Canadian Federation of Library Associations
The Canadian Federation of Library Associations / Fédération canadienne des associations de bibliothèques (CFLA-FCAB) is a non-profit federation of Canada’s library associations. It was incorporated on 16 May 2016 and replaced the Canadian Library Association (CLA). The CFLA-FCAB’s stated mission is to be “the united voice of Canada’s libraries” and its stated vision is to influence public policy and advance the success of libraries. Membership is open to associations, groups or corporations that further the interests of the Canadian library community and entails an annual membership fee. The CFLA-FCAB 's stated strategic priorities are to amplify the influence and impact of libraries in national and international public policy; anticipate and respond to the changing information environment by defining national policy positions to advance library excellence; raise the visibility of libraries as contributors to Canadian intellectual, social, and cultural life; and develop a sustainable organization to effectively support CFLA-FCAB’s mission and vision. CFLA-FCAB’s work is carried out through committees, public-facing position statements, and the creation of resources and reports, including the CFLA-FCAB Truth and Reconciliation Report and Recommendations. CFLA-FCAB also contributes and makes  available its responses to federal government consultation requests, including on Canadian Content in a Digital World and the Canadian accessibility legislation. History. The CFLA-FCAB was preceded by the Canadian Library Association (CLA), which had struggled to maintain financial stability and membership in the complex twenty-first century library sector, despite its 68-year history. The CFLA-FCAB was created in response to the need for stronger national representation across the diverse range of Canadian libraries, including academic, public, school, and special libraries. In January 2015, the CLA’s Executive Council began formal discussions to address the sustainability challenges it  was facing. On December 18, 2015, the Future Federation Working Group released a proposal to dissolve the CLA and form “a new federation that unites, supports, and represents the diverse library communities that make up [Canada's] library ecosystem”. The model was conceived of as an ‘association of associations’ and was inspired by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). In January 2016, at a Special Meeting of the membership, members voted to dissolve the CLA and to create the CFLA-FCAB. The new Federation was formally incorporated on 16 May 2016. The inaugural CFAB-FCAB Annual General  Meeting was held on 1 February 2017 in Toronto, Ontario. The inaugural CFLA-FCAB National Forum was held on 2 May 2018 in Regina, Saskatchewan and focused on topics of Artificial Intelligence and intellectual freedom. CFLA-FCAB is a current member of IFLA. Truth and Reconciliation Committee. The Truth and Reconciliation Committee (T&R Committee) was mandated from 30 September 2016 - 1 February 2017. Before the dissolution of the CLA in 2016, this body prioritized the need to advance the 94 Calls to Action that were issued in 2015 by the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada. In keeping with this prioritization , the first committee to be created under the new CFLA-FCAB was the T&R Committee. Chaired by Camille Callison (founding CFLA-FCAB member and Indigenous Representative, 2015-2019 ), the T&R Committee delineated ways that libraries, archives, and cultural memory institutions can support the Calls to Action and can become more welcoming to, inclusive of, and respectful towards Indigenous peoples and communities. The Committee also consulted with Indigenous Elders, including Norman Meade and Marlene Kayseas. Teams. Guided by Elder Norman Meade, Callison used the model of the medicine wheel to organize the T&R Committee and the focused teams within it. The  T&R Committee teams were formed as follows: Outputs. The T&R Committee created the CFLA-FCAB Truth and Reconciliation Committee Report and Recommendations, which were released publicly on 20 April 2017 and include recommendations for long-term actions that the CFLA-FCAB, its members, and cultural heritage institutions more broadly can undertake to support Indigenous peoples living in what is now known as Canada. The Report was presented at the CFLA-FCAB 2017 Annual General Meeting in the presence of the International Indigenous Librarians’ Forum Mauri Stone. The report consolidates the recommendations from each of the four teams to offer 10  overarching recommendations: In 2017, the CFLA-FCAB implemented the first call of the Report by creating the Indigenous Matters Committee, which now carries on the work started by the T&R Committee. Among other of its outputs, the T&R Committee started collaborations with the University of Alberta that led to the