The province has declared October the month of Literacy or Library Month across B.C.
On Thurs. Oct. 19 Nak’azdli Whut’en Chief, Alexander McKinnon, invited the Fort St. James Public (FSJ) Library Board to the Council boardroom to present them with a cheque of $25,000.00
Recognising the value of the Public Library in our community, Nak’azdli Whut’en Chief and Council have taken this opportunity to demonstrate their support of the Fort St. James Public Library and initiate a partnership with the Library Board in October, the month of Literacy.
Exciting partnership
After the cheque presentation, Chief and Council sat down in the Chief’s office with Library Board representatives for a discussion about the very exciting partnership between Nak’azdli Whut’en and the FSJ Public Library.
First Nations
collection
The donation will go towards building a collection of Carrier history and Canadian-wide First Nation materials as well as provide funds for library operations.
“One of the notes that we wanted to highlight is that we made this presentation in the month of Literacy,” says Ann Marie Sam. “It is one of our commitments for development because we realise lots of our members go to the library and it’s a good place to have in a community.”
New resources
The Library Board shared stats to show how many members of the Nak’azdli community are active patrons of the library every day of the week. The goal of the partnership is not only to help serve these patrons but also to help bring new resources into the library which can build awareness for more residents of the history in our country which has shaped the way things are today.
It was acknowledged by everyone in the meeting that there is much to celebrate about living in Canada but also many stories which need to be freely available to be understood and acknowledged by more citizens and in turn help strengthen healing and reconciliation.
Historic moment
“I’ve lived here a long time,” says Louise Evan-Salt, “And for me this is a historic moment, you know. It’s really a new kind of partnership when these kinds of things happen. This to me says we really are one community who are working together for the same things; literacy in the community and safe places in the community. I’m pretty excited about this,” she said.
Working together
Chief Alexander MicKinnon echoed this sentiment and expressed excitement about the two groups working together. He invited Ken Sawdon, Head Librarian and newcomer to the area from Alberta, to attend a Potlatch ceremony so he and anyone else who wanted to could observe and learn more about the local culture. McKinnon also said he would like to see Nak’azdli Whut’en and Fort St. James to come together with more partnerships and shared fun events like combined street parties to erase the Kwah Road divide and grow closer as mutually respectful citizens of a unified broader community.
Visit your library
“All libraries are cornerstones of their communities and society,” said Anne Olsen, president of the B.C. Library Association “They ensure that every British Columbian has equitable access to information, ideas and works of the imagination.”
“Because of the multiple roles that libraries now play, there are many library services available. From attending a library program to getting help researching a topic to borrowing books and more, there’s something for everyone.”
The B.C. Library Association wants everyone to know that libraries provide free access to trusted sources of information, a safe workspace, support and learning opportunities. Beyond borrowing books, CDs or DVDs; libraries are where people go to explore ideas, make community connections, find information and share knowledge.
An easy way to show support for our library is to use the library. “A visit to the library will get you thinking.”
Literacy statistics
According to Stats Canada; over 500,000 British Columbians have challenges with literacy. Due in part to limited literacy skills, 45% of British Columbians aged 16 to 65 have difficulty in accomplishing some daily living tasks including filling out a form, comparison shopping and understanding instructions.
Economy and health
According to the University of Ottawa studies of 2004 and 2005, literacy matters for the economy. Education investment and skills training is three times as important to economic growth over the long run as investment in machinery and equipment. The average literacy score in a population is a better indicator of growth than the percentage of the population with very high literacy scores.
Literacy matters to health, as well. According to the Canadian Council on Learning, sixty percent of Canadian adults don’t have the skills to manage their health literacy needs.
- with files from Decoda Literacy Solutions, a province-wide literacy organization in B.C.
