Clearinghouse of Professional Information

Legislation Affecting Public Libraries in Ontario

This section includes links to legislation, at the provincial and federal levels, of interest to public libraries. Resources prepared by OLS staff on current topics of interest such as the Municipal Act 2001 Policy Requirements are also listed. 

	indicates an item written by SOLS staff		indicates an item written by OLS-North staff
Clicking on certain topics will open a new window, if the link is to a topic included in an other Clearinghouse page

General Resources

• Public Libraries Act  (FULL TEXT) /  Amended by: 1993, c. 27, Sched.; 1996, c. 32, s. 83; 1997, c. 26, Sched.; 1999, c. 6, s. 56; 2002, c. 18, Sched. F, s. 3  As of November 26, 2002.
• Public Libraries Act. Questions and Answers for Public Libraries (Libraries Branch)

• Access Laws for Guide Dog Users (Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind)
• Accessibility - The Ministry of Community and Social Services is responsible for both the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Find information, useful resources, best practices and motivation to organizations, communities and interested individuals working together to make Ontario more inclusive and accessible to everyone. You will also find news about the implementation of accessibility standards to be developed under the AODA.  See also the new Customer Service Standard Compliance (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act)
   
• Bill 211 and Mandatory Retirement: Is Your Library Prepared? Information prepared by SOLS staff, October 2005.
• Canadian Library Association: Copyright Information
• Charitable Status: T2050  - Application to Register a Charity Under the Income Tax Act
     Becoming a Registered Charity
     Registering a Charity for Income Tax Purposes Form T4063 (Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency)
• Child Abuse and Neglect. Summary of Relevant Criminal Code of Canada Offences, from The B.C. Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect. Useful tables of concordance, under main topics.
• Copyright: ACCESS Copyright. The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency.  To obtain a copyright licence for public libraries in Ontario.  ACCESS Copyright has a bilateral agreement with COPIBEC, its sister agency in the province of Quebec.
• The Copyright Act. (Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985 Chapter C 42) Up to date to December 2007
• Copyright Collective Societies (Copyright Board of Canada) A collective society is an organization that administers the rights of several copyright owners. It can grant permission to use their works and set the conditions for that use. Collective administration is widespread in Canada, particularly for music performance rights, reprography rights and mechanical reproduction rights. Some collective societies are affiliated with foreign societies; this allows them to represent foreign copyright owners as well.
• Copyright Information Circulars   Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
      (See  Exceptions for Libraries ... and Parallel Importation of Books)
• Copyright - Performing Rights Licences: Audio-Ciné Films and Criterion Pictures
• Copyright - What is a public performance? by The Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association. Anti-Piracy Operations
• Criminal Code of Canada ( R.S. 1985, c. C-46 ) Note: Large document, over 2 megs
• Development Charges Act (R.S.O. 1997, Chapter 27)
• Employment Standards Act  Ontario Ministry of Labour
• Employment Standards Act 2000. Overview of changes.Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, Barristers and Solicitors (PDF file)
• Film Classification Act 2005 (Ontario Film Review Board). The Act, which was passed on May 30, 2005, replaces the Theatres Act, and provides a modern legislative framework to govern film and video exhibition and distribution.  See also Mainstream Film Labelling and the Canadian Home Video Rating System
• First Aid Regulations   Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Ontario
• French Language Services Act
• GATS(General Agreement on Trade in Services) Canadian Library Association's Assessment of the Impact of  the General Agreement on Trade in Services on Policy, Programs and Law Concerning Public Sector Libraries, June 2001 
• GATS Making the Links: A Peoples' Guide to the WTO and the FTAA", a report by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke (Council of Canadians)
• GST Public Service Bodies' Rebate (Canada Customs and Revenue Agency)
• G500-4-2 Municipal Rebates (GST 500-4-2)
• Guide to Developing Procurement Bylaws. In December 2001, a new Municipal Act (Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, Chapter 25, hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) was passed by the Ontario Legislature.  The Act gives municipalities a broad new flexibility to deal with local circumstances, and to react quickly to local economic, environmental or social changes.  A new feature of the Act is the transparency /accountability provisions aimed at ensuring taxpayers can easily understand how their municipality operates.  As part of this requirement, before January 2005, municipalities and local boards must develop policies – adopted by bylaw or in the case of local boards by resolutions – that will be used for procuring goods and services.  This procurement guide will help municipalities and local boards fulfil this requirement." (Excerpt from Ministry website)
• Human rights - Ontario Human Rights Commission
• Information and Privacy Commissioner / Ontario.  This site contains descriptions of papers produced by the IPC on a variety of access and privacy topics. It also contains a number of IPC publications and guides. In addition, there is a listing of privacy and access topics of interest to the IPC, as well as links to other access and privacy sites.
  - IPC Downloable brochures The IPC produces a variety of brochures, including its core brochures - set up in question and answer format on access, appeals, privacy, and both the provincial and municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Acts. Most of the IPC's brochures are aimed at the public. 
  - What are the privacy responsibilities of public libraries? by the IPC (Dec 02)This publication looks at some common questions library users and library staff may have about privacy rights and what libraries can do to protect privacy.
• Municipal Act 2001. Questions and Answers for Public Libraries (Ministry of Culture) /Loi de 2001 sur les municipalités. Questions et réponses à l’intention des bibliothèques publiques (Ministère de la Culture)
• Municipal Act, 2001 Policy Requirements. Considerations When Drafting Policies Required by the Municipal Act. Information prepared by SOLS staff, June 2004.
• Municipal Act e-guide (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) The e-guide compares the old act with the new, explains the legislation and gives practical information on implementing the new act.
• Municipal Conflict of Interest Act
• Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Questions and Answers for Public Libraries (Ministry of Culture) 
• Municipal Performance Measurement Program (MPMP) (Ministry of Municipal Affaires and Housing) Reporting forms for libraries
• Occupational Health and Safety Act, Guide to
• Pay Equity Act  (Office consolidation) and Pay Equity Commission. A special for the rights of Employees
• Personal Information Protection and Electronics Document Act (PIPEDA) Factsheet for charities and nonprofits. The fact sheet points out that the presence of commercial activity is the most important consideration for nonprofits. While the act of asking for donations is not subject to the Act, charities and nonprofits are still required to seek appropriate consent if selling, bartering, or leasing lists. These are considered to be commercial activities.
• Screening: Provincial initiatives - Ontario The Ontario Screening Initiative (OSI) was an innovative and intensive three-year pilot project, designed to change organizational attitudes and behaviours regarding screening. The project, founded on a voluntary sector-government partnership, operated from Spring 1999 to Summer 2002 to help voluntary sector organizations reduce risk of harm to their clients by screening individuals in positions of trust.
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Most businesses in Ontario that employ workers (including family members and sub-contractors) must register with the WSIB within 10 days of hiring their first full- or part-time worker. It's the law.  Registering with the WSIB provides workplace insurance coverage for all of your workers and gives you access to experts in health and safety for your business sector. 
• Your age & the law (Justice for Children and Youth) Lists legal age requirements in Ontario for various rights and activities.