Black Lives Matter: Anti-Racism Statements from Library and Archival Associations in Canada (2020)

By Deb Thomas

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer, which some have called a public lynching, there have been protests and supportive statements around the world for an end to racism and to police brutality against people of colour. Some library associations have responded with statements supporting those in Canada and elsewhere who are working toward a world where people are not discriminated against based on the colour of their skin. A list of Canadian library associations issuing such statements follows:

National Associations

o Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA)
o Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL)
o Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians (CAPAL)
o Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA-FCAB) [requires Adobe PDF reader]
o Canadian Health Libraries Association

Provincial Associations (as of July 2020)

o British Columbia Library Association (BCLA)
o BCLA Academic Libraries Section (BCALS) [requires Adobe PDF reader]
o Nova Scotia Library Association (NSLA)
o Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) [requires Adobe PDF reader]
o Ontario Library Association (OLA)

It should be noted that provincial archival and library associations that have not issued statements in response to Black Lives Matter will often have statements in response to Truth and Reconciliation and/or committees responsible for inclusion and diversity.

School library associations do not have a national voice that issues such statements. They may be represented by a provincial school library association that may or may not issue such statements and, in various regions, a provincial teachers’ association that has issued statements.

See https://www.canadianschoollibraries.ca/school-library-associations/ for a full list of school library associations.
See https://www.ctf-fce.ca/ for a full list of teachers’ federations or associations.

The Librarianship.ca blog has a lengthier list of Canadian responses which includes American and international library, archives and museum statements.