Why keep it local?

A locally run municipal library improves services, ensures that programs meet local needs, and keeps direct control and oversight over local taxes. By keeping the Prince Rupert Public Library as a local library, residents will benefit from:

• Better library services that are more focused on meeting local needs first. The current city-appointed Library Board is directly accountable to residents.

• Local control over municipal services, with direct local oversight over the municipal library. The existing local library is directed entirely by local residents.

• No disruptions or distractions to local services that would be caused by firing the existing Library Board and outsourcing the local library to a regional library district that is based in another part of the province. 

• Locally raised tax revenues remaining in our community, rather than being collected locally and then sent to a regional library district - for reallocation to its many branches. Locally raised taxes to support municipal services should remain under local control.

Do not fire the local Library Board.

Do not outsource the local library.

City Council has already started the outsourcing process:

• On September 12, 2023 the City of Prince Rupert wrote to VIRL to "express the City of Rupert's interest in joining the VIRL service," which was done on behalf of the Mayor and Council.

• Since then, VIRL conducted an engineering study of the Prince Rupert Public Library building and the city is waiting for a response to its request to join VIRL. 

Public libraries in BC are run according to the Library Act:

• Libraries are the responsibility of local government, which is why a city government may establish a municipal library under the provisions set out in the Library Act.  

• Public library services are the responsibility of local government, just as are services like fire, public safety, water, roads, and sewer. The library is a local government service. Local governments are responsible for funding these services for their communities.

• A municipall library is governed by a locally-appointed Library Board. 

• The existing library in Prince Rupert is a municipal public library. This means that it is funded locally, run locally, and local oversight and control is done directly, through the city's existing Library Board. 

• All the members of the existing city-appointed Prince Rupert Public Library Board are local residents. The board is directly accountable to the community. 

• Firing the Library Board and outsourcing the local library removes city control over municipal services. An outsourced branch library would be run by a regional library district, with its headquarters based outside of Prince Rupert.

Firing the Library Board and outsourcing the local library is complex and time-consuming:

• Municipalities may, instead of opting for a local library, opt for a regionally operated library. Regional library districts operate branches for communities that do not have their own municipal library.

• Once a municipal library is established by a city, there is a formal process for the city to fire its Library Board and to outsource its library. 

• The outsourcing process requires the assent of voters, such as through a city-wide referendum. The process is complicated and time-intensive, as it requires public input, voter assent, and negotiations between various government bodies.

• VIRL is a regional library district. It provides services to communities in an area that spans more than 42,000 square kilometres. VIRL provides branch library services for many small communities. Many of these communities are too small and too remote to run their own public library.

• While run from afar, regional district branch libraries are still funded locally, through local taxes. 

• Regional library districts, such as the Nanaimo-based VIRL, are funded through local taxes collected by each municipality (or other local government body) in the regional library district. 

• Branch libraries are locally funded but are run from afar. Cities, other municipalities, and regional districts collect local taxes and then send these locally raised funds to the regional library district for reallocation to all of its branch-library locations.

Timeline

• September 2023 The process began when the City of Prince Rupert wrote to VIRL to "express interest in joining the VIRL service." 

• June 2024 An engineering assessment of the facility housing the Prince Rupert Public Library was conducted for the City of Prince Rupert, at the request of the North Coast Regional District. This engineering assessment was conducted by VIRL in June 2024. The VIRL is a regional library district based in Nanaimo.

• October 2024 The City Manager for Prince Rupert updated the Prince Rupert Public Library Board, at its October 2024 board meeting, of the city's consideration of a plan to replace the municipal library with a branch library of VIRL. In the minutes: "Library Board and City representatives will not support a change that would negatively affect library staff." 

• December 2024 Looking to meeting community needs and the municipal library's future, the Library Board established a "New Facility Committee" in December 2024 to research and develop a strategic plan proposal for building a new facility for the Prince Rupert Public Library. The mandate of this committee included aiming for occupancy within five years and seeking possible funding through grants, public donations, and City borrowing. The existing municipal Library Board is continuing to research long-term plans for its patrons and for meeting the needs of city residents.

• January 2025 The report from VIRL on the library facility was also released in January 2025, and this report is available for public view by contacting the city.

Learn More

Keep Our Local Library Local Campaign

The Prince Rupert District Teachers' Union (PRDTU), the local union of the teaching professionals of SD52, supports the Prince Rupert Public Library and wants it to remain open as a locally-governed municipal library.

That’s why the PRDTU supports retaining the city-appointed municipal library board and keeping the municipal library open. The city’s local library is too valuable to outsource to a Nanaimo-based regional library district (VIRL).