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Library of Parliament Annual Report 2020–2021 Table of contents Message from the Parliamentary Librarian ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 The Library by the numbers ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3 A strong foundation for navigating the pandemic ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 4 Promoting diversity and inclusion ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9 Services ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 11 About the Library �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 25 Financial information �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28 Contact us ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 29 ii Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Message from the Parliamentary Librarian During a year when the Library of Parliament found innovative ways to serve clients and keep our employees safe, we experienced more than ever how disruption and opportunity go hand in hand� From shifting to a virtual work environment by necessity to producing targeted new COVID-19-related products for parliamentarians, the Library adapted during the pandemic in ways that have made us a stronger and more resilient organization that reaches a broader client base� One of my priorities as Parliamentary Librarian is to lead an agile and responsive organization� Our strategic focus on agility enabled us to respond swiftly and effectively
 when the pandemic was declared in March 2020� Library employees immediately started working from home, providing uninterrupted research, reference and information support for Parliament and creating innovative products to meet the needs of parliamentarians and their staff� Our corporate services team supported our transition with remarkable efficiency� They shifted resources almost overnight, ensuring that we had everything we needed to work securely and effectively from home� We could not have made the transition to virtual service without their hard work� Throughout the 2020–2021 fiscal year, we kept our clients front and centre� In transitioning to telework, we increased online services for parliamentarians and their staff� We invested in platforms that make it easier to access our collections and publications� We began to offer briefings and seminars virtually, and we launched online tutorials� One noteworthy outcome was our ability to reach more clients when we adapted our learning seminars to a videoconference format� Our virtual seminars enabled us to include parliamentarians’ constituency staff for the first time� The pandemic provided a number of opportunities to innovate� With many parliamentarians and staff experiencing the added pressure of working from home, it was important for the Library to be able to offer them easy-to-digest documents� To that end, we produced new research products, including a series of succinct and timely HillNotes on COVID-19-related topics, legislative summaries of COVID-19-related bills, and COVID-19 subject guides and resource pages� The high level of interest in our COVID-19-related products told us that we were delivering on our strategic priority of relevance� 1 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 We developed many new educational products as well, which we posted to the Library’s public website for teachers, parents and students to use� A particular highlight was the launch in May 2020 of Parliament: The
 Virtual Experience to critical and public acclaim� By March 2021, this award-winning virtual reality production, which enables viewers to experience Parliament in creative and powerful ways, had achieved the remarkable reach of more than 10,000 downloads and 80,000 views of the 360° video� Parliament: The Virtual Experience, which is the most lauded public outreach product the Library has ever released, took on special importance during a year in which our public tours of the Parliament Buildings were on hold� In another special project, we enhanced the content of our Treasures of the Library web pages and created more social media posts about our rare books and artefacts� The Library’s capacity to deliver on our mandate – no matter the challenge – is built on a foundation of excellence� To be our best requires us to have a diverse and inclusive workforce and work environment, as well as healthy, well-supported employees� In 2020–2021, we made great strides in these areas, creating more accessible products and services, establishing a Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and changing our job descriptions, policies and recruitment tools to increase our emphasis on diversity and inclusion� We delivered training on unconscious bias, gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) and Indigenous awareness, and we produced many publications focused on the impact of policies and the pandemic on marginalized groups� As we continued to build on our diversity and inclusion programming, we were honoured to welcome Canada’s ninth Parliamentary Poet Laureate, Louise B� Halfe – Sky Dancer� As this is the first time an Indigenous woman has held this position, the Library felt privileged to be able to work closely with her and learn about her unique experiences and Cree culture� Through this partnership, the Library became more conscious of how some work processes could be adapted to be more inclusive of Indigenous cultures, and we made changes accordingly� As part of our Healthy Workplace
 Strategy, we led the successful implementation of new occupational health and safety requirements mandated by Part II of the Canada Labour Code� This was a significant piece of work, and I am tremendously proud of what the Library was able to accomplish in a short time� We also implemented a mental health strategy for employees during this challenging fiscal year and took great care to ensure employees would be safe when they return to the workplace� As I write this, no known cases of COVID-19 have been contracted on Library premises� We knew from the earliest stages of the pandemic that the disruption the Library was experiencing would have a lasting effect� I am proud to report that the changes we made and the innovations we introduced to our products, services and modes of delivery in 2020–2021 have made us stronger� While we look forward to providing on-site services again, our improved ability to work from home and online will enable us to better serve parliamentarians, their staff and the public – as well as prepare us for future challenges� We have every confidence that the innovations the Library implemented in response to the COVID-19 crisis have created a positive and lasting legacy� Dr. Heather P. Lank Parliamentary Librarian 2 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 The Library by the numbers As a precaution amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Library’s branches were closed in 2020–2021 starting in mid-March 2020 and in-person tours of Parliament were suspended� Nonetheless, the Library continued to provide support, products and services to parliamentarians and their staff, and the public� 56,893 e-journals made available to Library users 446,667 users helped through Parlinfo 9,033 public inquiries about Parliament answered 2,791 requests for research and analysis from parliamentarians and their staff delivered 7,687 requests for information and reference services from parliamentarians and their staff fulfilled 132 comparative research requests from
 European parliaments completed 1.1 million page views of the Our Country, Our Parliament and How Canadians Govern Themselves educational web resources 3,970 page views of the Library’s subject guides 11,935 page views of the Treasures of the Library More than 10,000 downloads of Parliament: The Virtual Experience and more than 80,000 views of the 360° video 1.3 million page views of the Library’s NewsDesk infinite times “You’re on mute” heard in virtual meetings 3 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 The Library’s commitment to our strategic priorities of being agile and relevant, and of nurturing a healthy workplace, positioned us to respond swiftly and expertly throughout the most extraordinary year in recent memory.
