Public libraries reporting and accountability
Last updated on September 19, 2024To ensure public accountability and financial transparency, public libraries that receive provincial grant funding must submit the following reports as part of the public library accountability framework.
Accountability framework overview
- Annual survey of B.C.'s public libraries—All 71 B.C. public libraries report their annual statistics through the provincial Annual Survey of B.C.’s Public Libraries. Survey results from 2002-onwards are publicly available through the BC Data Catalogue.
- Typical week supplemental survey—Typical week survey is an optional supplement to the Annual Survey of Public Libraries. The goal is to capture information that some libraries are not able to collect on a daily and regular basis.
- Provincial public library and library federation grants report (PLGR/LFGR)—The grant reports provide an opportunity for libraries and federations to showcase their achievements throughout the year and demonstrate how they support provincial programs and priorities.
- Statement of financial information (SOFI)—All B.C. public libraries and library federations that receive provincial grants are required to submit an annual SOFI, as per section 2 of the Financial Information Act (FIA).
Contact the Public Libraries Branch: Publib@gov.bc.ca
Report submission details
Provincial public library and library federation grant report instructions and template
Reports are due March 1, 2024
2023 Provincial library grant instruction:
- 2023 Provincial Public Library Grant Report Guide (PDF,78KB)
- 2023 Provincial Public Library Grant Report Template (DOCX,37KB)
2023 library federation instruction:
Statement of financial information instructions and forms
The 2023 SOFI is due May 15, 2024
The 2023 statement of financial information (SOFI) forms are available to download in Word (.docx) and PDF (.pdf) formats.
| Document | Word | XLSX | |
| 00 - Instruction Sheet | n/a | n/a | |
| Required Documents | |||
| 01 - Table of Contents | .docx | n/a | n/a |
| 02 - Financial Information Act Submission Checklist | .docx | n/a | n/a |
| 03 - Board Approval Form | .docx | n/a | n/a |
| 04 - Management Report - Municipal & Regional Libraries Districts | .docx | n/a | n/a |
| 04 - Management Report - Public Library Associations & Library Federations | .docx | n/a | n/a |
| 05 - Financial Documents (Provided by Submitters) | |||
| 06 - Schedule of Debt | .docx | n/a | n/a |
| 07 - Schedule of Guarantees and Indemnities | .docx | n/a | n/a |
| 08 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses | .docx | n/a | xlsx |
| 09 - Statement of Severance Agreements | .docx | n/a | n/a |
| 10 - Statement of Changes in Financial Position | .docx | n/a | n/a |
| 11 - Schedule of Payments for Provision of Goods and Services | .docx | n/a | xlsx |
| Sample Documents | |||
| Schedule Sample 8 (Schedule of Remuneration and Expense) | .docx | n/a | xlsx |
| Schedule Sample 11 ( Schedule of Payments for Provision of Goods and Service) | .docx | n/a | xlsx |
Annual Survey of B.C.’s public libraries submission information
- Public libraries submit their survey results through a web-based solution called Counting Opinions
- The Annual Survey is open for submissions starting on March 15 and closes on May 15 of each year
Typical week survey submission information
The optional typical week survey supplements the annual survey of public libraries. The goal is to capture information that some libraries are not able to collect on a regular basis over the course of the full year.
Please submit your typical week survey by February 16, 2024.
