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Elementary and Secondary Schools: The Role, Challenges and Financial Conditions of School and School Library Resources in CanadaA Report Prepared for the National Library of Canada by: Michel Durand and Marla Waltman Daschko September 2001 TABLE OF CONTENTSII KEY ISSUES FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIES
III TRENDS IN LIBRARY EMPLOYMENT IV PROFILE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS
V PROFILE OF SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND
VII ISSUES: TECHNOLOGY, LIBRARY USE AND BOOK SALES
VIII ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES IX CONCLUSION APPENDIX A : DATA SOURCES USED IN THIS REPORT
I INTRODUCTION Historically, Canadian libraries have been vast warehouses of our nation’s intellectual and literary wealth acting as a vital resource contributing to our cultural heritage, identity, and evolution. As libraries become connected to the information superhighway in today’s knowledge-driven society, their role in the fabric of Canadian life and culture is being transformed. Libraries are the most heavily used cultural institutions in many Canadian communities. Libraries help fulfil several essential roles: "First they ... encourage people to read ...and educate readers. They are also important as information providers. [Furthermore, they] ... advise users and encourage them to read works that go beyond bestsellers." 1 Libraries constitute a place where life-transforming discoveries are made and careers are launched. Libraries also play a major role as a part of the "ecological" fabric of the Canadian book industry. The "extraordinary network of libraries make an essential and continuing contribution in promoting books and reading and distributing information". 2 Canada’s network of libraries includes some 22,000 institutions, with school libraries accounting for a large portion of this infrastructure. There are many different types of libraries:
This report provides an overview of school libraries in Canada. While the exact nature of their socio-economic impact is not well understood or documented fully, various indicators and qualitative information are available to portray the current state of the school library system relative to its past. These indicators may provide a window into the future of this sector. Specifically, this report will examine information (both qualitative and quantitative), on library-related issues and concerns, elementary and secondary schools, school libraries, government spending, trends in enrolment and library finances. It will also provide an analysis of the availability and quality of current data sources for school libraries. In general, this report concludes that school libraries in Canada are suffering from declines in the public funding and the professional staffing required to meet the needs of the nation’s children. School libraries, in most jurisdictions in Canada, have felt the impact of cutbacks in education spending. Schools across Canada, except for Alberta, appear to be hiring increased numbers of part-time staff rather than hiring full-time educators in the schools. In addition, there are fewer full-time librarians being employed in Canada; this would be reflected in the elementary and secondary school systems. The impact of this move to part-time staff will be felt even more so in the coming years given the aging of the librarian and educator populations in Canada. Enrolment figures at the elementary-secondary level reflect demographic trends. Changes in the composition of the population, due to birth and immigration rates, have an impact on the capacity to fund school library systems and the requirements for those libraries. Overall, the Canadian population ages 5 to 19 is expected to decline over the longer term (2001-2016) by 11.4%, lessening the demand for school library services. This decline, however, is not consistent across the country with some provinces expecting increased enrolment (B.C., Ontario and Alberta) and others experiencing more severe declines. Public spending by provincial and municipal governments for school libraries has decreased by .4% between 1993-94 and 1998-99, dropping from $535.3 million to $532.9 million. The significance of the decline in resources is seen more readily in the amounts available for school library spending per student; there has been a national reduction of 4.6% in per student spending between 1993-94 ($89.64) and 1997-98 ($85.49). Neither of these amounts, however, takes into account the negative effect of inflation on the purchasing power of those dollars. If viewed in constant dollars, it would be clearer that the funds available for the staffing of, and for collections development in, school libraries have been reduced rather than increased during the 1990s. II KEY ISSUES FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIES 1. Benefits of school libraries for learning A properly staffed, appropriately stocked, and well-organized school library is a critical tool that allows librarians and teachers to work together to help students achieve higher levels of literacy, problem-solving and information and communication technology skills. 3
