mentalflossr:

Here’s a round-up of rejected Canadian flag designs from Library and Archives Canada.

“Federal librarians and archivists who set foot in classrooms, attend conferences or speak up at public meetings on their own time are engaging in “high risk” activities, according to the new code of conduct at Library and Archives Canada…The code, which stresses federal employees’ “duty of loyalty” to the “duly elected government,” also spells out how offenders can be reported. “It includes both a muzzle and a snitch line,” says James Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers…“Once you start picking on librarians and archivists, it’s pretty sad,” says Toni Samek, a professor of library and information studies at the University of Alberta. She specializes in intellectual freedom and describes several clauses in the code as  “severe” and “outrageous.” The code is already having a “chilling” effect on federal archivists and librarians, who used to be encouraged to actively engage and interact with groups interested in everything from genealogy to preserving historical documents, says archivist Loryl MacDonald at the University of Toronto.”

(Source: vancouversun.com)

The Harper-pocalyse gets worse - we’re trading libraries for prisons.

Go to this site to call on the Federal Government to Save Library and Archives Canada.

From CBC: “The federal government is eliminating a series of libraries and archives throughout different departments as part of the latest budget cuts. Library and Archives Canada alone has received or will still receive more than 400 affected notices and the department announced 20 per cent of its workforce would be let go.”

My favorite comment from the news item: “Of course the government will attempt to eliminate, and at the very least, curtail, libraries and archives. Without history or access to prior or even current knowledge, governments can create futures without any messy details. There can be no comparisons to the past, no references to people or things or instances that might encourage people to pause and think about the implications of a government plan.”