User talk:Frombritain/sandbox

Canada

Academic libraries in Canada are a relatively recent development in relation to other countries. The very first academic library in Canada was opened in 1789 in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Academic libraries were significantly small during the 19th century and up until the 1950s, when Canadian academic libraries began to grow steadily as a result of greater importance being placed on education and research. (Beckman, Dahms, Lorne). The growth of libraries throughout the 1960s was a direct result of many overwhelming factors including inflated student enrollments, increased graduate programs, higher budget allowance, and general advocacy of the importance of these libraries (Downs, p.9). As a result of this growth and the Ontario New Universities Library Project that occurred during the early 1960s, 5 new universities were established in Ontario that all included fully catalogued collections (Beckman, Dahms, Lorne). The establishment of libraries was widespread throughout Canada and was furthered by grants provided by the Canada Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, which sought to enhance library collections(Beckman, dahms, Lorne). Since many academic libraries were constructed after World War Two, a majority of the Canadian academic libraries that were built before 1940 that haven’t been updated to modern lighting, air conditioning, etc., are either no longer in use or are on the verge of decline (Downs, p.93). The total number of college and university libraries increased from 31 in 1959-1960 to 105 in 1969-1970 (Downs, p.4).

Following the growth of academic libraries in Canada during the 1960s there was a period of sedation, which was a primary result of some major budgetary issues (Canada Council). These academic libraries were faced with cost issues relating to the recently developed service of interlibrary lending and the high costs of periodicals on acquisition budgets, which affected overall acquisition budgeting and ultimately general collections (Canada Council). Canadian academic libraries faced consistent problems relating to insufficient collections and overall lack of coordination among collections (Canada Council).

Academic libraries within Canada would not have flourished and continue to be strengthened without the help of outside organizations. The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) was established in 1967 and is concerned with promoting unity among Canadian academic libraries (OCUL, 2011).The Ontario College and University Library Association (OCULA) is attached to the Ontario Library Association (OLA) and is concerned with representing academic librarians in regards to issues that are shared in the academic library setting (OLA, n.d.).