2. Funding cutbacks Despite the demonstrated benefits of school libraries, the school library, long considered the hub of learning, is likely to be understaffed, under-funded or closed at some point during the week. 7 School libraries in most jurisdictions in Canada have felt the impact of cutbacks in education spending. The result is that school boards and schools have had to make serious decisions about how they will spend their limited resources. Some school boards or schools choose to allocate funding for a full-time principal or librarian and cut elsewhere. Others choose to cut those staffing resources along with collections development and unlimited access to the library. 3. Funding formulas for schools and school libraries All provinces use some type of funding formula to determine the level of funding to be distributed to school boards or schools within their jurisdiction. Using Ontario as an example, the province provides school boards with money for a full-time librarian at ratio of 1.3 per 1,000 students at the elementary level and 1.1 in high schools. An Ontario school board needs 796 students (elementary) and 934 students (secondary) to qualify for one full-time teacher-librarian. In reality, the staffing of Ontario elementary school libraries does not meet the provincial standard of 1.3 teacher-librarians per 1,000 students, with the ratio being estimated at half that figure. 8 4. Staffing Teacher-librarians are fully qualified teachers who have taken additional specialty courses to become librarians. They focus on integrating information technology with the curriculum, and work with teachers to design research units. In order to deal with reduced education budgets, most school boards are reducing the number of teacher-librarians hired with the result that there are severe staffing shortages in elementary and secondary school libraries. In some jurisdictions, schools are choosing to hire library technicians instead of teacher-librarians, arguing that it may make more sense to have a library technician who can, at the very least, keep the library open, rather than the school having to close the library entirely. Library technicians are paid less than teachers are and their work is focused on the cataloguing and shelving of library materials. The ability of school libraries to staff teacher-librarian positions has also been restricted due to the shortage of trained workers. As the baby boom generation ages, retirement has begun to thin the ranks of school librarians. However, the hiring of young skilled teacher-librarians is not always a simple solution. For many new graduates, positions as corporate information specialists or researchers in the high technology field provide greater remuneration, respect, and job flexibility than do school libraries. 5. Limits on development of collections Government funding cutbacks have to led to fewer books in libraries and fewer librarians in schools to offer crucial guidance on the purchase of children’s books for collections. Also, after paying for online research magazines, periodicals and CD-ROMs, there is often very little left to buy books. Cutbacks are also affecting the ability of schools to keep their libraries up-to-date by replacing aging collections.
6. Restricted access to school libraries In some schools, the library is open only when teachers take their class in or there is a volunteer available, leaving children without access to computers or printers when the library is closed.
III TRENDS IN LIBRARY EMPLOYMENT In the past, employment as a librarian was typically linear in that a graduate of library studies found a job in a library and followed an upward progression until retirement. Today, however, the path is more circuitous and therefore requires that graduates be flexible and have extremely varied interests to do their jobs. In addition, it is critical that apart from the necessary communication and management skills, they must be comfortable with technology. 12 While there is a dearth of statistics examining the way in which the profession is changing, some information on patterns of library employment are available from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey (LFS) 13 and the National Library of Canada’s National Core Library Statistics Program (NCLSP). Similar information is also available for technical library occupations. Unfortunately, due to financial restraints, the NCLSP does not include school libraries in its data collection. 1. Data Sources It is important to keep in mind that data reported from the Labour Force Survey are based on a respondent’s description of their work and an interviewer’s assessment of the primary occupational classification of individuals. Consequently, it is possible that some library technicians identified themselves as librarians, thereby inflating the actual numbers somewhat. In addition, it is must be understood that the National Core Library Statistics Program uses a different conceptual framework for data collection. Therefore, caution is advised when comparing the two data sources. i. National Core Library Statistics Program (NCLSP)
ii. Labour Force Survey (LFS)
2. Job prospects The National Graduate Survey (NGS) examined the transition of 1990 graduates from library science and record science programs 16 into librarian and archivist occupations, and 1995 graduates in the same transition period.
