B.C. municipal leaders Sept. 19 overwhelmingly endorsed a request that the province increase annual core funding to B.C.’s libraries to $30 million.
A Union of B.C. Municipalities annual general meeting resolution brought by Port Alberni said core funding hasn’t increased since 2009.
The stagnation has limited libraries’ ability to expand and evolve their programming as service demand increases.
“The operational requirements of public libraries increasingly require significant and diverse resources to provide front-line community services, including supporting patrons with mental health and addiction issues as well as barriers to housing, providing critical locations of refuge during extreme weather events, providing services to new Canadians, and supporting the process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples,” the resolution said.
The resolution also said an increase in core funding should be increased on a yearly basis in keeping with cost of living and inflationary pressures.
