Department of Fisheries and Oceans Libraries and Archives

A dumpster at the Fisheries and Oceans Canada library in Mont-Joli, Quebec in an image sent by a federal union official. Source: Tyee.

The Question

Where’s the data? What was removed from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Libraries and Archives?

Background

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) libraries contain one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of information on fisheries, aquatic sciences and nautical sciences. Canada encompasses the world’s largest coastline and roughly 18 per cent of the world’s surface freshwater. Canadian scientists have been crucial in collecting information on these ecosystems for decades. Yet, the recent consolidation of the DFO Science Libraries from eleven locations to four has severely impeded access to information for fishery and ocean communities. According to investigative journalists, many collections such as the Maurice Lamontagne Institute Library in Mont-Joli, Quebec ended up in dumpsters while others, such as Winnipeg’s historic Freshwater Institute Library, were scavenged by citizens, scientists and local environmental consultants. Scientists report that yet others were burned or went to landfills. See below for more information.

Your Letter to Federal Ministers

Dear Ministers and Members of Parliament,

We value the long-term data generated by Department of Fisheries and Oceans Researchers. We are concerned about the loss of that data in the recent consolidation of DFO Science Libraries. Despite an affirmation on the DFO library website, which states that, “There has been no change to the size or scope of the collection” post-consolidation, there are numerous, separate, and validated accounts of individuals simply taking valuable data and records from closing libraries.

What was taken out of these collections? The DFO has claimed that only “content not required to support the department’s mandate” was removed. Yet there is no indication of what that constitutes.

What it is the value of the loss of this data in financial terms? What are the costs to scientific and historical knowledge? A publicly available list of the removed data is necessary for full accountability in this consolidation effort.

I am writing this email as part of Write2Know (https://write2know.ca) a letter-writing campaign that aims to mobilize public awareness and inquiry into federal research programs. We want to let you know that we value federal research, and that our questions arise out of genuine concerns about the health and well-being of Canadians.

We are concerned about constraints on access to federal scientists and the results of their research, the elimination of essential research programs, and the closure of libraries and archives. These constraints and closures impact what Canadians can and cannot know about the health of their bodies, communities, and environments.

We are posing questions to federal Ministers and MPs to call attention to serious gaps between federal research and government policy.

We want to see action on these issues today.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

cc
The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal Critic of Fisheries and Oceans
The Honourable Fin Donnely, NDP Critic of Fisheries and Oceans
The Honourable Philip Toon, Deputy NDP Critic of Fisheries and Oceans

Disclaimer: Any emails you send to a government email address potentially remain on file. Any contact information you provide, including your name, email address, IP address, and geographic location may be kept and used by the government institution you contact.

Please enter your information in the fields below to send your letter. Click on “Read the Petition” if you would like to edit the letter before you send it.

 

Latest Participants

23	Sheila Moini	Ottawa, Ontario	Mar 13, 2015
22	Lisa Howse	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	Mar 13, 2015
21	Troy Ogden	Regina, SK	Mar 13, 2015
20	Danielle Cooper	Toronto, Ontario	Mar 13, 2015
19	Max Liboiron	St. John's , Newfoundland	Mar 13, 2015
18	Magdalena Kazubowski-Houston	Toronto, ON	Mar 12, 2015
17	Margrit Eichler	Toronto, Ontario	Mar 12, 2015
16	Alison Syme	Toronto, Ontario	Mar 12, 2015
15	Miguel Daraîche-Leblanc	Montréal, PQ	Mar 12, 2015
14	Charles Maurer	Toronto, ON	Mar 12, 2015
13	Sara Komarnisky	Edmonton, Alberta (AB)	Mar 12, 2015
12	Meghan Rose Allen	Sackville, New Brunswick	Mar 12, 2015
11	Colette Belanger		Mar 11, 2015
10	Chloe Shantz-Hilkes	Toronto, Ontario	Mar 11, 2015
9	Callum C. J. Sutherland	Toronto	Mar 11, 2015
8	Michael Brewer	Toronto, On	Mar 11, 2015
7	Ayelen Liberona	Toronto	Mar 11, 2015
6	Katie Krelove	Toronto, Ontario	Mar 11, 2015
5	Lauren Smith	Whitby, Ontario	Mar 11, 2015
4	Devon Molleson	Whitby, Ontario	Mar 11, 2015
3	Natasha Myers	Toronto, Ontario	Mar 11, 2015
2	Samantha Reid	Oshawa, Ontario	Mar 11, 2015
1	Gina Molleson	St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador	Mar 11, 2015

More information

The DFO library’s Frequently Asked Questions about the consolidation

Erika Thorkelson, “Why is the Harper Administration Throwing Away Entire Libraries?” Huffington Post, 01/09/2014.

Write another letter.