IV PROFILE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS 1. Number of elementary and secondary schools Since elementary-secondary education is compulsory in all jurisdictions, at least up to the age of 16, the capacity of the elementary-secondary school system in each jurisdiction, and in turn the number of schools, is largely dependent on the size of the school-aged population. Schools open and close over time and this varies by jurisdiction. There are considerable differences across the country in the distribution of library institutions by size, as measured by enrolment, available budgets and library programs. The size of schools, and the areas served, has an impact on the costs of education delivery as well as the extent to which specialized instruction and services (e.g., library services) can be offered.
2. Number of elementary and secondary school educators
3. Pupil-educator ratios
4. Enrolment as a factor in demand for school libraries i. Historical trends in school enrolment
ii. Factors which affect enrolment Enrolment figures at the elementary-secondary level tend to reflect demographic trends because of compulsory school attendance requirements, and are affected not only by the birth rate within a jurisdiction, but also by factors such as net in- or out-migration. Changes in the composition of the population have an impact on the capacity to fund the education and library systems and the requirements for classrooms, teachers, and support services such as libraries. a. Demographic trends
b. Immigration
c. Municipal-level politics
d. Urban-rural change
e. Political decisions
f. Pre-elementary education
5. Projections for elementary and secondary enrolment
V PROFILE OF SCHOOL LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND 1. Role of the Teacher-librarian Teacher-librarians are fully qualified teachers who have taken additional specialty courses that allow them to work as librarians. They focus on integrating information technology with the curriculum, and work with teachers to design research units. The Canadian School Librarian Association (CSLA) makes the following points about teacher-librarians:
Given that information literacy skills are critical for today’s graduating students to be informed and knowledgeable members of an information-based society, the role of the teacher-librarian now includes three major functions: Curriculum development and leadership Information management Collaborative program planning and teaching 2. Staffing of school libraries The school library crisis is unparalleled at the elementary level. In Ontario, for example, only two percent of schools are large enough to qualify for a full-time teacher-librarian under Ontario’s funding formula.
VI PUBLIC SPENDING Public library services are affected by social, demographic, economic, technological and political changes in society. Because of persistent and relatively high levels of inflation, all public services have become more costly. Total expenditures have risen by over 38% in the last four years or 8.3% annually. Governments caught between rising expenditures and slower revenue growth have been forced to make trade-off decisions and to place restraints on expenditures. A better-educated public has become more vocal and articulate in expressing demands for accountability and relevance of public services. 1. Public spending on culture Public spending on culture Canada is varied and extensive and is carried out by all levels of government. All levels of government in Canada spent $6.1 billion (in current dollars) on culture in 1998-1999, 1.6% below the level spent in 1993-94 (table 15). However, considering inflation, this translates into a decrease of 12.2% over the 1990s. Since the beginning of the decade, 1997-1998 was the eighth consecutive year with a decrease in funding to culture. The following year 1998-1999 tri-level government spending increased in real terms, although modestly (2.3%), over the previous year. 2. Public spending on education Canada’s investment in education is among the highest in the world, as measured by OECD indicators of education expenditure. In 1995, Canada had the highest expenditure on education as a proportion of GDP among G-7 countries, and the second highest per student expenditure. Education represents the second largest category of public expenditures in Canada, exceeded only by spending on health. How much government invests in education depends on such factors as the demographic structure of the population, enrolment rates at the various levels of education, national costs for educational resources, and the strength of the economy. Once the overall level of public resources devoted to education has been established, the proportion given to each level of education must be determined. Recent pedagogical studies point to the importance of the pre-elementary and elementary levels of education to learning later in life, and may result in increased pressure to fund these levels in the future. The way funding is allocated among the various levels of education is affected by enrolment expectations, which are based on projections of the distribution of the population between age groups. To make informed decisions on the distribution of resources in the education and library systems - from decisions on staffing (teachers and librarians), to investment in the construction and maintenance of buildings, to program planning that meets the educational needs - policy makers must examine demographic trends over time. The availability of funding may also be affected by changes of the working-age population, which provides a substantial portion of the public funds used for education, including library expenditures.