A strong foundation for navigating the pandemic As nearly all our workforce pivoted from on-site work to working from home, we demonstrated our agility by serving Parliament without interruption� At a time when the realities of a deadly pandemic consumed the attention of our clients, we remained relevant by preparing innovative products, including many about COVID-19 and its implications� In a fiscal year when our employees were challenged as never before, we made significant progress in our Healthy Workplace Strategy, seeking input from employees and expanding our commitment to diversity and inclusion across our products, services and practices� In 2020–2021, we demonstrated that the Library has the ability to excel during times of unprecedented challenge and change� Delivering uninterrupted service The Library remained committed to excellence this fiscal year, delivering uninterrupted research, reference and information support for committees, associations and parliamentarians and their staff – as well as continued information support and new educational products for the public� We provided research and analysis to committees studying the pandemic and the government’s response, and ensured our analysts were available to committee chairs working from various time zones across the country� We offered high-quality support to the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons, and to delegations engaged in parliamentary diplomacy� We were able to adjust rapidly to pandemic realities, deploying office equipment needed by employees and adapting processes for remote work� The Library also pivoted to provide alternatives to allow individuals to access our physical collections� •We delivered digital alternatives for clients wherever possible to limit the need for physical access to Library spaces and handling of materials� •We implemented safe models for resuming service, which allowed for physical access on an urgent basis and, eventually, on a regular basis� •0We increased our holdings of e-books by
 introducing new platforms and collections� •0We provided access to newly digitized Sessional Papers� 4 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 | COVID-19 Targeted information about COVID-19 Online briefings and learning seminars The Library created a series of products to provide parliamentarians and their staff with a range of succinct, timely and relevant information related to the pandemic� This work included: We provided the briefing sessions and learning seminars that are so beneficial to parliamentarians and their staff by shifting to a videoconference model� The Library delivered the following: • 39 HillNotes on COVID-19-related • 48 virtual briefings by topics, two of which received roughly 14,000 page views each – Impacts of COVID-19 on Selected Sectors of Canada’s Economy and Long-Term Care Homes in Canada – The Impact of COVID-19 21 Library ambassadors reaching 151 parliamentary clients� Feedback showed that 98% of participants would recommend an ambassador briefing to colleagues� • eight Legislative Summaries of • 23 learning seminars delivered by videoconference for parliamentarians and their staff� Attendance was higher than before the pandemic because constituency staff were able to attend remotely� • an interactive online tutorial on how to use the Parlinfo database� COVID-19-related bills • a COVID-19 resources page • a subject guide related to COVID-19 Our reference services team transitioned to telework while providing uninterrupted service in responding to questions from parliamentarians, their staff and the public� In March 2021, we launched a new call distribution system for the Library’s public information service and for the reference service for parliamentarians� This system is more reliable and efficient than the previous system, which could only be fully operated on Library premises� Strong communication with parliamentarians The Library used its intranet, newsletters, posts on our partners’ websites and online ambassador
 briefings to communicate with parliamentarians and their staff about the new ways in which we were delivering our products and services� To support our shifting service delivery, we hired a Director of Communications, coordinated our communications with clients and partners, and laid the foundation to implement a Library-wide social media strategy� Shifting to virtual delivery In a major initiative, we rapidly and efficiently deployed information technology (IT) equipment, including mobile computers, monitors and smartphones, as well as office equipment, to ensure that Library employees had the capability to deliver services to parliamentarians remotely, regardless of pandemic restrictions� We shifted our IT priorities and investments to support telework and worked with the House of Commons Administration to ensure our employees had access to the virtual conferencing tools they needed to deliver front-line services to parliamentarians� 5 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 | COVID-19 A focus on employee health We supported flexible work arrangements for employees in ways that enabled the Library to maintain a high level of service while giving employees options for balancing their work and personal obligations� The arrangements worked well, with only 2% of work hours lost to COVID-19-related family leave� The Library also implemented a mental health strategy that included mental health training available to all employees, and additional resilience and mindfulness training for managers� We also focused on the physical health and safety of employees, particularly in the context of planning for a return to the workplace in 2021–2022� Part of our health and safety strategy was to ensure that all decisions regarding access to the workplace aligned with public health advice and guidelines� Ensuring a safe return to the workplace While nearly all Library employees worked from home in 2020–2021, we developed detailed plans and contact tracing procedures in
 collaboration with our parliamentary partners so that some employees could return safely to the workplace part-time� They included analysts for in-person committee meetings, Preservation Lab staff, collections staff and corporate services staff� The Library conducted extensive occupational health and safety risk assessments and put control measures in place before employees returned to the workplace� We provided training and follow-up to assess whether measures were adequate and on-site employees felt safe� Survey and in-person feedback indicated a high level of satisfaction with the measures we took, with most employees (85%) saying the Library responded effectively to the pandemic� There have been no known cases of COVID-19 contracted in Library workplaces.
