DOCUMENT SUPPLY IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY: THE ALBERTA, CANADA EXPERIENCE

Alberta is particularly representative of the multicultural nature of Canadian society. With over 40% of its population neither British nor French and ethno‐cultural groups expressing desires to preserve their heritage, a multilingual library service programme was instituted in Alberta to provide reading materials in languages other than French and English. The service's collection encompasses thirty languages with holdings being notified to local libraries via printed catalogues and libraries requesting titles to satisfy local needs. The service is seen as constantly evolving in line with changing user needs, utilizing consultation to assist libraries in analyzing and identifying ethnic requirements and undertaking studies to ensure satisfactory service development.