"The Canadian Coalition for School Libraries (CCSL) believes that school libraries are an integral component of a healthy public education system, to give our children the opportunity to become confident, productive Canadian citizens. As such, school libraries must be well-stocked, well funded, and professionally managed by qualified teacher librarians. The coalition's mission is to draw together a wide range of stakeholders -- including, but not limited to, parents, teacher-librarians, writers, educators, publishers, library wholesalers and literacy advocates -- in order to sponsor original research; provide policy analysis to decision-makers at all levels of government; develop new partnerships and approaches for fostering dynamic school libraries; and communicate the issues to the broader Canadian public."

On March 6, 2002, a group of concerned individuals gathered together for a preliminary meeting to discuss new ways to draw attention to the severe erosion of funding for school libraries in Canada. They formed the Canadian Coalition for School Libraries. The Coalition currently consists of representatives of the Canadian School Library Association, the Association of Canadian Publishers, People for Education, the Canadian Association of Children’s Librarians, as well as writers, academics and parents. Roch Carrier, National Librarian of Canada is the honorary chair.

Over the last few years, there has been a severe erosion of funding for school libraries across the country. This erosion is occurring even though there is mounting awareness among educators, parents and publishers that the decline in funding for books, resource materials and qualified teacher-librarians is having a deleterious effect on children’s schooling. In the United States, a growing body of research is demonstrating the critical role of a well-stocked, and professionally staffed school library in a successful school. Funding increases have followed. Canada seems to be headed in the opposite direction.

Honourary Chair:
Roch Carrier, National Librarian of Canada

We are in the process of gathering evidence of the depth of the crisis, and would appreciate it if you could recount your own experiences with school libraries in your own jurisdiction, and forward them to us, along with your contact information. As we proceed with our research and advocacy, we will incorporate the personal accounts into our presentations to policy makers. Please send your input to annie@peopleforeducation.com

For further information, please contact
Annie Kidder, People for Education, 416-534-0100.
Email inquiries may be directed to annie@peopleforeducation.co

Last updated: October 10, 2004

Helena Aalto, Freelancer

Stephen Abram, President-elect, Canadian Library Association (was 2002 President, Ontario Library Association)

Patsy Aldana, Groundwood Books, Association of Canadian Publishers

Marilyn Aldworth, District Librarian, Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre

Marlene Asselin, President, Canadian School Library Association (CSLA), co president, CASL. Associate Professor, Department of Language and Literacy Education, University of British Columbia

Pat Parker, Teacher-librarian, Kamloops, BC

Carolyn Beck, children's writer, CANSCAIP member

Sharon Bede, teacher-librarian

Helen Benoit, Youth Services Coordinator, Hamilton Public Library

David Bouchard, author

Paulette Bourgeois, children's author, member of CANSCAIP

Karleen Bradford, children's writer, member of CANSCAIP and The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC)

Jennifer Branch, Coordinator, Teacher-Librarianship by Distance Learning, University of Alberta, editor of School Libraries in Canada, and councillor in the Canadian Association for School Libraries or CASL

Gerald R. Brown, Consultant, School Library & Information Services, Winnipeg, Manitoba & Honorary Ambassador, International Association of School Librarianship(formerly, Chief Librarian, Winnipeg School Division.)

Michael Burris, Executive Director, British Columbia Library Association

Don Butcher, Executive Director, Canadian Library Association (CLA)

Roch Carrier, National Librarian, National Library of Canada

Peter Carver -- Children's Editor, Red Deer Press; former (for 20 years) writer of Freedom to Read kit; Instructor, Writing for Children courses at George Brown College.

Pat Cavill, President, Library Association of Alberta (LAA)

Gillian Chan, Children's author/Vice President, Canadian Society for Children's Authors Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP) and a member of TWUC

Susan Margaret Chapman, former elementary teacher-librarian, children's author, CANSCAIP friend

Richard Chase, retired teacher-librarian, Co-Chair of the Lethbridge

Children's Literature Roundtable, and Webmaster for the Rocky Mountain Book Award

Dianne Clipsham, Retired teacher-librarian and consultant; Creator of SLiP.cla.ca, and other web portals

Lena Coakley, IBBY Newsletter editor, CANSCAIP Friend

Maureen Colgan, Marketing Director, Orca Book Publishers

Sheila Cooper-Simon, President of Manitoba School Library Association:

Virginia Davis, Manager, Collection Development, S&B Books

Barb Dean, children's literature specialist, BCLA member

Benoit Desmarais, Quebec Booksellers Association (ALQ)