6 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 | COVID-19 Leveraging digital technology for outreach The Library launched a range of new products for students, teachers and the public to make our resources and information about Parliament more accessible during the pandemic� Highlights included: •Creating animated educational videos about the branches of government and responsible government for the Parliament of Canada’s YouTube channels •Refreshing the educational publication Our Country, Our Parliament to highlight the interim chambers of the Senate and House of Commons •Redesigning the Teachers Institute website to help attract applicants with an inviting, accessible design and a user-friendly application form •Developing and delivering peer-led online educational resource tutorials for teachers who were unable to benefit from the Library’s annual Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy (suspended in 2020–2021) •Updating print and web publications to improve accessibility and highlight the interim chambers •Redesigning the Guide to the Canadian House of Commons web pages to improve accessibility and mobile responsiveness 7 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 | COVID-19 An improved Parliamentary Boutique experience Nearly all products in the Parliamentary Boutique are now available for purchase online through the new online store the Library launched in the 2020–2021 fiscal year� This initiative has improved the online buying experience and has generated positive feedback from customers in 55 countries� An enriched visitor experience of Parliament The Library launched Phase 1 of Parliament: The Virtual Experience� This multi-platform virtual reality and online experience, which enables visitors to connect virtually with Centre Block while it is closed for rehabilitation, has won great public and critical acclaim, including: • a Gémeaux award for best interactive experience (2020) • the Numix prize for best immersive XR (extended reality) experience (2021) • a nomination for a
 Rockie Award at the Banff World Media Festival (2021) • an honourable mention for best 360° video at the Webby Awards (2021) Phase 1, which we completed in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada, included a virtual reality classroom program, which is ready to launch once public health conditions permit� Meanwhile, the Library launched a web-based experience of Parliament for students and teachers in the fall of 2020� Phase 2 of Parliament: The Virtual Experience – a new visitor attraction in Ottawa that celebrates the historic Centre Block through immersive technologies – is underway� The base building for this new destination has already been completed in collaboration with Public Services and Procurement Canada� In addition, the Library undertook planning for a future visitor experience at the new Parliament Welcome Centre� We did this in consultation with the Speakers’ offices to ensure we had input from senators and members of the House of Commons� 8 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 | COVID-19 Promoting diversity and inclusion The Library increased its efforts in 2020–2021 to weave diversity and inclusion into every aspect of how we function, including building a diverse and inclusive workplace� With support from Library executives, we created safe spaces for sharing ideas and lived experiences, which will help inform our plans to create robust diversity and inclusion initiatives across the organization� We actively communicated commitments and actions to all employees� We also created an online suggestion box for employees so they could offer their observations and ideas for creating a more diverse and inclusive Library – with the opportunity to provide feedback anonymously� An executive Diversity and Inclusion Champion is chairing the Library’s new Diversity and Inclusion Committee� Employees were invited to join this forum so they could share ideas and promote the best possible initiatives� The committee, composed of 30
 employees, is collaborating with the Library’s human resources (HR) team to develop a robust diversity and inclusion strategy that is informed by relevant, lived experiences� To ensure that principles of diversity and inclusion apply as broadly as possible across the organization, the Library: • modified selected job descriptions and recruitment tools in line with the Library’s commitment to diversity and inclusion • undertook in-depth accessibility training in the context of visitor services • updated inclusive-writing guidelines and modified language in Library documents and tools to reflect the new guidelines • reviewed key Library policies through the lens of inclusion and intersectionality, and committed to recognizing and addressing our systemic barriers • implemented unconscious bias training for all managers • facilitated self-identification through a dynamic online self-ID tool for employees that can be updated as needed – 63% of Library employees have filled out the form 9 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Collaborating closely with the new Poet Laureate In early 2021, the Speakers announced the appointment of Louise B� Halfe – Sky Dancer as Canada’s ninth Parliamentary Poet Laureate� The appointment of the first Poet Laureate born and raised in an Indigenous community generated significant public and media interest� The Library worked closely with Ms� Halfe to ensure that Indigenous culture, language and experience are respected as we manage the Parliamentary Poet Laureate program� We evolved our use of language to reflect Ms� Halfe’s perspectives as an Indigenous woman, revised our Gift Policy to permit the purchase of certain ceremonial items, and ensured translation of Ms� Halfe’s writing into Cree, in addition to French� We also consulted with experts in Indigenous affairs to ensure that cultural protocols are understood by the Library and are consistently being followed� We ensured that Ms� Halfe received appropriate administrative,
