Canadian Historical Association: Update on Service Cuts at LAC
From: Craig Heron [cheron@yorku.ca]
As you will have noticed, Library and Archives Canada has announced the creation of a new advisory board on services. Evidently, all the concerned citizens who wrote to Ian Wilson, the National Archivist, and the 500 who signed the student petition have had some effect. There are still many questions about the mandate of the board and its composition (the CHA has been asked to participate), but it is an important first step.
The protests, however, went beyond the need for this structural change, and we still believe that the new severely restricted hours of service that were introduced on 1 September must be rolled back. That will be the message of a delegation that will be meeting with Ian Wilson on 23 October. We have drawn together representatives of nine groups that have been troubled by the cuts in services, namely:
Algonquin Nation Secretariat - Peter Di Gangi
British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa - John Reid
Canadian Historical Association - Craig Heron
CHA Graduate Students' Committee - Jean-Francois Lozier
Institut d'Histoire de l'Amerique Francaise - Marc Vallieres
Ontario Historical Society - Brian Osborne
National Council on Public History - Krista Cooke
Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada - Andrew Waldron
Writers' Union of Canada - Susan Swan
We hope to be able to change some minds at 395 Wellington.
Craig Heron
President
Canadian Historical Association
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1 comment:
The Historical Society has done a tremendous job. As key clients of services at LAC it is critical for Mr Wilson, a non librarian, to understand his role as National *Librarian* & Archivist insists upon Canadian citizens having access to the rich collection of LAC - an organization FOR Canadian citizens and NOT for bureaucrats who do not understand the concept of public service. Bravo! We ALL need to keep the pressure on LAC. This is not a Dept of Labour or even a Women's Secretariat, this is a living institution that must continue with better than reasonable service.
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