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News Release2001-18 Saskatchewan Shares Books with the Rest of Canada through Partnership with the National Library of CanadaOttawa, July 12, 2001 - Seven tractor-trailers carrying books from the Saskatchewan Provincial Library are on their way to Ottawa. Over 200 000 publications will find new homes in other Canadian libraries through the efforts of the National Library of Canada's Canadian Book Exchange Centre. The Saskatchewan publications had been part of the Provincial Library's non-fiction collection that began in the 1950s. Joy Campbell, Acting Head of the Saskatchewan Provincial Library, explains, "the regional libraries in the province have all developed good collections over the years and, as a result, by the 1990s the public was using the Provincial Library's non-fiction collection less and less." The Saskatchewan Provincial Library offered the publications first to libraries within the province. The remaining material will be headed to Ottawa within the next five months. National Librarian Roch Carrier thanked the Saskatchewan Provincial Library for sending the surplus publications to the Centre. "Saskatchewan's generosity will benefit many other libraries across the country. The Provincial Library is sharing its bounty with others, long a prairie tradition. In this case, it's not wheat but books, which will feed hungry minds." Since its inception in 1953, the National Library of Canada has been responsible for redistributing surplus publications among Canadian libraries. The Canadian Book Exchange Centre is an effective means to match publications that are surplus to one library with the needs of users at another. Located on Bentley Avenue, the Centre redistributed more than 314 000 publications in the last year to libraries across Canada and in under-developed countries. The National Library of Canada is a federal cultural institution that puts knowledge within reach of all Canadians. - 30 - For more information, contact: |