The Association of Parliamentary Libraries in Canada - L�Association des biblioth�ques parlementaires au Canada

William Buchanan
Alberta

In 1907, William F.A. Buchanan was asked by the Alberta Government to help organize the newly established Library for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Mr. Buchanan traveled to parts of eastern Canada and the United States during the summer and fall of 1907, visiting some of the leading libraries of the day to gather first-hand information and authoritative advice relating to library collection development. Mr. Buchanan would later go on to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, a Member of Parliament, and a Senator.

A Rich History Serving the Province and its Legislature
Ontario

The Legislative Library of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is the descendant of the parliamentary libraries of the province of Upper Canada (1792-1841) and of the united Province of Canada (1841-1867). In 1867 the Ontario Legislature established a new Legislative Library, which was recognized in the Standing Orders of the House. The Library has been administered by the Speaker (1867-1899), the Treasurer (1899-1921), the Minister of Education (1921-1964), the Provincial Secretary (1964-1972), and the Minister of Government Services (1972-1976). In April 1976, upon the recommendation of the Ontario Commission on the Legislature, it became a division of the Office of the Assembly under the authority of the Speaker once again.

Ledge Talks
Northwest Territories

The Legislative Library launched Ledge Talks: The Knowledge Series in July 2012. Modelled on the famous “Ted Talks”, The Knowledge Series showcases current ideas, science, traditional knowledge, and issues relevant to the Northwest Territories and beyond. The talks serve as a forum for a wide variety of speakers and provide an opportunity for learning beyond one’s normal work and life surroundings.

Ledge Talks also showcases research done by the many Government of the Northwest Territories employees who, often with collaborating partners, are making substantial contributions to the world’s understanding of the North.

The 30-minute presentations, which are followed by a question period, are held in the Great Hall of the Legislative Assembly building and are about knowledge, not politics and about issues, not government programs. The talks are webcast and also videotaped and posted on the Legislative Library’s website.

Inuit and the North
Nunavut

Along with collecting all house documents for the Legislative Assembly and Government of Nunavut departmental publications, the Legislative Library of Nunavut maintains one of Canada’s most comprehensive collections of books, journals, and multimedia that focus on Inuit and the North.

175th Anniversary
New Brunswick

The New Brunswick Legislative Library is celebrating its 175th this year. The Joint Committee of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly established the New Brunswick Legislative Library in 1841. Throughout the years the library has not only served elected members, legislative staff, as well as government staff, but also served as a public library before there was a public library system in New Brunswick. In 1954 the Central Library Services was set up. The Legislative Library transferred its fiction and popular non-fiction books to it, and in 1955, after 95 years, the Legislative Library ceased to be the circulation library for Fredericton.

Regina Cyclone
Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan’s Legislative Library was the first government agency to be located in the province’s Legislative Building, and it weathered the building’s damage from the Regina Cyclone, which occurred during the final stages of construction. Although the Legislative Building did not officially open until 1912, the Library, desperate for proper and permanent accommodation, was located there in early 1910. When the Regina Cyclone struck in June 1912, the building was badly damaged. Walls in the Library were knocked down and bookcases toppled, leaving a jumble of books, papers, plaster, concrete and broken glass on the floor. Every book had to be cleaned to remove the lime, dust and concrete. The librarian of the day reported that they were largely able to achieve the task of rescuing the thousands of books from the piles of debris.

Did you know?
Nova Scotia

The Nova Scotia Legislative Library’s reading room used to be the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. In 1862 it was converted into the Legislative Library. At that time, considerable renovations were completed, including the removal of the jury benches, spectator balcony and stairs, witness docket, judges’ dais, spectator benches, and doors to the jury box and spectator balcony. Some of the more interesting court cases heard in this room are Joseph Howe’s libel trial in 1835, which helped to establish freedom of the press in Canada, and the trial of the Saladin pirates in 1844.

The Librarian’s Piano
Newfoundland and Labrador

In 1932, the Dominion of Newfoundland was in considerable debt, unemployment was high and the Liberal government was plagued by scandal. On April 4th, 1932, a political rally turned into a riot at the legislature - the Colonial Building. Windows were broken out and the building was eventually ransacked. The Legislative Librarian at the time maintained a small apartment, or rooms, in the basement of the building and her space was not immune to the rioters. From the Daily News report...

...By this time the youths in the crowd had made pretty good headway, with what apparently they thought was their job, of smashing all the windows in the building, the doors also, and the window sashes. Stones and pickets out of the park fence were used. Vandalism ran rampant. The rooms occupied by Miss Morris, Librarian of the Legislative Library, were ransacked. Her piano was taken out of her room to the park, where it was completely wrecked. Her private papers and books were destroyed, and the fittings completely wrecked. 

The Red River Library
Manitoba

The Library of the Red River Settlement is a special collection of 350 volumes still remaining from the library that served the Selkirk Settlers. Officially founded in 1848, the Red River Settlement Library traces its origins to the beginnings of the Settlement when in 1812 Lord Selkirk provided several books to be used by the settlers as they established homes in the Red River Settlement. Historical inventories indicate a collection of over 2500 volumes which included practical reference works in the fields of agriculture, history and law as well as biographical works and novels.

100 Years
British Columbia

On September 15, 2015 the Legislative Library of BC marked 100 years of providing service to the Legislative assembly. The library was originally deemed the “provincial library” with a mandate to serve all of British Columbia. In 1918 a travelling library program was developed to send small collections of books to communities throughout the province. The Legislative Library now primarily serves MLAs, their staff, the Officers of the House, legislative support staff, provincial government employees as well as the public while the legislature is not sitting. The Legislative Library now contains a broad collection, including the largest number of BC government publications available anywhere.

The collection
Québec

The collection is focused primarily on law, political science, public administration, history and economics. It includes most Quebec and Canadian government publications, an extensive selection of Quebec newspapers and selected Canadian newspapers, periodicals and thematic news files. The collection also includes rare and valuable books, such as the Library’s treasured Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau Collection.

The Library also maintains the archives of the National Assembly and of parliamentarians, individuals and organizations related to the history, development and workings of Quebec’s parliamentary institutions and parliamentarianism.

The Fire of 1916, Ottawa
Library of Parliament

On February 3, 1916, the Library of Parliament was saved from the fire that destroyed the original Centre Block and permanently changed the character of Parliament Hill. While the origin of the fire is still unknown, it is often noted that the Library was saved from destruction thanks to the quick closing of its iron doors and favorable wind direction.  To mark the centennial anniversary of the fire, an exhibit entitled Resilience:  The Fire of 1916 was installed onsite and albums of historical imagery and illustrations, as well as a video were posted online.