3. Public spending on elementary-secondary education
4. Public spending on libraries Each year, the federal government provides funds to the National Library of Canada and provincial governments transfer funds to municipalities for libraries. In addition, municipal governments spend from their own budgets on libraries. In examining the data, it is important to bear in mind that government expenditures at one level may in part become revenue for another level. Budget reductions have become commonplace in all segments of the economy dependent on government funding. Libraries have been no exception.
5. Public spending on school libraries At a time when the library community is touting the potential role of school libraries in fostering information literacy and helping students meet high academic standards, the library centres still appear to take a back seat when it comes to budget allocations, according to available data.
VII ISSUES: TECHNOLOGY, LIBRARY USE AND BOOK SALES 1. Technology penetration in the schools
2. Connectivity of libraries to the Internet As information technology becomes increasingly pervasive in the delivery of library services, it is important to examine the extent to which libraries are connected to the Internet. Increasingly, we are evolving towards the electronic library as advances are made in Web technology. This has created rich opportunities for libraries to offer new services. Librarians are challenged to produce Web pages so that information is organized for retrieval in an efficient manner. They are also pioneering efforts to provide the links to information so that their patrons can have the most timely access possible. In 1996-1997, the Electronic Publications Pilot (EPP) 30 study gathered information on how Depository Service Program (DSP) libraries and their clients are adapting to the Internet. The study found that almost 100% of government libraries were connected to the Internet, followed by 98% of academic libraries and 93% of public libraries. However, all sectors agreed that more resources and training were necessary for successful transition into the information age. Librarians in this study reported a shortage of resources such as hardware, software, and financial and human resources. All of these are inter-dependent, because the lack of financial resources affects the ability of a library to purchase or upgrade hardware and staff shortages reduce the time librarians have to learn how to use the new technologies. Although comprehensive information on the connectivity of all Canadian school libraries to the Internet is currently not available; the SchoolNet program under Industry Canada 31 maintains data for libraries under provincial jurisdiction. Connectivity, for the purposes of this database, is defined as a school or library having at least one computer with access to at least one Internet service (e-mail, file transfer protocol or the Web). The data indicate that as of April 1999, roughly 97% of provincially funded public libraries across Canada were hooked up to the Internet. Libraries, however, are not the major location of access to the Internet for most Canadians. In 1998, 4.3% of Canadian households had at least one regular Internet user who gained access to the Internet at a public library. The percentage of households using Internet access at public libraries has grown, by 2000, to 6.5% at the national level. The percentage of use ranges from a low of 3.9% of households in New Brunswick to a high of 8.3% in Ontario. 32 3. Consumer profile and library use While comprehensive information on school library use for all Canadian school libraries has not been collected, data are available for public libraries, which are the most frequently used of government-supported cultural institutions. 33
4. Sales of published titles in Canada to libraries
VIII ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES The culture landscape in Canada is in transition and school libraries are no exception. As competition for limited and reduced government resources is intensifying a whole series of difficult questions are being raised and discussed by people working in the library field. Is the growth of the school library system in Canada being eroded by hard economic times, and reduced government funding, increased competition from other government priorities? Should the case for libraries be predicated on economic and political arguments, or are more comprehensive and compelling arguments required? In the culture sector, concerted attempts have been made to better understand and measure the economic benefits derived from cultural activities. To substitute the economic value of school libraries for their creative and educational values would simply be foolish. However, to ignore their economic importance, and especially their usefulness in promoting balanced economic growth and employment opportunities, would also mean missed opportunities. There had been, and continues to be a marked tendency, in many parts of the world, to rely on economic arguments. These arguments are often predicated on the ‘economic impact’ that cultural activities have on consumption, income, investment, employment activity, and the rate of economic growth. Therefore, Canada too invested in developing economic impact numbers. The direct impact of the culture sector, as measured by the contribution to the GDP is estimated at over $22 billion in 1996-1997, with some 640,000 