British ColumbiaPublic library directors in British Columbia say they are reaching a breaking point with rising demand and costs as provincial funding remains stagnant.Public libraries say inflation, rising demand and stagnant funding have left them at a breaking pointShaurya Kshatri · CBC News · Posted: Sep 02, 2025 2:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoB.C. public library directors are asking the province to double its core annual contribution to libraries from $14 million to $30 million. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Public library directors in British Columbia say they are reaching a breaking point with rising demand and costs as provincial funding remains stagnant.Cari Lynn Gawletz, chair of the Association of B.C. Public Library Directors and director of the Grand Forks and District Public Library, says libraries across the province are struggling to keep up.”With inflation skyrocketing and more demands on public libraries, we are struggling to stay open now.”Gawletz says the impact is already visible in places like Cranbrook and Creston, where libraries have had to reduce hours and programs, and that more communities could face cuts in the coming year.”It’s going to be really painful, especially in really tiny communities where the library might be the only public building there at all.”UBCM pushes for long-term fixThe issue will be front and centre at next month’s Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention, where delegates will debate a special resolution calling on the province to more than double its core annual funding for libraries to $30 million. The resolution also calls for a dedicated provincial capital fund to help local governments upgrade and expand facilities.Gawletz says provincial funding was cut by more than 20 per cent in 2009 to about $14 million a year for all 71 public library systems and has remained frozen ever since. Core provincial funding for B.C.’s 71 library systems has remained frozen at $14 million since 2010. (Caroline Morneau/CBC)She says about 90 per cent of every library’s funding comes from municipalities or regional districts and the rest from the province.”That number used to be a lot higher,” she added. “About 15 to 20 per cent of funding came from the province.” According to the UBCM resolution, in 1986, the province contributed 21 per cent of library revenue, but by 2022 that share had dropped to six per cent.The resolution also points out that over the same period, B.C.’s population grew by 29 per cent and inflation rose 36 per cent.”Libraries are going to have to make further cuts and I know my library is definitely looking at significant service reductions in the new year as well,” said Gawletz, referencing the Grand Forks and District Public Library.More than just booksCalls for increased provincial support are not new. According to the UBCM, resolutions on library funding have come forward almost every year since 2005, without resulting in sustained increases.Gawletz says libraries are taking on a growing role in communities, serving as far more than book-lending institutions.”Strong libraries mean strong local economies,” she said. “We help people find jobs, upgrade their skills, give them access to technology. People run entire small businesses out of their public libraries.”Libraries are also increasingly used as cooling centres during heat waves, gathering places during emergencies and safe spaces for people experiencing homelessness, mental health struggles or social isolation.Provincial responseIn a statement to CBC News, B.C. Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle acknowledged the financial pressures libraries are facing.”We recognize the social and economic pressures facing libraries and understand that local decisions about service levels in a community are challenging to navigate,” she said.B.C. Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle says she recognizes that public libraries in the province are facing challenges. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)”We remain committed to working with library leaders and local governments to ensure public libraries can continue to meet the evolving needs of British Columbians.”The ministry said provincial support is intended to complement local government funding.According to the province, it has provided $56 million in additional support to libraries since 2020, including a one-time $45-million enhancement grant in 2023.That money was distributed across B.C.’s 71 library systems, which Gawletz says provided a much-needed respite.WATCH | Librarian shares her concerns on rising disturbances: Victoria librarian warns coworkers burning out amid rise in patron incidents, staffing shortageThe number of violent incidents and general disturbances at Greater Victoria libraries have multiplied in recent years. One librarian and union leader, Caitlin Ottenbreit, says it’s causing burnout and fatigue among workers, especially as they face a serious staffing shortage. “We across the province used it in all different ways just to fill gaps to do technological upgrades that some libraries haven’t been able to afford to do,” she said. “Some libraries used it to get air conditioning, others used it to bring staff up to living wage levels because library staff tend to be underpaid.”But the library director says that one-time funding is running out this year. The province said it is committed to maintaining its $14-million annual contribution through 2027 and pointed to other investments like the $1-billion Growing Communities Fund, which it said was used by some municipalities for library capital projects. In Vancouver, $4.5 million of the fund went toward renovating the Central Library’s children’s section.Still, Gawletz says without a permanent increase, communities will see more libraries forced to scale back and even make layoffs.”There’s this incorrect argument that libraries aren’t relevant anymore, that nobody reads, they totally do,” she said. “But if we keep reducing services, that could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”ABOUT THE AUTHORShaurya Kshatri is a web writer and reporter at CBC News Vancouver. You can reach him at shaurya.kshatri@cbc.ca
B.C. library directors warn of service cuts, call on province to double funding
