British Columbia Library Association

Proposal for a

B.C. Government Publication
Depository Library Program |

The following proposal of
Asseciation has been endorsed
Information and Privacy As

the British Columbia Library

by the B.C. Freedom of

sociation. The Government

Publication Depository Librevy Program has been
accepted as an extension of B.C. FIPA’s position paper,
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Information Rights for British Columbia.

Saal

re

he British Columbia Library Association

(BCLA) represents the interests of

public, academic, and

government/ special libraries. Its
membership of over 700 individuals represen:s
more than 300 information outlets. Public libraries
alone service over 97% of the populatica of British
Columbia from the largest urban centres to the
smallest villages.

BCLA supports the incecxisction of freedom of
informatioz and privacy legislation. We commend
all efforts to make government information and
publications more accessible. However, the
presently proposed legislation is oriented to
responding to individual requests for access to
information. BCLA strongly believes that
governmert must ensure not only access to
documents but dissemination of government
publications.

The missing link in present proposals for freedom
of information and privacy legislation is a program
for the active distribution of government
publications ‘o the public through the libraries of
British Columbia.

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Such a program is not without precedent ‘Ofifario,
Quebec, Nova Scotia arid the Federal Government
have active programs for the distribution of
government publications. “os nh ~

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"An active dissemination program will “provide

information to shousands of individuals who use
the library in their local cornmunities. With the
dissemination of government publications,
individuals are spared the need to pursue separate
requests to the government for information which
should be easily available. Dissemination is
therefore both effident in meeting public
information needs and cost effective to the
government. — sO ™

The need for such a program has been implica
recognized by numerous government agencies and
departments. For example, the Ministry of the
Attorney General now distributes publications
through Courthouses in the province. The Legal
Services Society has a Public Library Program to
assist libraries in obtaining and using legal
informaion.

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