The disposal of materials from federal libraries is part of the National Library's mandate and could not lightly be abandoned. As book exchanges are a domestic as well as an international activity, it is entirely appropriate that the National Library should continue to be the lead organization involved with such exchanges. We cannot support the dismantling of the existing exchange program until a suitable alternative is established at the regional level. We do not support a recommendation to dispose of non-Canadian material that contains no Canadian content. We question how useful a collection with only Canadian content would be to any researcher.
Serious research requires context.
It is impossible to study Canada without taking into account other countries significant to our development, such as the United States, England and France. We urge the Department of Canadian Heritage and the National Library to take swift action to ensure that CIDL's future and its sustainability are treated as a priority with respect to allocation of funds and other resources. We strongly endorse the recommendation to provide free search service with improvements, and we encourage the Department of Canadian Heritage to allocate adequate financial resources to the National Library to enable it to comply with this recommendation. A partnership to provide access while leaving a charitable agency to provide fundamental services to disabled Canadians falls far short of what is necessary. In all other G7 countries the production of materials for the print-handicapped is supported by tax dollars.