Manitoba becomes the latest province to fully fund the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) services and provide those in the province with print disabilities full access to CELA’s 1 million accessible books, newspapers, and magazines.  

“We were delighted when the Manitoba government announced their plan to bring CELA services to all Manitobans and we are excited to begin the onboarding process now. We are looking forward to supporting not only all our new member libraries, but all Manitobans with print disabilities,” says Laurie Davidson, CELA’s Executive Director.  

The Manitoba government has not only committed to providing CELA services through libraries. Through their agreement with CELA, the province has ensured that all Manitobans have access to CELA services whether or not they are currently live in an area served by a public library. Those who are not served by a public library can request or download accessible reading CELA’s materials directly through the CELA website.  

Rachel Breau, Manager of Member Services, says plans are already underway to onboard the 51 Manitoba libraries which will be new to offering CELA services. “Our team is looking forward to meeting and supporting the new member libraries. We will be rolling out training and communications plans to help library staff become familiar with our website, our various services and our collections so that they are comfortable supporting their communities. For those not served by a public library, we have training opportunities and plenty of support available. We are looking forward to meeting our new users.”  

The onboarding process is expected to take a few months and libraries will be able to offer CELA services beginning this summer. New libraries and users from Manitoba are invited to subscribe to our newsletters and check out our website for more information.