and classification.


Intellectual Freedom Committee and Challenges Survey

Prior to 2016, the CLA conducted a survey known as the Annual Challenges Survey. When the CLA was dissolved, the CFLA-FCAB took over the administration of this survey, which is now known as the Intellectual Freedom Challenges Survey of Canadian Libraries. The survey is overseen by the CFLA-FCAB’s Intellectual Freedom Committee. The survey provides an annual list of reported challenges regarding library collections and policies across Canada and the survey results are published annually through the CFLA-FCAB website.


Programs


Accreditation

The CFLA-FCAB approaches and supports qualified librarians to serve on
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...
(ALA) review boards to assess Canadian library and information schools on an as-needed basis.


Canada Library Month and Canadian Library Workers’ Day

The CFLA-FCAB promotes and supports Canada Library Month in October, as well as Canadian Library Workers’ Day on the third Friday in October. This program was initially launched in 2006 by the CLA and is carried forward by the CFLA-FCAB, which announces an annual theme and provides promotional materials and resources for libraries in support of these events.


W. Kaye Lamb Award for Service to Seniors

The CFLA-FCAB partners with the Ex-Libris Association to offer the W. Kaye Lamb Award for Service to Seniors. Launched in 2002, the award can be granted to libraries of any type that provide innovative and excellent service to senior patrons and it is offered every two years (although only awarded when merited). The award includes a $500 cash prize. Past recipients are: *
Hamilton Public Library The Hamilton Public Library (HPL) is the public library system of Hamilton, Ontario. Services HPL services include the Local History and Archives department (formerly called Special Collections), which houses an extensive collection of local hi ...
(2018); * Ajax Public Library (2015); *
Coquitlam Public Library Coquitlam Public Library is a public library that serves Coquitlam, British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a ...
(2012); * Oshawa Public Libraries (2008); * Maple Ridge Public Library (part of Fraser Valley Regional Libraries) (2006); * Toronto Public Libraries (2004); *
Western Counties Regional Library Western Counties Regional Library is a regional public library with 10 branches serving the counties of Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth in southwestern Nova Scotia. Established in June 1969, the library has its headquarters at 405 Main Street in th ...
and
Calgary Public Library The Calgary Public Library (CPL) is a distributed library system featuring 21 branch locations including the Central Library. It is the second most used system in Canada (after the Toronto Public Library) and the sixth most used library system in ...
(joint winners 2002).


Leadership

The CFLA-FCLA current Board of Directors are listed below.


References

{{reflist


External links

Official website: http://cfla-fcab.ca/en/home-page/ Library associations Library-related organizations Organizations established in 2016 Canadian library associations Professional associations based in Canada Library-related professional associations Indigenous culture in Canada Truth and reconciliation reports