jobs depending on culture activities. In terms of GDP contribution, the culture sector accounts for 3.11% of the GDP of the country in 1996-1997. Between 1994 and 1996 (the only years for which the economic impact has been computed) the culture share has increased modestly (3.7%), an indication of that the culture sector is holding its ground. A preliminary analysis of the economic impact of school libraries in Canada determined that school libraries added $192.3 million to the GDP in 1996, a decrease of 1.9% compared to $196.0 million in 1994. With respect to jobs, there were 5,562 jobs in the school library sector in 1996, a 12.8% increase from 4,931 in 1994 (table 26). Probably, the economic impact of school libraries can be viewed only in the long-term. Research has clearly established a link between literacy and economic security, showing that Canadians with weaker literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed, work in lower-paying jobs and live in low-income households. 34 Most children, regardless of economic circumstances, have access to books and opportunities to read. However, children from low-income households do not tend to read as frequently. For example, less than one-third of low-income parents reported that their youngest child read every day, compared with half the parents from non-low-income households. The links between library use, access to good school libraries and the development of literacy skills are also clearly established. One can argue, therefore, that there are long-term implications if school libraries are allowed to continue to decline or stagnate. IX CONCLUSION School libraries have an important role to play in our future competitiveness in the global economy. Libraries, in concert with learning institutions and other partners, have an essential role in the advancement of knowledge, and at a more fundamental level, even literacy. As parents and policy-makers press for improvements in student achievement and demand that schools prepare children for life in the information age, school libraries are becoming media centres for assisting in student learning. In the US, many reports have confirmed a positive and statistically significant correlation between the size of the school library and library media staff and test scores. Surprisingly, an accurate count on the number of school libraries, and on the extent of school library services, is not available in Canada. As shown in this report, the available statistics on school libraries are poor and weak. There is a growing need to develop a variety of surveys and relevant indicators to measure whether progress is being made on the many issues highlighted in this report. This report on school libraries is a preliminary step in the process to develop these tools. APPENDIX A: DATA SOURCES USED IN THIS REPORT 1. CENSUS OF POPULATION, 1996 Conducted every five years, the Census provides extensive and detailed demographic, social, economic and cultural information on the Canadian population. All Canadian citizens and landed immigrants are surveyed in the Census; a 20% sub-sample of the census population receives a more extensive questionnaire. Variables related to library-based activities covered in the detailed Census questionnaire include respondents’ occupation, place of work, type of employment, number of weeks worked in the year, and employment income. The 1996 Census and the Labour Force Survey use the 1991 Standard Occupations Classification (SOC) codes. The most relevant occupation codes for the Libraries Project are the following: The industry data collected by this survey are based on 1980 SIC. The following are the most relevant for this project: Comparability with the Labour Force Survey: 2. CENTRE FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS, STATISTICS CANADA The purpose of the Centre for Education Statistics (CES) is to develop and carry out a comprehensive program of pan-Canadian education statistics and analysis to support policy decisions and program management. 3. DEMOGRAPHY DIVISION, STATISTICS CANADA The Demography Division of Statistics Canada is responsible for various surveys and research relating to demography, including population, household and family projection, population estimates and migration data. 4. GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEY Statistics Canada's General Social Survey (GSS) collected information relating to time use in 1986 (cycle 2), 1992 (cycle 7) and 1998 (cycle 12). The survey interviewed almost 11,000 Canadians aged 15 and over in the 10 provinces and provides information about how people spend their time and who was with them during one day's activities. The target population of the GSS (General Social Survey) consisted of all individuals aged 15 and over living in a private household in one of the ten provinces. Cycle 2 collected data for persons 15 years of age and older which covered: activities of Canadians over a 24 hour period (identifying each activity done, where, when and with whom), education, occupation and other demographic characteristics of parents and respondent, satisfaction and happiness; language knowledge, current language practices including use in home, at work and at school, change in language use in last five years. Cycle 7 collected data from persons 15 years of age and older. The core content of time use repeated that of cycle 2 and provided data on the daily activities of Canadians. Question modules were also included on unpaid work activities, cultural activities and participation in sports. Cycle 12's core content of time use repeated that of cycle 7 (1992) and cycle 2 (1986), and provided data on the daily activities of Canadians. Question modules were also included on unpaid work activities, cultural activities and participation in sports. 