The following letter was sent to Anna Burke, Acting NSCC President:

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The news of the sweeping elimination of all campus librarian positions and a library Director at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) was met with shock and distress by members of our association. The Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA) represents library workers and supporters across the Atlantic region, all of whom believe that librarians are critically important to student success in postsecondary institutions. I am writing on their behalf to respectfully ask that you reconsider this decision and reinstate these positions.

As reported to CBC News, these decisions were made “while keeping program delivery and student support top of mind.” Library staff provide essential services to both faculty and students that cannot be replaced or replicated. Librarians and library technicians contribute to the institution in unique but equally vital ways, working together to ensure students receive
informed professional guidance, reliable access to resources, and responsive service. The sudden decimation of campus librarian positions will leave your frontline technicians unsupported. It will significantly impact student learning and faculty applied research and innovation projects. This decision not only undermines the importance of librarians in the delivery of library services, but it also will have long-term negative impacts on the students you aim to support. A library is an integral part of a campus community, and its staff are irreplaceable. The decision to eliminate campus librarians cannot be reconciled with the claim that “leadership had a ‘laser focus’ on maintaining programming and student support.”

The inspiring work coming out of NSCC over the years has clearly demonstrated that librarians are essential to the operation of your libraries and to the success of your institution. Moreover, these layoffs are not, in fact, rooted in NSCC’s values and principles per your Strategic Plan; namely, accessibility, student and employee success and public accountability. We stand with the Atlantic Academic Union and their concern about how this will impact the students of NSCC. If, as Acting Vice President Stacey Baillie claimed, “[NSCC] students can expect and will get the best programming, the best supports and services that will help them prepare for college, succeed while they’re at college, thrive in their programs, and ultimately find meaningful careers in the workforce,” then it is imperative that these positions be reinstated.

Sincerely, on behalf of the APLA Membership,

Terri Winchcombe
APLA President, 2025/26