The Perth County Information Network will continue to operate in spite of cuts to the Ontario Library Service budget. The network connects public library users and library materials countywide.
Last week, the Southern Ontario Library Service announced that it would cease operation of the provincial InterLibrary Loan Delivery Service in the wake of a 50 per cent funding cut in the recent Ontario Budget.
InterLibrary Loan allows library customers to request and borrow items from other libraries. Students, book clubs, authors, and academics take advantage of the service. It has been suspended to determine how the physical movement of items might be accomplished moving forward.
It was also the backbone of the Perth County Information Network’s resource-sharing mandate. In 2018, over 72,500 items were shared between Perth County libraries using this service.
Perth County libraries are committed to continuing to share resources among its member libraries and are dedicated to finding a solution to replace the previously provincially-funded delivery service. Customers will experience a delay in receiving their requested materials during this transition period.
"Interlibrary Loan provides equalized access to materials, especially for those who are members of rural libraries with smaller collections," says Kendra Roth, Management Chair of The Perth County Information Network and CEO of Perth East Public Library.