5. HOUSEHOLD INTERNET USE SURVEY, 1999 The Household Internet Use Survey (HUIS) is administered to a sub-sample of dwellings included in the Labour Force Survey (LFS), and therefore its sample design is closely to tied to that of the LFS. The LFS is a monthly household survey whose sample is representative of the households with civilian, non-institutionalized population, 15 years of age or older in Canada's ten provinces. Unlike the LFS, where information is collected on each eligible household member individually, the HIUS collected information on the household as a whole. In 1999, 43,043 households were eligible for the HIUS survey. Interviews were completed for 36,241 of these households for a response rate of 84.2%. Results were weighted to the entire count of households. The annual estimate for the number of households in Canada is projected from the Census of Population. HIUS 1999 used a population projection based on 1996 Census of Population (11,632 households). The survey asked households about their use of the Internet, including location of use. 6. INTERNATIONAL ADULT LITERACY SURVEY, 1994-1995 The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was initially carried out in seven countries with the goal of directly measuring the literacy skills of the adult population of participating countries in order to create comparable literacy profiles across national, linguistic and cultural boundaries. The seven countries that took part in this survey are: Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. In addition, a number of provinces provided funding for a larger sample in order to allow for analysis of their results. The level of proficiency in each skill (prose literacy, document literacy and quantitative literacy) was determined using a five-point scale, which assessed abilities and strategies required to succeed at various literacy tasks. The survey combined educational testing techniques with those of household survey research to measure literacy and to provide the information necessary to make these measures meaningful. Respondents were asked a series of questions to obtain background and demographic information on educational attainment, literacy practices at work and at home, labour force information, adult education participation and literacy self-assessment. The Canadian portion of the study involved a sample of about 5,700 individuals. This sample was drawn from the Labour Force Survey and consisted of the civilians, non-institutionalized population aged 16 to 69. Excluded from the survey’s coverage are residents of the Yukon and Northwest Territories, persons living on Indian reserves, full-time members of the Canadian Armed Forces, inmates of institutions, and Francophone residents of the province of Ontario who lived in geographic regions where less than 20 persons were Francophone. 7. LABOUR FORCE SURVEY The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a household survey carried out each month by Statistics Canada to provide timely, accurate and consistent estimates of the labour market aspects of the economy. The survey divides the population aged 15 and over into three mutually exclusive groups: those who are employed, those who are unemployed and those who are not in the labour force. In addition, data are collected on a wide range of variables concerning the respondents' household, family and individual characteristics including educational attainment, school attendance and number of students. The sample size of the survey is approximately 58,000 households (or about 110,000 persons) across Canada each month. The survey sample size is large enough to provide accurate and reliable estimates at the jurisdictional and metropolitan levels. Persons younger than 15 years of age, persons living in the Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, persons living on Indian reserves, full-time members of the Canadian Armed Forces, and residents of institutions are excluded from the survey. The 1996 Census and the Labour Force Survey use the 1991 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes. The most relevant occupation codes for the Libraries Project are the following: The industry data collected by this survey are based on North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The following are the most relevant for this project: 514 Information Services and Data Processing Services 611Educational Services The major problems with using the LFS is that we cannot isolate data on school librarians. As the above codes show, school librarians are classified in the code used for teachers. A more general problem is that most of the data that would be useful for this study are confidential or unreliable. 