launch of the Indigenous Canada MOOC. Professional committees. Cataloguing and Metadata Standards Committee. The CFLA-FCAB Cataloguing and Metadata Standards Committee (CMSC/CNSM) held its inaugural meeting on 1 September 2017. This Committee is mandated to undertake advocacy and provide advice regarding issues of cataloguing and metadata standards. This Committee  also oversees CFLA-FCAB’s representation on the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing (CCC) and on the Canadian Committee on Metadata Exchange (CCM). The CMSC/CNSM meets twice annually. Canadian BIBFRAME Readiness Task Force. From 2018-2020, the CMSC/CNSM began a partnership with the Fédération des milieux documentaires (FMD), Library and Archives Canada (LAC), and the Library of Parliament in order to prepare documents that could be used by CMSC/CNSM in response to the Library of Congress’s planned migration from MARC standards to the Bibliographic Framework (BIBFRAME) schema. The task force is called the Canadian BIBFRAME Readiness Task  Force and its outputs include ‘A plain-language description of BIBFRAME and its potential impact on Canadian libraries’ report and the Task Force’s ‘Final Report’ in 2020 which includes a list of recommendations, including that BIBFRAME be included in ALA-accredited library school programs and that readiness surveys be conducted nationally before 2025. Copyright Committee. The Copyright Committee was formed in December 2016 and is mandated to advise the CFLA-FCAB on matters of copyright and policy advocacy. The Committee also engages in collaboration and outreach with CFLA-FCAB members and the broader cultural heritage community both in Canada  and internationally. The Copyright Committee meets monthly from June to September and reports to the CFLA-FCAB Board. The CFLA-FCAB website also includes a page that collects statements and resources related to copyright, including CFLA-FCAB’s position statements regarding ‘Indigenous Knowledge in Canada’s Copyright Act’ and ‘Fair Dealing’ in Canada’s Copyright Act. Indigenous Matters Committee. The Indigenous Matters Committee was formed in 2017 following the work of the CFLA-FCAB’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee (T&R Committee). Camille Callison served as founding Chair (2017-2019). The Indigenous Matters Committee exists to ensure an ongoing commitment within  the CFLA-FCAB to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and to the T&R Committee’s 10 recommendations. The Indigenous Matters Committee works to promote collaborations among and between its members and other Canadian libraries, archives, and cultural memory institutions to implement these calls to action and makes annual progress reports to the CFLA-FCAB Board. In line with the T&R Committee’s recommendations, the Indigenous Matters Committee has also created an Indigenous Resources Hub on the CFLA-FCAB website. Teams. The Indigenous Matters Committee continues the T&R Committee’s use of the  medicine wheel as a guiding structure and framework. Working groups for the Indigenous Matters Committee are divided into four teams: Intellectual Freedom Committee and Challenges Survey. Prior to 2016, the CLA conducted a survey known as the Annual Challenges Survey. When the CLA was dissolved, the CFLA-FCAB took over the administration of this survey, which is now known as the Intellectual Freedom Challenges Survey of Canadian Libraries. The survey is overseen by the CFLA-FCAB’s Intellectual Freedom Committee. The survey provides an annual list of reported challenges regarding library collections and policies across Canada and the survey results  are published annually through the CFLA-FCAB website. Programs. Accreditation. The CFLA-FCAB approaches and supports qualified librarians to serve on American Library Association (ALA) review boards to assess Canadian library and information schools on an as-needed basis. Canada Library Month and Canadian Library Workers’ Day. The CFLA-FCAB promotes and supports Canada Library Month in October, as well as Canadian Library Workers’ Day on the third Friday in October. This program was initially launched in 2006 by the CLA and is carried forward by the CFLA-FCAB, which announces an annual theme and provides promotional materials and resources  for libraries in support of these events. W. Kaye Lamb Award for Service to Seniors. The CFLA-FCAB partners with the Ex-Libris Association to offer the W. Kaye Lamb Award for Service to Seniors. Launched in 2002, the award can be granted to libraries of any type that provide innovative and excellent service to senior patrons and it is offered every two years (although only awarded when merited). The award includes a $500 cash prize. Past recipients are: Leadership. The CFLA-FCLA current Board of Directors are listed below. External links. Official website: http://cfla-fcab.ca/en/home-page/ Canadian Federation of Library