 technical, training, research and other support to begin her mandate� The Parliamentary Librarian engaged directly with Ms� Halfe to understand her needs and strengthen Ms� Halfe’s knowledge of the Library and connection to it� Please see our Spotlight story about Ms� Halfe on page 20� Continuing work on Indigenous and GBA+ issues The Library conducted a thorough review of our research publications program and examined our established processes through a diversity and inclusion lens� We now require that every proposal to create a new product include consideration of gender- based analysis plus (GBA+)� Many publications produced in 2020–2021, including HillNotes, focused on the impacts of policies and the pandemic on Indigenous peoples and other marginalized groups� For example, one HillNote focused on the need for race- and ethnicity-based data� In addition, our research services for parliamentarians applied GBA+ to bills before Parliament� The Library mandated that employees within the research and reference team undertake GBA+ training tailored to the needs of Library staff� We also offered Indigenous awareness training, which more than 120 Library employees completed� The Library is committed to putting into practice lessons learned in this training by identifying new approaches for recruiting Indigenous employees� We also ensured that a GBA+ lens was applied when we updated or developed certain corporate policies, educational products for the public and training materials for parliamentary guides� 10 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Services The Library provides a wide range of services to meet the needs of parliamentarians and their staff, and all our other clients� To improve what we offer, we stay in close contact with clients, continuously seeking their feedback and responding as needed� Reference and research services Despite a shift to telework in March 2020 because of the pandemic, the Library continued to deliver a high level of service to
 parliamentarians and their staff and to answer questions from the public� Responses to requests for information and reference services, and research and analysis services, by user group, 2020–2021 User Group Parliamentarians and their staff (including constituency staff) Senators Members of the House of Commons Parliamentary committees, associations and delegations Senate committees House of Commons committees Associations and delegations Employees of the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament General public Other authorized users3 Total 1.
Responses to information requests include the timely provision of basic information, fact checking, customized information searches, copies of news items, official publications or other documents, bibliographic information, substantive reference support, guidance and orientation for Library of Parliament services and products, and access to items in the collections� 2.
In response to requests from individual parliamentarians, parliamentary committees, and parliamentary associations and delegations, Library staff provide in-depth analyses of policy issues or proposed legislation, comparative and interpretative analyses and statistical analyses in the form of virtual briefings, research notes, short briefing papers and substantive research papers� They also prepare speaking points, country papers, work plans, draft letters, draft communiqués, and draft committee and association reports� 3.
Other authorized users of information and reference services include, for example, the Governor General, the Prime Minister’s Office, officers of Parliament (including the Parliamentary Budget Officer), caucus research staff, members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery and legislative libraries� Other authorized users of research and analysis services include, for example, the Governor General and senior parliamentary officials� Information and Reference1 Research and Analysis2 7,506 1,405 6,101 181 18 49 114 2,380 9,033 2,366 21,466 1,107 281 826 1,684 123 1,040 521 n/a n/a 12 2,803 11 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Information and reference requests The Library’s research librarians, information and research technicians, media resources technicians and current-awareness technicians support the legislative and constituency work of parliamentarians and their staff by answering reference questions on a variety of topics� They curate news and other information, perform custom information searches and fact-checking using our collections and other resources, and respond to information requests from other legislative libraries and research institutions� The information service team also answers questions from the public� Topics can range from ways to visit Parliament to the role of Parliament or the history of the institution� We get thousands of requests every year for public education materials and Sessional Papers� In 2020–2021, research librarians and information and research technicians answered 7,687 requests for service from parliamentarians and their staff, including from parliamentary committees, associations and interparliamentary delegations� In-depth research and analysis The Library’s teams of analysts, research assistants, interns and others answered parliamentarians’ requests through custom research papers, emails or virtual briefings, for a total of 2,791 requests� Soliciting feedback to improve the user experience The Library surveyed clients in the fall of 2020 about their experience
 using Library products during the pandemic� We received 346 responses from clients, and 97% reported they were very or somewhat satisfied� 12 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Support for parliamentarians and their staff Research staff responded to 1,107 requests from individual parliamentarians and their staff� Support for parliamentary committees The Library’s subject-matter experts answered 1,684 requests for research and analysis services from Senate and House of Commons committees and from parliamentary associations and delegations� Library analysts assigned to parliamentary committees provided ongoing support by: •preparing background papers and work plans •providing briefing materials and suggested questions for committee meetings • •analyzing and synthesizing witness testimony • •drafting committee reports •giving advice to committee chairs and members • • •providing research support throughout the federal budget financial cycle The Library assigned analysts to 47 committees or subcommittees in the Senate and the House of Commons, including two special committees� • Research staff prepared 1,163 research documents for parliamentary committees� • Analysts assigned to the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations completed 2,366 assignments of varying sizes – from emails to full reports and briefing notes� Research services for international activities The Library also assigned analysts to all 13 parliamentary associations� They provided ongoing support by: •preparing tailored media monitoring •drafting background papers •writing draft resolutions and amendments for interparliamentary assemblies •preparing briefing books and speaking notes •drafting delegation reports •developing programs for virtual international meetings and conferences 13 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Research publications The Library produced a wide range of online research publications in 2020–2021� These documents provided analysis of issues,
