An Amherst, N.S., public library employee warns that reduced staff hours will slow services and book deliveries between libraries, negatively impacting users.
Adam Davies, a library assistant at the Four Fathers Memorial Library, told CBC News on Friday that he received a letter earlier in the week telling him and seven other employees they will be working 10 per cent fewer hours.
“We’ve taken on so many other responsibilities, especially after COVID,” he said. “A lot of our public libraries are focused on social cohesion. We’re focused on well-being. We were really developing programs that engage our youngest readers.”
The person responsible for children’s programming at the branches saw their hours cut, said Davies.
The cuts affect employees who work at the headquarters for Cumberland Public Libraries, of which there are seven branches.
“The job is pretty full and pretty demanding and there’s lots of things to do … We’re not having the time to get these things accomplished,” said Davies.
CBC News contacted the Cumberland Regional Library Board for comment, but did not receive a response.
Ashley Nunn-Smith is the chair of the Council of Regional Librarians, which represents the nine regional library systems. She said over the past few years, libraries around the province have been silently making cuts, but that “2026 represents a real cliff.”
“We have stretched our budget as far as it can be stretched. There is no way to stretch it any further,” said Nunn-Smith.
A year ago, the council requested an additional $1.6 million in emergency funding, which was granted by the province.
However, the council’s request to change a funding formula that better reflects higher costs and inflationary pressures has not happened.
What the province is saying
The province said it is reviewing the recommendations.
“The annual budget is currently underway and decisions about library funding are made through this process,” wrote a spokesperson for the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage in an emailed statement.
“More information will be available when the provincial budget is tabled.”
The budget will be released during the upcoming sitting of the legislature, which begins Feb. 23.
Public libraries received $16.4 million in from the province in the 2024-25 fiscal year, with the same amount budgeted for 2025-26.
Financial pinch
As for Davies, he said the reduced hours will cost him $5,000 annually.
“My son just started university, he’s in his first year of university,” he said. “We’re all kind of feeling that financial pinch and this is one that we’re going to have to make some adjustments to build into our financial plan now.”
Source: CBC Nova Scotia