Guest post by Suher Zaher-Mazawi, of the SLAIS LIBR 561 Information Policy class.

Ellen Gould’s session on trade agreements was an eye opening presentation which underlined issues that have direct implications for libraries. Although the presentation was limited in time, Gould managed to passionately provide the audience with an overview on international trade agreements such as NAFTA and discuss their risks and restrictions on the public policy space. The focus of her presentation was mainly on the Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) < http://www.tilma.ca > between the province of British Columbia and the province of Alberta, which came into effect in April 2007 and which will be fully implemented in April 2009. She discussed the effects of TILMA on public libraries.

According to Gould, “TILMA goes beyond WTO/NAFTA”. She further explained that “unlike NAFTA, individuals can sue and get compensation under almost all of TILMA’s provisions”. This results from the power within TILMA to eliminate any obstacles to trade and investment between the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. TILMA, often referred to as the “gold standard”, supersedes other existing and new regulations that challenge and restrict trade or investment. As a result, regulations have to be reconciled between the two provinces. This means that business will no longer receive government assistance and no additional training can be required of workers from across the border.

As public institutions, libraries should be aware and concerned about the implications of TILMA and the risks it creates on libraries. According to TILMA, governments cannot pose any obstacles to private investments. As well, all purchases of goods over $10,000 have to be tendered. These are challenges that conflict with what libraries do. Since TILMA does not clearly refer to libraries and provides no exceptions to protect libraries, it is not clear whether our public programs are considered a risk on investment or not. Issues such as culture and access to information are also beyond TILMA’s consideration.

Another major concern for libraries is the issue of procurements and tendering. Based on TILMA, all purchases of goods over $10,000 must be tendered. Libraries currently tender contracts over $10,000 for different purposes including the purchase of books.

Does that mean that libraries no longer can directly purchase books from local vendors? Or send their books to the local bindery?

Furthermore, based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the two provinces on Post-Secondary Education, which justifies cooperation in research and information sharing, how would this affect academic libraries in the area of distance education programs, research and data initiatives, as well as programming?

Gould concluded her talk with metaphor describing trade agreements, whether international or national, as “lions in the grass”. She explains that we all need to get together to “chase them from our territory”.

The big message for libraries in BC (as well as in Alberta), is that there need to be a concerted effort to place exemptions from the TILMA agreement as far as libraries are concerned, or institute safeguards. If the BC municipalities managed to get zoning exemptions, libraries can do it too!