 legislation and important public policy topics for individual parliamentarians, parliamentary committees and associations� 2020–2021 publications Legislative Summaries (not counting preliminary versions) Concise analyses of certain bills before Parliament HillNotes Quick reads on topics of interest to parliamentarians HillStudies In-depth reads on topics of interest to parliamentarians 24 68 35 Trade and Investment Profiles 17 Fact sheets on Canada’s trade and investment relationship with selected countries and regions Working Papers 31 Research papers that support the work of parliamentarians as they serve on committees, participate in parliamentary association activities and develop private members’ bills The Library conducted an in-depth review of its research publications program� The resulting changes are aimed at further prioritizing topics of interests to parliamentarians and enabling the Library to publish in a timelier manner� We also revamped the HillNotes online platform for a better user experience� We significantly improved our public website’s search function for research publications through staff consultation and collaboration� The project enhanced the use of our taxonomy and metadata to make these important resources easier to find� 14 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Enhanced visual elements for research products The Library continues to use high-quality visual elements to illustrate complex information in a format that allows users to quickly and easily understand data in research publications, committee reports, briefing materials and other documents prepared by our analysts� Visual tools encompass content-rich maps – including geographic information system (GIS) mapping – charts, graphs and other types of infographics� In 2020–2021, these visual elements were included in: • 46% of HillNotes • 50% of HillStudies Curated information The Library helps parliamentarians and their staff stay up to date with the news and current affairs
 that affect their daily work� Our current-awareness experts curate the information and resources most relevant to parliamentarians� In 2020–2021, the Library produced many compilations of materials on current affairs� 1,047 subscribers 844 subscribers 755 subscribers 727 subscribers 207 editions of Quorum 150 editions of Quorum – World News, 2,623 personalized notifications (news alerts) for NewsDesk, a media monitoring tool, which 24 editions of Radar, a compendium of reports, articles and other documents on issues of interest to had close to 1�3 million parliamentarians that generated page views, 1,677 article requests, 15 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Databases A–Z “Databases A–Z” is a popular tool with clients who are looking to access the Library’s electronic subscription databases� In 2020–2021, clients used the tool more than 14,000 times to find the most relevant resources for their work� Subject guides Subject guides provide an overview of selected topics of interest to parliamentarians and their staff and a first point of entry for those new to researching� The guides direct clients to reliable and authoritative resources that will get them started� Subject guides received 3,970 page views in 2020–2021, of which 814 were for the new COVID-19 subject guide, which launched in July 2020� This guide proved popular with our parliamentary clientele� A focus on news The Library completed an in-depth review of our online news, broadcast media and transcripts, which confirmed the value and performance of current information sources and platforms, but which also identified a need to ensure a greater diversity of voices in the collections� We launched a project in 2020–2021 to look into the availability of and access to Indigenous and minority media sources� This effort will continue through the next fiscal year� News via apps The Library has seen a steady trend over several years where users rely more heavily on digital sources of news� During
 2020–2021, this trend continued, with clients using one of the Library’s newspaper and magazine apps to scan or read 1.6 million current articles� 16 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Library collections The Library continued the transition to electronic products and formats, which now account for 70% of spending on the collections� Additional platforms have been acquired for electronic access, with a focus on e-books� The Library’s Collections Advisory Committee continued to be a venue for collaboration across the organization� Its work ensures that the development of our collections supports our clients’ needs� Employees from across the organization provide acquisition suggestions to ensure that different perspectives are considered in the collection-development process� Library Catalogue Our Library Catalogue was accessed 23,824 times in 2020–2021� We launched and completed various projects to optimize descriptions of our collections and ensure that users have efficient access to them� • We made 8,167 new items searchable for users through the catalogue� • We completed 1,846 classifications using our custom subject taxonomy, which makes the Library’s own publications easier to search for and find on our website� Preserving historical resources Despite the Preservation Lab’s work being limited in 2020–2021 due to COVID-19, the team completed 702 projects� This included binding 123 parliamentary publications, completing 38 conservation treatments, and carrying out 541 other interventions and special projects� In addition, the team conducted preventative preservation and ensured optimal conditions for the collections� Books of Remembrance In one project, the Library collaborated with Veterans Affairs Canada on the preservation of the eight Books of Remembrance in the Room of Remembrance in West Block� The Preservation Lab assessed the condition of the books and the environment in which they are kept and recommended a solution to adjust the environment
