As the Canadian-American trade dispute resurfaces with fresh tariffs on steel and aluminum, community institutions like the Pemberton & District Public Library (PDPL) are watching closely for signs of disruption.
While book tariffs haven’t yet been implemented, local libraries are preparing for the possibility of rising costs and constrained access to physical materials.
“Staff are taking a cautious approach, currently continuing with planned budgeted expenditures but monitoring for significant changes that may require a change in approach,” said Carmen Praine, the library board chair. “Tariffs have not yet impacted book purchases.”
The main concern is library materials imported from the U.S. would be subject to the current 25-per-cent counter tariff applied in response to President Donald Trump’s trade war. In 2022, Canada imported US$1.67 billion in printed materials from the U.S., including books and newspapers.
The Canadian Urban Libraries Council expressed concern over an initial counter-tariff proposal earlier this year that included those printed materials.
“A 25-per-cent tariff on U.S.-manufactured materials would collectively cost Canadian libraries millions of dollars and represent at minimum 10-per-cent reduction to budgets that are already under pressure from multiple formats, license restrictions on digital content, inflation and the high U.S. dollar,” wrote the council's executive director Mary Chevreau.
“This reduction in purchasing power will decrease the breadth and depth of content that libraries make available at a time when free access to unbiased information sources and diverse points of view and ideas have never been more important.”
The Canadian Independent Booksellers Association and Indigo also urged exemption from a round of tariffs in March/April. The Canadian government ultimately decided against including printed materials in the list of tariffed items. Tariffs on those printed materials, as well as on American paper that could be used for publishing, are still not on the docket.
Praine remains particularly confident on the digital side; e-book rentals have taken off at the Pemberton Library in recent years.
“The good news is tariffs are not expected to directly affect the price of digital books,” she told Pique. “The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) prohibits tariffs on digital products transmitted electronically, which includes e-books.”
Praine also highlighted community connections as being beneficial to readers under any circumstance, but particularly helpful during times of uncertainty. Communities across the Sea to Sky share resources, including books, with each other. Launched in 2021, the provincially funded Interlibrary Connect allows readers to borrow books from public libraries across the region using their home library’s card, thereby expanding the offerings available to residents.
“This reciprocal relationship allows us to increase our collection available to patrons without a large overhead,” said Praine. “Ultimately, we aim to provide the same service, welcoming space and accessible collection to our valued patrons, despite these changing and uncertain times.”
Praine said PDPL’s community programming is also unlikely to be affected. She also highlighted the importance of public funding in helping buffer libraries against the kind of instability associated with this trade war.
“Libraries in B.C. are fortunate to be mostly funded [by] local government and the province," she explained. "This does give us a level of certainty as these levels of government recognize the importance in literacy and lifelong learning.
“The Pemberton and District Library will always continue to host and serve our patrons and the community by being a safe and welcoming space to explore, learn and gather.”
