As information is gradually leaked to the press, the amount of expenses declared the Dr. Caron, ex-head of LAC, escalates.
In the Ottawa Citizen, May 15, 2013, it states an excess of $170,000 for a range of expenses, some in-appropriate, were paid to Dr. Caron during his short, but woefully destructive period managing Canada’s LAC, see, http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Library+head+Daniel+Caron+resigns+expenses+found/8391614/story.html
As senior administrators and politicians watch yet another scandal unfold in Ottawa concerning the LAC, will the consequences of what has transpired since 2009 really be reflected upon? Will it alter the way in which priorities and values are reviewed and made in our libraries, archives and cultural institutions? The fact that Dr. Caron’s reputation as an administrator will be forever marked, may well be the biggest influence he will have on others seeking ambitious goals without the support of the experts. De-railing, suppressing and muzzling the expertise of those within institutions is not the way to lead or explore new avenues. It is the way we want our politicians, with our tax money, to serve Canadians. What next? One thing for sure, we need a professional librarian/archivist to lead our national library and archive. What about the current damage, still on-going, as a consequence of Dr. Caron’s recent decisions and actions? Can we turn back the clock and repair some of woeful damage? Is it possible?
