According to an internal letter sent Tuesday to employees at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), digitization projects at the Quebec library and archives have been suspended and 40 jobs, including 29 permanent positions, will be eliminated.
Citing a cut of $855,600 in funding announced in the last provincial budget, the BAnQ told employees it must take a series of measures to reduce payroll and restructure.
BAnQ’s plan consists of three parts: reduce the operating budget of all branches; re-organize management; and abolish 29 permanent positions.
Responding in French to Le Devoir, the director of Communications Geneviève Rossier said these cuts will not cause major restructuring. Instead, they will simplify the structure of management and improve decision-making. This is a way to “lighten the decision-making process and reduce the number of departments reporting to the president.”
According to Le Devoir, BAnQ had 738 employees before the announcement. The job cuts represent a reduction of 5.42 percent.
BAnQ is looking for a new president and CEO to replace Christiane Barbe, who resigned last April. Last week, Geneviève Pichet was named the acting president and CEO.
