[Advisors] ltr to InCan policy advisor re: CAP/libraries

[Thompson, Darlene]

Nicely done - with a few more examples like Marie's I think its good.

D

Darlene A. Thompson
Community Access Program Administrator
Nunavut Dept. of Education / N-CAP
P.O. Box 1000, Station 910
Iqaluit, NU  X0A 0H0
Phone:  (867) 975-5631
Fax:  (867) 975-5610
E-mail:  dthompson@gov.nu.ca
=20
-----Original Message-----
From: advisors-admin@tc.ca [mailto:advisors-admin@tc.ca] On Behalf Of Marit=
a Moll
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 9:48 AM
To: advisors@tc.ca
Subject: [Advisors] ltr to InCan policy advisor re: CAP/libraries


Hello folks and Happy New Year.  We have yet to reconnect with the policy a=
dvisor we met with in December and, given the rumours about CAP being absor=
bed by libraries, I thought it would be a good hook to hang this letter on.=
  So, below is a draft, with some explanation re: the library context and a=
 request for a further meeting about new funding models.  I need your help =
with good specific examples about "libraries" that don't fit the common mou=
ld, with other points that could/should be made.


Dear Mr. Winchester

Please accept our best wishes for the New Year and our thanks for the exten=
ded meeting on December 8, 2011.  We appreciated your honest comments and p=
robing questions about the current status of the CAP program.  We hope we w=
ere able to communicate some of the exciting innovations currently underway=
 in this program which, we all agree, needs complete rebranding.

We know there is a feeling, in the policy community, that the CAP program i=
s ready to be absorbed into the library community.  We would like to assure=
 you that this is absolutely not the case. To begin with, in the context of=
 CAP delivery, the term "library" has never been clearly defined. Libraries=
 vary greatly across the country.  In very small communities they might con=
sist of nothing more than a few shelves of books and the ability to order b=
ooks from a distant main repository.  Some are only open a few hours per we=
ek and staffed by a single person.  They might be a small corner of a rural=
 municipal building that serves multiple functions.  Here are a few reports=
 describing the situation in various areas:

*        In Nunavut, the libraries have no budget=20
for computers or technical support.  The only support they receive for digi=
tal programs is through CAP.
*        In Saskatchewan, most of the rural=20
libraries are open only 12 hours per week and many are not CAP sites.
*         First Nations communities have very=20
large populations that depend on the CAP sites for basic tasks such as comp=
leting job applications and creating resumes.  First Nation communities rar=
ely have public libraries.
*        None of the 38 CAP sites in PEI are in libraries.
*        In the Vancouver area, out of 102 sites,=20
only 20 of them are in libraries.
*        Xxxx please send me a few more examples
*        xxxx

We hope you will be interested in taking some time in January to meet with =
some of us again to discuss different funding models that could preserve th=
e program outside of the Industry Canada envelope.

Finally, further to the "living labs" project demonstrated at the December =
meeting, we would like to share with you the attached pictures of the Royal=
 Couple visiting one of the "living lab"=20
sites in Montreal.  Although this particular site is part of a medical prog=
ram, community installations now being planned follow a similar model.

Sincerely
people at the meeting?


Marita












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