BC Ministry of Education: 2008 October 1
VICTORIA – The Province is proclaiming October 2008 as Library Month in British Columbia, Education Minister Shirley Bond announced today.
“B.C.’s libraries help British Columbians of all ages access the information and tools that they need to live, work and learn,” said Bond. “Library Month is an excellent opportunity for all of us to recognize and celebrate these valuable public resources and the amazing people who work in them.”
The concept for a month dedicated to library and information services in British Columbia was developed by library partners from across the province to help raise public awareness about the fundamental role that libraries play in people’s lives.
“Libraries are gateways to learning and the world of ideas. It’s wonderful to have a month celebrating these vital institutions in communities, large and small, all over the province,” said B.C. Library Association executive director Alane Wilson. “What’s more, library month allows us to celebrate the hard work of staff, volunteers and stakeholders.”
More than 98 per cent of British Columbians live in an area that is served by a public library, and this year’s theme for Library Month – “Your Library, Your World” – reflects the many ways in which libraries contribute to the fabric of B.C.’s education, culture and community. Besides providing recognition for our public libraries, Library Month also gives school libraries the opportunity to expand on National School Library Day celebrations that will be taking place on Oct. 27.
“Public libraries are a key component of our government’s goal to make B.C. the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent,” said Bond. “Thank you to the B.C. Library Trustees’ Association, the Public Library Services Branch, the B.C. Library Association, the B.C. Teacher Librarians’ Association, as well as all of the library staff and information professionals from across the province for bringing us the summer reading programs and other excellent services that will help ensure we reach that goal.”
This is the third year that British Columbia is officially marking Library Month. In October 2005, Canadian Library Week was held across the country; the celebration was expanded in 2006 to Library Month.
Since 2001, the Province has invested more than $145 million in literacy strategies through ReadNow BC, a comprehensive provincial literacy action plan that helps provide preschoolers, K-12 students, adults, immigrants and Aboriginal people with the reading skills they need to succeed. For more information on ReadNow BC, visit www.readnowbc.ca.