 to improve the conditions for the books� They continued to monitor these important books throughout the year� 17 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Library branches With the closing of the Library’s branches due to the pandemic, the reference team continued to provide virtual service to clients and took on several projects and initiatives to improve client service and foster teamwork� The pandemic gave us an opportunity to start developing an updated vision for the future of in-person reference services and the Library’s branches� Despite the cancellation of many parliamentary activities and branch closures, branch employees responded to 1,733 requests in 2020–2021� Learning opportunities The Library delivered 23 learning seminars by videoconference, mainly for parliamentarians and their staff� Attendance was higher than usual due to the virtual nature of service delivery in 2020–2021, which enabled constituency office staff to participate� Guides and tutorials The Library launched a program to develop online, on-demand learning tools using content from our popular Information Sessions in Our Library Branches program� In 2020–2021, the program introduced an interactive online tutorial for clients on how to use the Parlinfo database on parliamentary history� The Library also developed a series of client-facing PDF guides on how to use Library apps to borrow e-books and create a Library Catalogue user account, among others� Helping parliamentarians use our resources Working remotely, the Library increased the number of resource-training and consultation sessions we offer, providing one-on-one virtual support for groups of clients� In 2020–2021, we held 62 training sessions, primarily focusing on specific information resources, including technical consultations on how to use and access resources� 18 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Public information service The Library’s information service answers general questions about the Parliament
 of Canada� In 2020–2021, our staff responded to 9,033 queries from the public about Parliament’s role, history and work� We also gave people access to such documents as Sessional Papers and helped them find the parliamentary offices and resources they were looking for� The beginning of the pandemic had a major impact on the Library’s information service, as our automatic call distribution telephone system could not be used in a telework environment� The Library instituted a temporary solution, which enabled us to continue serving clients� In March 2021, this temporary solution was replaced with a permanent system that provides the Library with the flexibility to meet our clients’ needs, now and in the future� Public outreach In a normal year, the Library welcomes visitors to Parliament as part of our outreach program, in addition to providing information that enables Canadians to learn about and connect with the institution� Our outreach program also provides visitor services, educational resources, retail products, web products, publications and innovative digital resources for Canadians of all ages� Preserving Parliament’s history Parlinfo continues to provide historical information about the people and events that have made up Canada’s Parliament from 1867 to today� In 2020–2021, we added new features and content to improve the site� •We added permanent links that enable users to share search results and reports� This feature is especially useful for our reference service, which can now send links to clients that will remain dynamic and up to date as new data is added to the system� •We reviewed introductory information on pages throughout the Parlinfo site for accuracy and currency� •Through a questionnaire of current parliamentarians, we reviewed the accuracy of parliamentarians’ data� The responses received helped us improve the quality of data captured in Parlinfo� 19 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 During the pandemic, we were unable to
 conduct tours and instead focused our efforts on improving virtual and online experiences for visitors� This included launching Parliament: The Virtual Experience, which has been downloaded more than 10,000 times� Our 360° video of the virtual experience has been viewed more than 80,000 times� We also developed a new sales platform that offers nearly all products from the Library’s Boutique to customers online� The Library worked closely in 2020–2021 with our Teacher Advisory Committee, a national body of educators, to develop and deliver online educational resources� We consulted the committee to ensure we deliver the best possible information architecture and user experience for our educational web projects� A Cree Poet Laureate In early 2021, Louise B� Halfe – Sky Dancer began her term as Canada’s ninth Parliamentary Poet Laureate� Ms� Halfe is an Indigenous poet who has served as Poet Laureate of Saskatchewan and is widely recognized for weaving Cree language and teachings into her works� She was raised on the Saddle Lake Indian Reserve in central Alberta and attended Blue Quills Residential School� Ms� Halfe has published five collections of poetry: Bear Bones & Feathers (1994), Blue Marrow (1998), The Crooked Good (2007), Burning in this Midnight Dream (2016) and awâsis – kinky and dishevelled (2021)� Burning in this Midnight Dream details her response to the Truth and Reconciliation process and how the experiences of residential school children continue to haunt those who survived� Her most recent work, awâsis – kinky and dishevelled, is a light-hearted collection whose main character is a gender-fluid trickster always getting into trouble� Ms� Halfe has received many awards for her work, including the Canadian People’s Poet Award, several Saskatchewan Book Awards and the League of Canadian Poets’ Raymond Souster Award� During her mandate, Ms� Halfe plans to spotlight the work of Indigenous poets in Canada on the Parliamentary Poet Laureate website� She has
 written several poems at the request of parliamentarians and others, all of which have been posted in Cree, English and French on the website� Video recording of the reading of Angels: 215 >, 1820 – 1979 “The Past is Always Our Present” 20 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Welcoming the public to Parliament The Library is preparing for the resumption of guided tours of Parliament once the public health context allows and the program is once again able to recruit guides� We initiated collaborations with partners on considerations surrounding the eventual resumption of tours and made strategic recommendations to the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons� Refocusing the Library’s internship program While the pandemic forced the Library to cancel its 2020–2021 internship program, we focused on developing and implementing a strategy to relaunch the program for 2021–2022 with an emphasis on diversity, inclusion and regional representation, including by offering interns the option of remote work� Finding new ways to work with teachers Due to the pandemic, the Library cancelled the 2020–2021 Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy� The Teachers Institute gives dozens of teachers from across Canada an inside view of how Parliament works� Instead of holding an in-person event, we explored new ways to reach teachers and promote our suite of educational resources� In one major effort that took place in March 2021, we offered peer-led tutorials in every region of Canada� These one-hour online sessions, hosted by Teachers Institute alumni and Library employees, offered small-group instruction to teachers on how to use the Library’s educational resources in the classroom� We reached 79 teachers – roughly the same number who participate in the Teachers Institute� Leveraging social media The Library’s social media accounts continued to be popular in 2020–2021 for both followers and engagement� 2,600+ 3,600+ 66,000+ 541,000+