Maggie de Vries, editor, Orca Book Publishers, writer, member of CWILL BC, the VCLR, CANSCAIP and TWUC. Teaches at the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at UBC

Shannon Dineen, Training and Special Projects Coordinator, Kelowna Software

Jocelyne Dion, President of the Quebec Coalition for School Libraries,

and President of the Association pour la promotion des services documentaires scolaires (APSDS)

Joan Dixon, children's author and CANSCAIP member

Janice Douglas, Director of Youth Servies and Programs, Vancouver Public Library

Simone Doust, Editor, Raincoast Books

Mary Alice Downie, Writer of children and adult books/member of TWUC,PEN, Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia

Laurie Dunn, School Council volunteer

kc dyer, children's author, CANSCAIP member, member of TWUC's library & curriculum committee

Gwynneth Evans, Consultant, Libraries and Literacy Development

Karen Frederickson, teacher/librarian, Dawson Creek, BC

Patricia Gareth, teacher-librarian, Toronto

Linda Garland, teacher-librarian, Chetwynd BC

Rachna Gilmore, children's author, CANSCAIP member, TWUC member

Heather Godden Teacher-Librarian, President of NLTA Learning Resources Council and CSLA Executive Councillor.

Bernice Gold: Children's Author, member of CANSCAIP.

Lorraine Groul: teacher librarian, Ottawa

Donald Hamilton, Managing Editor School Libraries in Canada (SLC)

Val Hamilton, teacher-librarian, Vancouver; Executive member, Vancouver Teacher-Librarians' Association and the BCTLA.

Allison (Haupt) Taylor McBryde, CACL Member, Co-ordinator of Children's and Young Adult Services, North Vancouver District Public Library.

Diane Hayashi, teacher-librarian, Vancouver Island

Ken Haycock, Professor, UBC School of Library, Archival and Information Studies

Claire Hazzard, Head of Library and Information Services, St. Clement's School, Toronto, ON

Roberta (Bobbie) Henley, President, OSLA.

Randi Louise Hermans , British Columbia Teacher-librarians Association: Vice-president: Advocacy Teacher-librarian, East Chilliwack Elementary

Gloria Hersak, Chief Librarian, Library Media Services, Co-President Canadian Association for School Libriaries

Deborah Hodge, children's author, CANSCAIP member, former teacher, former curriculum writer, editor and instructional designer for the BC Ministry of Education

Shelley Hrdlitschka, children's author, CANSCAIP member and former teacher

Sandra Hughes, Newsletter Editor for IASL.

Anna Humphrey, Promotion and Communications Manager, League of Canadian Poets

Jacqueline Hushion, Executive Director, Canadian Publishers Council (CPC)

Valerie Hussey, Kids Can Press, Association of Canadian Publishers

Claire Hynes, teacher-librarian, Prince George, BC

Elsa Johnston, ACP Staff, Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP)

Myra Junyk, Program Co-ordinator of Language Arts and Library Services, TCDSB

Liz Kerr, Past President, Ontario Library Association

Annie Kidder, People for Education

Heather Kirk, author, college instructor, member of CANSCAIP and Writers' Union of Canada

Kootenay Lake Teacher-Librarian Association, represented by Wendy West and Chilliwack Teacher-Librarians Association, represented by Randi Hermans

Diane Langston, Manager, Children's Books and School Collection Development United Library Services, Inc. Calgary

Madeleine Lefebvre, President, CLA

Anne Letain, Primary Teacher-Librarian,Inter-Community School Zurich, CH- 8126 Zumikon (Switzerland)

Susan Leppington, former Consultant, Libraries York Region District School Board

John Lorinc, Journalist

Celia Lottridge, author, CANSCAIP member

Anne V. Lyle, Teacher-Librarian, Prince George, BC

Christine Macgeorge, Teacher Librarian in Australia.

Colleen MacMillan, Annick Press, Association of Canadian Publishers

Maria Martella, owner of Tinlids Inc.

