Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Community issues and standards case files
General material designation
- textual record
- sound recording
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of series and ORCS.
Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1985-1999 (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia. Library Services Branch
Physical description area
Physical description
45 cm textual records and 26 audio cassettes
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Library Services branch is the successor to the Library Development Commission, and was established in 1978 in accordance with the Public Libraries (Amendment) Act (SBC 1978, c. 35). The mandate of the branch is to “foster the vision of efficient, effective and connected library programs and services” by “overseeing the legislative and governance framework for public libraries, serving as a liaison between libraries and provincial or federal governments and offering funding, advice, and leadership to libraries and province-wide library programs and initiatives.”
Although the Library Services branch initially operated several field offices, a 1987 report recommended the closure of several of these offices. Dawson Creek was the first office to be closed following a merger with the Prince George office, which was itself closed in 1995. The 1987 report also recommended that several programs be phased out, including the Open Shelf books-by-mail program which eventually ceased all service in 1995 after 73 years.
The Branch has changed ministries on several occasions. Between 1990 and 2001, it was located within the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Housing, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. In 2001, the Branch was moved to the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal, and Women’s Services where it remained until a 2006 move to the Ministry of Education.
The branch has changed names several times, and has been known as the Library Services branch and the Public Library Services branch. As of June 2016, the body is known as the Libraries branch and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The series consists of records documenting the work of the Library Services branch on community issues, including negotiations with Access Copyright and the provision of library services to First Nations reserves. The series also consists of records documenting the branch’s 1987 New Approaches task force. The series consists of executive briefing notes, reports, correspondence, news clippings, and audio recordings of public hearings in municipalities province-wide.
The New Approaches task force was created following a request by the Union of BC Municipalities and the BC Library Trustees Association to examine provincial public library services. The task force sought the views of local governments, library boards, library professionals and the public in order to determine priorities and areas for improvement. A final report was published in 1988 and included recommendations for the creation of a province-wide interlibrary loan program and changes to service delivery. As a result, programs such as the book delivery service “Open Shelf” were eventually phased out. The series consists of the task force’s interim and final reports, as well as material collected during the research phase.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Transferred from the Library Services branch in May 2016.
Arrangement
The series is covered by ORCS schedule 134320 secondary 21800-20 and is arranged by topic. Task force files are arranged by municipality.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
To be used in conjunction with GR-1511 and GR-1387.
Accruals
General note
Audio cassettes from Duncan include audio interference from a local radio station. A note included in the file indicates that this interference was on the master cassette and could not be removed from the sound track. It does not appear to impair presentation of the actual briefs. Remarks out of microphone range are obscured in some cases.