Instructional Resources Library | Manitoba Education

Annual Activities Report
2004-2005

The Instructional Resources Unit (IRU) continued to build local capacity to improve teaching and learning, focusing on seven major activities:

Selection, acquisition and cataloguing of learning resources, provision of print and electronic access to IRU collections, as well as reference and information assistance. The IRU provided library services in support of K-S4 curriculum implementation, the Special Education Review, the Aboriginal Education Strategy, diversity and equity education, educational research and professional learning to address K-S4 educators' needs, such as best practices, school improvement, research-based decision-making and school library development. With more than 9,100 active registered clients, staff fielded over 23,400 queries, catalogued over 8,400 new items and circulated 122,000 resources. The IRU acquired over 500 video, DVD and other non-print titles including resources recommended for Social Studies, Technology Education, Physical/Health Education studies, duplication rights for the upcoming year of CBC News in Review. Clients and visitors were actively visiting and using IRU's electronic resources and databases, including 3,376,017 hits/visits on the web site as well as 375,813 searches performed and documents viewed. Online Public Access Catalogue served over 1,117,809 users.

Acquisition, cataloguing and dissemination of resources identified through the Western and Northern Canadian Protocol and Manitoba Reviews of Learning Resources.

Development and dissemination of print and electronic publications including print and electronic bibliographies, catalogues of new resources and of professional learning documents. New and revised bibliographies included New Teachers 2005 ( 66 KB) and Aboriginal Peoples: Resources Pertaining to First Nations, Inuit & Métis 2004 ( 340 KB) .

Application of leading-edge information technologies both for services and collections, creating a virtual library accessible to all Manitoba K-S4 educators and department staff to support current awareness, including electronic bibliographies and acquisitions lists as well as provision of an OPAC and Virtual Education Information Service.

Provision of copyright clearance through the Schools/CanCopy Pan-Canadian Agreement 1999-2004, was extended on August 26, 2004, as well as copyright information assistance and workshops. Development, through the Council of Ministers of Education Canada, of a framework for a national digital copyright policy, which was recommended to the federal government for the revision of copyright law. In response to Access Copyright filing a tariff for K-S4 education with the Copyright Board for $12.00/student/annum, the CMEC filed as objectors both to the level of the tariff and to retroactivity. The case will be before the Copyright Board in early January 2007. 16,000 copies of the revised booklet “Copyright Matters” were sent to all teachers in Manitoba.

Provision of efficient and effective delivery for new School Programs Division documents and other education literature, to specified groups and individuals in schools and Board offices via monthly bulk mailings. Over 1,000,000 items were distributed through bulk mail services.