Kim Martin, Library Technician

Martha Brack Martin, Teacher-Librarian, LaSalle, Ontario; Elementary Library Resource Initiative Steering Committee member; OSLA Exceptional Achievement Award recipient

Sheilagh Martin, Teacher-Librarian; President, North Vancouver Teacher-Librarian's Association

Judi McCallum, Manager, Markham Village Library Past-President, Canadian Association of Children's Librarians

Lori McCannel, Teacher Librarian, Guardian Angels School Dufferin Peel CDSB

Joan Miller, teacher-librarian, Regina Public Schools

Pam Wilson McCormick, Teacher Librarian, Pauline Johnson Secondary School, Brantford

Anne McClelland, Executive Director, Book and Periodical Council (BPC)

Karen McGrath, Chief Executive Officer, Lincoln Public Library

Barbara McNeil, 418 Black Dr., Regina SK

Catherine Mitchell, Tundra Books, Association of Canadian Publishers

Marcia Moorcroft, Teacher-Librarian, Peel District School Board

Larry Moore, Executive Director, Ontario Library Association (OLA)

Mary Moroska, Roslyn School Westmount, QC, English Montreal School Board

Susan Moroz, Teacher-Librarian, J.A. McWilliam Public School, Windsor; Elementary Library Resource Initiative Steering Committee member; OSLA Exceptional Achievement Award recipient

Rick Mulholland, Teacher-librarian, School District #41 (Burnaby)

Councillor Canadian Association for School Libraries (CASL), Senior Editor The Bookmark (BCTLA)

Robert Munsch, author

Judy Nicholson, Teacher-Librarian, Pilot Butte School, SSLA Past President

Alison Nussbaumer, President, British Columbia Library Association (BCLA)

John Daniel O'Leary, Director, Frontier College

Colleen O'Neill, Executive Director, Canadian Publishers' Council

Diane Oberg, Professor and Chair University of Alberta, Elementary Education

Edita Page, Executive Director, The League of Canadian Poets

Pat Parungao, Teacher-Librarian Consultant, Vancouver

Karin Paul, Teacher-Librarian, Past President, Canadian School Library Association

Shane Peacock, author, CANSCAIP member

Brian Peat, First Vice President, Ontario Federation of Home & School Associations (OFHSA)

Victoria Pennell, Editor, Resource Links

Donna Rea, National Book Service

Marilyn Richardson, Teacher-Librarian, Langley, BC, President of the Langley Teacher-Librarian's Association

Ken Roberts, President, OLA

Susan Robertson, President, OFHSA

Esther Rosenfeld, President, Ontario School Library Association (OSLA); District-wide Coordinator Library and Learning Resources Toronto District School Board

Paulette Rothbauer, faculty member, Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto

Elaine Rusnack, Retired Teacher, Coordinator of Weaving Words

Conferences, Member of Lethbridge Children's Literature Roundtable and the Rocky Mountain Book Award Committee

Margriet Ruurs, children's author, CANSCAIP member

Judy Ann Sadler, children's author, CANSCAIP member, TWUC member

Linda Shantz-Keresztes, Curriculum Liaison/Teacher-Librarian, Performing and Visual Arts Program at Central Memorial High School, President, Learning Resources Council of Alberta

Marsha Skrypuch, children's author and chair of the Library &

Curriculum committee for the Writers Union of Canada, listmistress of the canscaip listserv

Art Slade, children's author, CANSCAIP member, TWUC member

Judith Sykes, Principal & School Library Author/Consultant

Nikki Tate, children's author

Charlotte Teeple, Executive Director, Canadian Children's Book Centre:

April Tilson, teacher-librarian, Lord Beaverbrook High School, Calgary, Alberta

Christine Tripp, children's book illustrator, CANSCAIP member

Maxine Trottier, children's author, CANSCAIP member, TWUC member

Kathleen Turkington

Ross Tyner, Librarian, Okanagan University College

Irene Vaisnoras, Teacher-Librarian, Toronto Catholic District School Board, St. Benedict Catholic School

Yvonne van Lith, Coordonnatrice, Ottawa Public Library

Michelle Walters, President, Newfoundland and Labrador Library Association (NLLA)

Pierette Webster, Executive Advisor, National Library of Canada

Jean Weihs, Recording and Corresepondence, Secretary, Ex Libris Association

Andrew Wooldridge, Editor, Orca Book Publishers

Sylvia Wyse, LRT, former teacher-librarian.

Cathy Yusep, Specialist, Calgary Board of Education Professional Learning Centre

Werner Zimmermann, artist, illustrator, author. Member of CANSCAIP and TWUC

http://www.imls.gov/news/events/whitehouse.shtm - PEN Weekly NewsBlast (June 14, 2002)

The BC Teacher's Federation website is reporting specifically about teacher librarian cutbacks. Places like Comox have cut the entire teacher librarian program in their district, and Vancouver is slated to cut 124 fte's of non-enrolling teachers - largely ESL and Teacher Librarians. http://bctf.ca/bctla/cuts.html

http://www.peopleforeducation.com