The Marie Grégoire that I had in front of me a few days ago had nothing to do with the one who took on the role of president and director general of the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), in July 2021.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
The one whose appointment had been described as “partisan” by some then walked on eggshells.
Several observers had expressed their “discomfort” to see this woman, without expertise in librarianship, obtain this prestigious position. The former ADQ MP had replied by saying that she wanted to be judged on her actions.
Less than a year after this appointment, Marie Grégoire agreed to talk to me about the first part of her vision of what the BAnQ and library network should be. According to her, this requires a so-called “learning society” approach, a concept that has been known in France for a few years and in which we should pay more attention.
Defended by specialists in the world of education, this concept puts forward a society where everything is in place to allow citizens, from early childhood to the end of their lives, to have access to a learning.
For this, it is necessary to connect resources and places that will accompany those who like to learn. We must also agree to leave the traditional framework of education and training.
Libraries and archives can become important links in this chain. This is what Marie Grégoire wishes to do with the institutions she directs.
The idea of the learning society has been with me for a long time. […] It became clear that with everything we hold, we must play a role in order to have greater relevance in Quebec society. We have an obligation to make a difference in the lives of Quebecers.
Marie Grégoire, Director General of the Library and National Archives of Quebec
The French have found a definition of what a learning society should be. Marie Grégoire has created an event that will allow Quebec to have its own interpretation. A major forum will take place on June 15 and will bring together big names from the world of education, sociology, early childhood, as well as archives and libraries.
François Taddei, one of the researchers of the report Towards a learning society presented to the French government in 2017, will speak by videoconference.
Four observers will hear from the panelists: Frédéric Bouchard, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the Université de Montréal, Mia Homsy, President and CEO of the Institut du Québec, Régine Laurent, Political Analyst and President of the Special Commission on children’s rights and youth protection, and Kim O’Bomsawin, filmmaker and sociologist.
As for Pauline Marois and sociologist Guy Rocher, they will give the opening and closing speeches respectively.
When she took office, Marie Grégoire read a survey on BAnQ’s notoriety. “Our logo is known to 9% of Quebecers. Well, it’s still a logo. We also learned that 41% were aware of our services. We enjoy a great rating of love from subscribers. But what about other Quebecers? »
Marie Grégoire wants the collections to be used for new experiences that will help people discover new professions, that will offer new paths to learning.
The documentary medium plays a very important role in people’s lives, but it’s a bit underground. […] We acquire documents, we keep them, but mediation, the democratization of knowledge, that’s where we want to give a push.
Marie Grégoire, Director General of the Library and National Archives of Quebec
I asked her if she was encroaching on the land of the Ministry of Education. “Absolutely not,” she told me. For her, a learning society that achieves its goals is one that creates tremendous synergy with all parties.
The more I listened to it, the more I realized that we deal with archi-traditional models based on the achievement of diplomas.
But learning is something that has no end. We seem to forget it by poking around in front of the TV in search of a good show.
I have around me lots of people aged 50, 60, 70 who have a real thirst for learning. To satisfy it, they have the choice of going back to school or attending lectures given in auditoriums on Sunday afternoons.
Can we enrich the sources and means that enable learning? Can we be creative in this area? Can we arouse the pleasure of still learning? The Quebec society we dream of tomorrow has an obligation to think about these questions.