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Preamble:
WHEREAS libraries are community hubs that offer free resources, programming, education, and community gathering space, impacting all Albertans; and
WHEREAS residents of rural communities expect and deserve access to high-quality, essential services and facilities such as public libraries; and
WHEREAS libraries’ ability to meet both basic and expanding range of needs for Alberta’s growing population is increasingly constrained by outdated funding levels; and
WHEREAS the annual Public Library Operating Grant of $5.60 per person has increased by only $0.05(under one percent) since 2016, while inflation, according to Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index in Alberta, has increased by 29 percent in the same time period; and
WHEREAS if indexed to inflation, funding in 2024 would have been $6.94 per person; and
WHEREAS the per capita funding grant for Alberta’s libraries is currently based on 2019 population data. Alberta’s population has grown by 15 percent (or over 635,000 people) from 2019 to 2025; and
WHEREAS a funding increase would directly strengthen libraries’ ability to address the growing demand for job-seeking and language-learning services; assist newcomers to Alberta; improve digital access (especially for remote and rural Albertans); create opportunities for reconciliation and Indigenous learnings; and expand literacy and learning supports for children.
Operative Clause:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate for the Government of Alberta to update the per capita rate for the Public Library Operating Grant to $6.94 per person, which is an increase of $1.34 per person, to reflect inflationary increases.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate for the Government of Alberta to commit to indexing the population-based grant using the rate of inflation and the most recent populations statistics of the Alberta Municipal Affairs Population Estimate List.
Member Background:
Libraries throughout Alberta, but especially in rural areas, are vital community hubs serving a wide range of community needs through physical and virtual spaces. Libraries serve all segments of their communities with learning programs, community-building events, career and life planning, connections to social support services, access to information, newcomer supports, small business development, civic engagement, and more. With 324 library service points and nearly 100 per cent of the population having access to a public library, a provincial investment in public libraries can benefit all Albertans.
Investing in libraries is integral to helping rural communities thrive. There are 63 libraries located in Alberta’s rural municipalities, overseen by 29 rural municipal library boards.1 Public libraries play an outsized role in small communities, where the library often serves as the only free, public gathering space, especially given the numerous barriers to information and services, such as distance and high costs. Library boards in rural municipalities have additional challenges as they attempt to deliver equitable library service in areas where populations are sparsely distributed and infrastructure costs are high.
The Government of Alberta has highlighted the importance of supporting economic recovery, reducing barriers to public services, supporting new Albertans, and building foundations for a strong future. In addition, as identified in Outcome 2 in the Municipal Affairs: Ministry Business Plan 2024-2027, a key objective of the Government of Alberta is to “provide operating grants and capacity supports to Alberta’s public library boards and regional library systems, to ensure Albertans are served by accessible, well-managed, and responsive library services”.
Alberta Municipalities (Abmunis) has examined the population aspects of this resolution in the past, including the 2020 resolution, Current Population Funding for Municipal Public Libraries in Alberta, in which the intent was not met. At the Fall 2024 ABmunis convention, the City of Calgary put the question of per capita funding to the Minister of Municipal Affairs for consideration in budget 2025, and no changes were made.
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta have also addressed the inflation issue in the past, including through Resolution 11-16S, Resolution 14-14F, and Resolution 11-08F. Since this time, the population has increased in many municipalities in Alberta, partly due to the “Alberta is Calling” campaign, which, together with inflationary pressures, is impacting public libraries’ capacity to deliver an acceptable level of service. The Public Libraries Service Branch instituted a base operating grant to provide base funding that is less variable for slight population fluctuations that can occur in smaller municipalities.
RMA Background:
RMA has no active resolutions directly related to this issue.
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