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March/April 2004
Reading Canada ForumElizabeth A. Morton, 50th Anniversary Coordinator The year 2003 marked the 50th anniversary of the National Library of Canada and the 30th anniversary of the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS). Together with partners in the fields of publishing, writing and literacy, the Association for Canadian Studies and Library and Archives Canada presented Reading Canada: The Public Good and Private Pleasures of Reading. This national forum was held at Library and Archives Canada from November 6 to 8, 2003 and was supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, CBC Radio, the Canadian Newspaper Association and the Canadian Magazine Publishers Association. Reading Canada provided a bilingual opportunity for all those involved in the book community - poets, writers, publishers, teachers, academics, librarians, and readers - to discuss with arts administrators the present and future state of reading in Canada. Literacy and Reading The keynote address given by National Librarian Roch Carrier emphasized the lifelong importance of reading. Senator Joyce Fairbairn’s passionate plenary speech on literacy was based on her personal commitment to ensuring a literate citizenry. The global dimension of literacy was presented by James Page, a literacy expert currently working on international initiatives, while European and Canadian experiences in the field of adult literacy were outlined by Linda Shohet from the Centre for Literacy of Quebec. How Much Do Canadians Read? According to polling data commissioned for the conference by the ACS from Environics/Focus Canada the majority of Canadians surveyed read between a handful and 50 books in the last six months. Five percent of survey respondents consumed over 51 books while 15% did not read any books in the previous six months. Given these findings, one of the results of the Forum is a rekindled interest in the idea of a Canadian centre for the book to promote reading, sponsor book prizes, foster research and offer public programs. Gordon Platt from Canadian Heritage chaired a panel discussion that considered the proposition for such a centre. Thomas Quigley from Vancouver Public Library, Sharon Shaloo from the Massachusetts Center for the Book, and Patricia Fleming from the Toronto Centre for the Book offered thoughtful reflections on what Centres for the Book can do to promote books, reading, libraries, and literacy among readers and non-readers alike. A program that is gaining popularity in cities across Canada is the "one book, one community" concept (which has come to us from the United States). Thomas Quigley reported on the One Book, One Vancouver project and Talin Vartanian from CBC Radio provided a sneak preview of the 2004 edition of the national Canada Reads program in a session moderated by Céline Gendron from Library and Archives Canada. So What Are Canadians Reading? Lynne Clark, Ottawa Citizen (representing the Canadian Newspaper Association), Gary Garland from Magazines Canada, Gwen Hoover from the Public Lending Right Commission and moderator Maureen Sawa from the Hamilton Public Library presented a composite view of the books, magazines and newspapers currently being read by Canadians. Publishing The conference included four sessions on publishing in Canada.
Library Services/Interpreting Systems Carrie Dawber from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind joined Dianne Edwards and Dianne Brown from the W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind in Brantford, Ontario, to present current interpreting systems for people with print disabilities, with a special focus on young learners. Also focusing on students, Marlene Asselin, Richard Beaudry, Keith McPherson, Judith Saltman and Jon Shapiro from the University of British Columbia teamed up with Ray Doiron from the University of Prince Edward Island in a discussion of school libraries in Canada. To conclude the two days of sessions Jack Jedwab, executive director of the Association for Canadian Studies, acknowledged the high quality and provocative nature of the presentations and thanked the members of the organizing committee. CBC Radio Events On Saturday, November 8, Library and Archives Canada hosted a daylong celebration of literature in Canada arranged by CBC Radio. Members of the public lined up to watch live broadcasts of "Go: The Literary Edition" with host Brent Bambury and special guest Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada. Following "Go," CBC personalities Shelagh Rogers, Bill Richardson, Stuart McLean, Eleanor Wachtel, Ian Brown, and Bill Stunt chatted with host Lucy van Oldenbarneveld. To conclude the day, Alan Neal hosted "Chapter & Verse," a CBC Radio One special that featured, among others, CBC’s Lillian Allen and guests Charlotte Gray, Susan Riley, Charles Gordon, and Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Bowering. The three-hour special attracted over 400,000 listeners across the country, and proceeds from ticket sales benefited the Ottawa-Carleton Coalition for Literacy. The public’s enthusiastic embrace of the "CBC" day attests to the vitality and vibrancy of the broader community of writers and readers. This gathering of experts from the various fields associated with reading -- many meeting for the first time -- agreed that the Reading Canada was an enriching and valuable experience. Those who took part in the forum expressed a strong interest in an annual gathering to enlarge both the debate and the reading community in Canada.
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