 2,900+ Twitter followers (@LoPInformation and @BdPInformation) Twitter followers (@LoPResearch and @BdPRecherche) Facebook followers YouTube views LinkedIn followers 1,300+ Instagram followers 21 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Twitter Facebook and YouTube LinkedIn The Library undertook a new initiative in 2020–2021 to bolster our presence on our LinkedIn account� The work included creating a “Life tab,” which helps showcase our organizational culture, work environment and other elements of interest to prospective employees� These changes increased our followers by 60%� Our @LoPInformation and @BdPInformation Twitter accounts provide facts about the important events and people that have shaped the Parliament of Canada since 1867� These accounts received 316,752 impressions� The Library’s other two Twitter accounts, @LoPResearch and @BdPRecherche, which help parliamentarians and their staff stay connected to the Library’s research, received 340,199 impressions� The Parliament of Canada’s social media accounts, which the Library manages, continued to increase their reach� • The @PARLyouth and @PARLjeunes Facebook pages gained almost 6,500 new followers� • Parliament’s YouTube channels – PARLyouth and PARLjeunes – had 541,726 views, an increase of 136%� We attribute many of these views to the popularity of a new animated video explaining Canada’s three branches of government� Social media strategy Building on the success of our existing social media accounts, the Library undertook an initiative to create a comprehensive social media strategy� The new strategy, which will be implemented in 2021–2022, will present a bolder, more cohesive social media presence for the Library� Treasures of the Library The Library enhanced content on the Treasures of the Library web pages – which highlight the Library of Parliament’s collection of rare books, art and artefacts – by spotlighting several new featured items in 2020–2021� These included vibrantly decorated
 Ukrainian eggs (pysanky) and the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers (a dictionary of the sciences, arts and crafts)� The Encyclopédie is among the most significant intellectual works of the 18th century� The Treasures of the Library web pages received 11,935 page views this year� The public responded well to social media content about the Treasures, with more than 500 retweets and likes of our posts� 22 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Support services To provide the most reliable and useful services to parliamentarians and the public, Library employees need strong support and sound governance from the organization� The Library delivered this support through its extraordinary efforts in HR, finance, security, IT, publishing and creative services, facilities management and much more� Robust information technology support Working closely with the House of Commons, our corporate services team implemented new telework tools, which enabled employees to support parliamentarians in virtual meetings of committees and associations, and to collaborate virtually within the Library and with parliamentary partners� The Library’s IT team collaborated with the House of Commons to organize mandatory cybersecurity training for all Library employees� The Library also shifted IT priorities and investments to ensure strong support for telework, particularly in the areas of desktop and corporate systems support� Building IT capacity has positioned us well for future challenges� We also leveraged corporate systems to support workplace accommodations and business continuity planning� A streamlined translation process The Library negotiated a formal service agreement with the Translation Bureau to improve the delivery of translated documents to support parliamentary and Library business� We communicated regularly with parliamentary partners in the Senate and House of Commons committee directorates to ensure we were responding to
 their top priorities� Policy updates Using the knowledge we gained from our experience with COVID-19, the Library conducted a business impact analysis of the pandemic and revised our Business Continuity Plan� These documents outline our service recovery times and identify priority areas, better positioning the Library to respond to future disruptions� Occupational health and safety The Library is committed to meeting all new occupational health and safety requirements under the Canada Labour Code� In 2020–2021, changes to Part II of the Code provided the Library with a framework for completing detailed work to keep our employees healthy and safe� To respond to these new requirements, we established occupational health and safety committees, implemented a revised occupational health and safety policy, provided occupational health and safety training to 82% of our employees and 91% of managers, and completed a series of workplace assessments� 23 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Our investments in this area were well received, as physical safety at the Library was among the highest-ranked factors in the 2020 healthy workplace survey� The Library also initiated a review of our Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy to align with new statutory requirements for preventing harassment and violence in the workplace� Strategy for a healthy workplace In 2020–2021, the Library continued its successful Healthy Workplace Strategy, which promotes a safe and healthy work environment for all employees� More than half of employees responded to our annual survey on the 13 psychosocial factors that contribute to a healthy workplace� We used the survey results to develop an action plan that focuses on promoting leadership, preventing harassment and violence, and promoting diversity and inclusion� Health and safety during the pandemic A key area of focus this fiscal year was ensuring that employees were well equipped to work at home, as well as prepared to