8. NATIONAL GRADUATES SURVEY, 1988, 1992 AND 1997 The purpose of the National Graduates Survey (NGS), conducted by Statistics Canada under the sponsorship of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), is to provide information on the integration of recent postsecondary education graduates into the labour market. This included the program or field of study, characteristics of the graduate, characteristics and duration of all jobs held since graduation, employment characteristics, length of job search, match between education and employment, additional education or training that a graduate may have taken since graduating, and the graduate’s earnings, finances and/or loans. The sample of graduates is designed to provide accurate estimates by province, program and field of study. The 1997 NGS involved 43,000 trade-vocational, college and university graduates. Surveys have been conducted for the 1976, 1980, 1986, 1990 and 1995 graduating classes. Graduates are interviewed two years after graduation and are asked to provide information relating to the period from one year prior to enrolment to the time of interview. Follow-up surveys are also conducted five years after graduation to provide data on the longer-term outcomes for graduates. 9. SECOND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION STUDY, 1999 The Second Information Technology in Education Study (SITES) was designed as an international evaluation of the use of new information and communication technology in elementary and secondary schools. It was conducted in a total of 27 nations, including Canada. In Canada, data collection occurred in January and February 1999. In Canada, Statistics Canada, under the auspices of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, conducted the survey. A number of partners were involved in either the funding and/or the conduct of the survey, including provincial ministries of education; the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada; Industry Canada; and Human Resources Development Canada. The Canadian survey involved 4,000 schools, each of which received two questionnaires, one to be completed by the principal and another to be completed by an individual responsible for technology in the school. Both questionnaires included questions on the school, the use of communication technology, the training and professional development of teachers, and obstacles to the use of technology at the school. Data are available for both Canada and the provinces for three specific population groups of students: elementary (up to Grade 5), intermediate (up to Grade 9) and secondary (up to Grade 12). The territories did not participate in the survey. 10. SURVEY OF BOOK PUBLISHERS AND EXCLUSIVE AGENTS The objective of this survey is to provide statistics on the activities of book publishers and exclusive agents, regardless of the amount of earned revenue. The unit of analysis of this survey is the company. The company reports information on important revenue and expense items, (e.g. type and language of books sold and destination of royalties). Sales by market and customer category are also collected. Analysts can distinguish between the production of own titles and titles distributed for other companies particularly imports. Data on exports are available. In general, data quality is very high and coverage good. 11. SURVEY OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES IN SUPPORT OF EDUCATION The Survey is a direct voluntary census of all administrative data sources available on federal government expenditures in support of education. The data are used to determine, in detail, direct government financial support for education at all levels by department and by province/territory. These data are used as an input to total expenditures on education in Canada. They are also used to reconcile financial data from other sources. 12. SURVEY OF GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES ON CULTURE This data collection project was designed to collect data on federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal government expenditures on culture in Canada in the framework of functional and economic classification. These classifications form a single classification system which indicate the way in which expenditure undertaken by the federal government for a specific function or activity is broken down according to its economic nature. Limitations include the fact that expenditures data for school, university and college libraries are not reported by some of the provinces. In addition, a small proportion of the total cultural expenditure remains undistributed among cultural activities and is shown under "Other". APPENDIX B : TABLES The tables contained in this report are, unless otherwise noted, from data collected by Statistics Canada. Sources for each table indicate the name of the specific survey or tool used to collect the data or, when the table is based upon multiple sources, indicate the name of the organisation within Statistics Canada that compiled the data. Symbols The following standard symbols are used in Statistics Canada publications: .. figures not available ... figures not appropriate or not applicable - nil or zero - - amount too small to be expressed X confidential to meet secrecy requirements of the Statistics Act Index to Tables