Public library reports
2023 reports
| Federation | FLGR | SOFI |
|---|---|---|
| IslandLink Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 7MB) | SOFI (PDF, 768KB) |
| Kootenay Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 526KB) | SOFI (PDF, 1MB) |
| Public Library Interlink | FLGR (PDF, 295KB) | SOFI (PDF, 1MB) |
| North Central Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 991KB) | SOFI (PDF, 939KB) |
| North East Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 1MB) | SOFI (PDF, 998KB) |
| North West Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 327KB) | SOFI (PDF, 534KB) |
2022 reports
| Federation | FLGR | SOFI |
|---|---|---|
| IslandLink Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 242KB) | SOFI (PDF, 2MB) |
| Kootenay Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 203KB) | SOFI (PDF, 2MB) |
| Public Library Interlink | FLGR (PDF, 383KB) | SOFI (PDF, 2KB) |
| North Central Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 2MB) | SOFI (PDF, 2KB) |
| North East Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 3MB) | SOFI (PDF, 1MB) |
| North West Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 343KB) | SOFI (PDF, 931KB) |
2021 reports
| Federation | FLGR | SOFI |
|---|---|---|
| IslandLink Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 253KB) | SOFI (PDF, 1040KB) |
| Kootenay Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 232KB) | SOFI (PDF, 3404KB) |
| Public Library Interlink | FLGR (PDF, 334KB) | SOFI (PDF, 1530KB) |
| North Central Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 273KB) | SOFI (PDF, 1641KB) |
| North East Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 263KB) | SOFI (PDF, 1635KB) |
| North West Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 366KB) | SOFI (PDF, 999KB) |
2020 reports
| Federation | FLGR | SOFI |
|---|---|---|
| IslandLink Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 460KB) | SOFI (PDF, 875KB) |
| Kootenay Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 245KB) | SOFI (PDF, 3.4MB) |
| Public Library Interlink | FLGR (PDF, 304KB) | SOFI (PDF, 1.3MB) |
| North Central Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 257KB) | SOFI (PDF, 1.7MB) |
| North East Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 226KB) | SOFI (PDF, 3.1MB) |
| North West Library Federation | FLGR (PDF, 135KB) | SOFI (PDF, 1.4MB) |
2019 Reports
| Library | PLGR | SOFI |
|---|---|---|
| Alert Bay Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF) |
| Beaver Valley Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 7.6MB) |
| Bowen Island Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 8.5MB) |
| Burnaby Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 4MB) |
| Burns Lake Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.3MB) |
| Cariboo Regional District Library | PLGR (PDF) | N/A |
| Castlegar & District Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 4.3MB) |
| Chetwynd Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF) |
| Coquitlam Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF) |
| Cranbrook Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 3.1MB) |
| Creston Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 4.7MB) |
| Dawson Creek Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 8.6MB) |
| Elkford Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 4.9MB) |
| Fernie Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 5.2MB) |
| Fort Nelson Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.1MB) |
| Fort St. James Centennial Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 2.4MB) |
| Fort St. John Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 6.5MB) |
| Fraser Lake Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 3.5MB) |
| Fraser Valley Regional Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 5.7MB) |
| Gibsons & District Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 3.6MB) |
| Grand Forks & District Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 7.7MB) |
| Granisle Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.1MB) |
| Greater Victoria Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1MB) |
| Greenwood Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 2MB) |
| Hazelton District Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 10.9MB) |
| Houston Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 4.9MB) |
| Hudson's Hope Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 519KB) |
| Invermere Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.2MB) |
| Kaslo & District Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 5.6MB) |
| Kimberley Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.7MB) |
| Kitimat Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 3.6MB) |
| Lillooet Area Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 4.1MB) |
| Mackenzie Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.4MB) |
| McBride & District Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 790KB) |
| Midway Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 6.6MB) |
| Nakusp Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 7MB) |
| Nelson Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1MB) |
| New Westminster Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | N/A |
| North Vancouver City Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 10.1MB) |
| North Vancouver District Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1MB) |
| Okanagan Regional Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 3MB) |
| Pemberton & District Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.3MB) |
| Pender Island Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 3.8MB) |
| Penticton Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 4.3MB) |
| Port Moody Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 888KB) |
| Pouce Coupe Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 7.5MB) |
| Powell River Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 2.4MB) |
| Prince George Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 2.2MB) |
| Prince Rupert Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 327KB) |
| Radium Hot Springs Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 4.9MB) |
| Richmond Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.4MB) |
| Rossland Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.2MB) |
| Salmo Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 3.8MB) |
| Salt Spring Island Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.3MB) |
| Sechelt Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 2.9MB) |
| Smithers Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.7MB) |
| Sparwood Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 9.3MB) |
| Squamish Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 11.6MB) |
| Stewart Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 13.4MB) |
| Surrey Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.4MB) |
| Taylor Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.1MB) |
| Terrace Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 2.4MB) |
| Thompson Nicola Regional Library | PLGR (PDF) | Not Required |
| Trail & District Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 3.6MB) |
| Tumbler Ridge Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 2.9MB) |
| Valemount Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 775KB) |
| Vancouver Island Regional Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 8.5MB) |
| Vancouver Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 2.1MB) |
| Vanderhoof Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 6.5MB) |
| West Vancouver Memorial Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 2.1MB) |
| Whistler Public Library | PLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF, 1.4MB) |
| Federation | FLGR | SOFI |
|---|---|---|
| IslandLink Library Federation | FLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF) |
| Kootenay Library Federation | FLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 4.1MB) |
| Public Library Interlink | FLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 1.1MB) |
| North Central Library Federation | FLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 4MB) |
| North East Library Federation | FLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 1.1MB) |
| North West Library Federation | FLGR (PDF) | SOFI (PDF 3.9MB) |
Contact information
For questions about the Public Library Administration, please contact:
Public Libraries Branch:
publib@gov.bc.ca
publib@gov.bc.ca