 return to a safe workplace when needed� Among our many activities, we developed a reporting protocol with Hill partners and contact tracing procedures to ensure effective communications when COVID-19 cases are reported in the Parliamentary Precinct� We also implemented a pandemic mental health strategy, including mental health training offered to all employees, and additional resilience and mindfulness training for managers� Accessibility In 2020–2021, the Library connected with partners, stakeholders and communities of practice to increase our knowledge and awareness of accessibility issues� We produced fully accessible PDF documents, included an accessibility testing phase in our web projects, created an accessibility strategy for Phase 2 of Parliament: The Virtual Experience – the Onsite Visitor Destination – and integrated accessibility affordances into program and production design� We also held training and information sessions that support our commitment to accessibility� We are carefully tracking new regulations to ensure we are ready to meet them in 2022� 24 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 About the Library Who we are Vision To be Parliament’s preferred and trusted source of information and knowledge� Mission The Library of Parliament contributes to Canadian parliamentary democracy by creating, managing and delivering authoritative, reliable and relevant information and knowledge for Parliament� Strategic outcome An informed and accessible Parliament� How the Library is organized Speaker of the Senate Speaker of the House of Commons Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament Parliamentary Librarian Service areas Parliamentary Information, Education and Research Services Information and Document Resource Services Corporate Services 25 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Speaker of the Senate Speaker of the House of Commons Vested with the direction and control of the Library of Parliament in accordance with the
 Parliament of Canada Act� Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament Composed of senators and of members of the House of Commons, it is responsible for assisting the Speakers on the operations of the Library� Parliamentary Librarian Exercises control and management of the Library and has the status of a Deputy Head, reporting to the two Speakers� The Office of the Parliamentary Librarian provides executive, legal and communications services to the Parliamentary Librarian and the organization, in addition to being the steward for the Parliamentary Poet Laureate� Parliamentary Information, Education and Research Services Provides parliamentarians with reference, research and analysis services� It also oversees the Library’s public education programs and seminars for parliamentarians and their staff� Information and Document Resource Services Builds, manages, preserves and optimizes access to the Library’s resources and collections; compiles and disseminates historical information about Parliament and parliamentarians; and provides curated news and media monitoring products� Corporate Services Provides a full range of corporate services to the Library, including human resources; finance; information technology; publishing, editing and creative services; materiel management; security; facilities management; administrative services; and corporate planning� Library of Parliament Executive Committee Dr. Heather P. Lank Parliamentary Librarian Sonia Bebbington Director General, Information and Document Resource Services Marcus Pistor Director General, Parliamentary Information, Education and Research Services JoAnne St‑Gelais Director General, Corporate Services 26 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 What we do The Library of Parliament has five key responsibilities: Provide customized research and analysis to parliamentarians and their staff Supply parliamentarians, parliamentary committees and associations with the information they need
 to examine the issues of the day, consider legislation and hold the government accountable Preserve Parliament’s documentary heritage and ensure access to its collections Keep parliamentarians informed and deliver relevant news and information Support parliamentarians in their outreach to the public by providing opportunities for Canadians to access, experience and learn about Parliament Whom we serve 1 2 3 4 Parliamentarians and their staff Parliamentary committees and associations Organizations that support Parliament The Canadian public on behalf of parliamentarians Parliamentarians supported by the Library of Parliament1 Committees1 and associations supported by the Library of Parliament 105 senators 338 members of the House of Commons 28 House of Commons committees 16 Senate committees 13 parliamentary associations Total 443 Total 60 1.
These numbers can vary from year to year due to Senate or House of Commons 1.

Includes special committees and subcommittees other than those focused on seats becoming vacant� agenda and procedure� 2.
Includes the Joint Interparliamentary Council� 3 joint committees2 27 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Financial information Library of Parliament Budget, 2020–2021 Service Main Estimates ($) Supplementary Estimates and Adjustments ($) Total Authorities ($) Actual Spending ($) Parliamentary Information, Education and Research Services Research and analysis 12,706,327 Reference services Public education programs1 Information and Document Resource Services Corporate Services2 Office of the Parliamentary Librarian3 6,411,342 6,419,434 8,894,809 12,207,297 1,316,008 – – – – – – 12,706,327 11,685,829 6,411,342 6,177,137 6,419,434 3,803,571 8,894,809 8,469,774 12,207,297 12,225,240 1,316,008 1,046,300 Employee Benefit Plan 5,453,542 (386,051) 5,067,491 5,067,491 53,408,759 (386,051) 53,022,708 48,475,342 382 n/a 382 368.79 Total FTEs4 1.
Includes retail program� 2.

Includes central costs� 3.

Includes corporate communications, General Counsel� 4.

Full-time equivalents (does not include guides, students, interns)� Library of Parliament Spending Trends ($ millions) Fiscal Year Main Estimates Total Authorities1 Actual Spending 2018–2019 2019–2020 2020–2021 48�09 49�95 53�41 1.
Includes Employee Benefit Plan adjustments� 48�06 50�75 53�02 47�53 49�28 48�48 View the audited financial statements (434 Kb, 25 pages) View the Accessible version of the financial statements (425 Kb, 22 pages) 28 Library of Parliament | Annual Report 2020–2021 Library of Parliament Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A9 Canada lop�parl�ca info@parl�gc�ca Toll-free (Canada): 1-866-599-4999 Telephone: 1-613-992-4793 TTY: 1-613-995-2266 ISSN 2292-1745 © Library of Parliament 2021 Cette publication est aussi disponible en français.