____________________ 1 Carole David, Quebec Writers' Union, 21 March 2000. Representation to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Quoted in The Challenge of Change: A Consideration of the Canadian Book Industry, "Chapter Five: Libraries, Preservation and Access", p. 1. 2 Roch Carrier, National Librarian, 2 March 2000. Ibid, p. 1. 3 Under the sponsorship of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) surveyed school libraries in 1993 at the international level. Following the results of this survey, IFLA developed a School Library Manifesto that was ratified by the 30th UNESCO General Conference in 1999. 4 Lance, Keith Curry. The Impact of School Library Media Centers on Academic Achievement, Office of Educational Research, U.S. Dept. of Education, 1994, and Christine Hamilton-Pennell, K.Curry Lance, M. J. Rodney, and E. Hainer, April 1 2000. "Dick and Jayne Go to the Head of the Class", in School Library Journal Online. http://slj.reviewsnews.com/ This study, comparing school library programs in Alaska, Colorado and Pennsylvania found that children's achievement on standardized tests and other academic measures were improved by access to school libraries. 5 Ibid. 6 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, School Library Media Centers: 1993-94. Catalogue No. NCES 98-282. 7 Kristin Rushowy, Toronto Star, 4 March 2001. "School Libraries Cut Hours As Staff Shelved". 8 Ibid. 9 Canadian School Library Association, Canadian Snapshorts: An Informal Cross-Canada Report on the Status of School Libraries in Canada, September 2000. 10 People for Education, 2000. The Tracking Report 2000: The effects of funding and policy changes in Ontario's elementary schools People for Education, 2000. 11 Ibid. 12 "New Librarians: Recent Graduates on Library Studies and Work", Feliciter, Canadian Library Association, Volume 44, Number 9, September l998. 13 LFS data use occupational concepts from the 1991 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). Librarians in the SOC are defined as those occupations primarily concerned with developing, organizing and maintaining library collections and providing advisory services for library users (including supervisors or library consultants). Excluded are managers, directors or administrators of libraries, who are grouped as library, archive, museum, and art gallery managers. Elementary and secondary school librarians are classified as teachers. Medical health records librarians are classified with records and file clerks. Computer tape or cassette librarians are classified as computer operators. Additionally, due to the structure of the SOC, the LFS data on library technicians and assistants are aggregated with archival technicians and assistants. As a result, separate breakdowns are not available. 14 Staff FTE (Full-time equivalency) includes paid staff that are full-time, part-time, regular, temporary, casual and student employees. 15 According to the report of the National Core Library Statistics Program, 1996, a librarian is an individual with a Master’s degree from a library education program accredited by the American Library Association or its equivalent. Technicians, for the purposes of the NCLSP data, are para-professional staff members possessing a technical certificate and/or diploma acquired from an accredited Library Technician program. Teacher-Librarians are individuals possessing teaching and/or librarian qualifications who are in charge of a school library and who teach students. 16 Record science programs include medical records science, archive maintenance, museology, art gallery administration, museum curatorship and other records science. 17 Alvin M. Schrader and Brundin, Michael R., National Library of Canada, 1999, National Core Library Statistics Program: Statistical Report 1996 : Cultural and Economic Impact on Canadian Society of Public, Academic, and Special Libraries. 18 People for Education, 2000. 19 Ibid. 20 Ibid. 21 Ibid. 22 Canadian School Library Association (CSLA) 23 Some figures differ from those found in the Statistics Canada and Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, February 2000, Education Indicators in Canada: Report of the Pan-Canadian Education Indicators Program 1999, STC Catalogue no. 81-582-XPE, p. 54. The published figures have since been revised and are reflected in this report. 24 Includes inter-governmental transfers of about $304 million. 25 In this context, culture includes libraries, museums, archives, historic and nature parks, arts education, book and periodical publishing, performing arts, visual arts and crafts, film and video, broadcasting, sound recording, and multiculturalism. 26 People for Education 2000. 27Statistics Canada, Second Information Technology in Education Study (SITES), 1999, Centre for Education Statistics 28 Ibid. 29 Ibid. 30 Electronic Publications Pilot 1996/97, Final Report, Catalogue no. 11-534-RPE, Statistics Canada, May 1999. In 1996-1997, the Electronic Publications Pilot (EPP) study gathered information on how Depository Service Program (DSP) libraries and their clients are adapting to the Internet 31 Industry Canada’s SchoolNet program is in conjunction with the provincial Ministries of Education. Although comprehensive information on the connectivity of all Canadian school libraries to the Internet is currently not available, the SchoolNet program under Industry Canada maintains data for libraries under provincial jurisdiction. 32 Statistics Canada, Household Internet Use Survey, 2000. See CANSIM II table 358-0002. 33 A Sense of Place - A Sense of Being, Ninth Report, Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, House of Commons, June 1999. 34 Vivian Shalla and Grant Schellenberg, 1998, Statistics Canada and Human Resources Development Canada, The Value of Words: Literacy and Economic Security in Canada. See www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/89F0100XIE/value.htm. |