Vacant provincial appointee positions on the Annapolis Valley Regional Library (AVRL) board are not the reason why the decision to close five branches wasn’t communicated in advance to government officials.
Following the June 1 announcement of the branch closures, Kings North MLA and Finance Minister John Lohr was among the government officials to issue statements on social media.
The statement said he was “surprised and disappointed by AVRL’s decision to close half of their library services. Everyone has the right to be upset and ask questions, including why the decision was made.”
Questions posed to Lohr, including whether the vacant provincial appointee positions on the library’s board of directors may have played a role in a lack of communication to government, were addressed in a June 24 email from provincial communications advisor Meredith Hand.
She provided a statement on behalf of the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage, which is responsible for provincial regional library funding. The statement said it is the responsibility of the library board’s chief executive officer and board chairperson, not individual directors, to communicate with the provincial government.
“Provincial appointees are not expected to report to the government on board matters,” the statement says.
The prepared statement said the closure of five regional library branches, including the largest branch located in Kentville, and how the decision unfolded, did come as a surprise to the province.
“We are also aware that local municipalities, as our funding partners, similarly were unaware of the AVRL’s closure plans or rationale behind the decision,” the statement says.
“We are waiting on additional information from AVRL about other options considered and rationale for their final decision.”
In a June 22 email, Annapolis Valley Regional Library CEO Julia Merritt confirmed that the two provincial appointments to the library board are currently vacant. Although she could not confirm exactly how long one position has gone unfilled, she estimated that it’s been about four years. The other board position for a provincial appointee has been vacant since 2024.
Merrit said that provincial appointees have the same responsibilities as those board members appointed by the partner municipalities. The board operates as a whole in its capacity as a governance board.
The provincial government is exclusively responsible for provincial board appointments and invites applications through the agencies, boards, and commissions appointments process. The June 24 statement from Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage says the process for evaluation continues in accordance with the provincial appointment process.
“We encourage interested community members in Nova Scotia to apply for local agencies, boards, and commissions,” the statement says.
On June 1, the Annapolis Valley Regional Library announced a major restructuring of library services, with Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Middleton, and Port Williams branches to close permanently on July 20. Nine full-time equivalent positions will be eliminated.
If the pending closures go ahead has planned, the remaining branches in Windsor, Wolfville, Berwick, Kingston, Bridgetown, and Annapolis Royal will have new standardized hours beginning July 20. The harmonized hours are intended to support more consistent, reliable access for library users across the remaining branch network.
Provincial funding
In his earlier social media statement, Lohr said it’s important that people know that the closures were not a decision his government was part of, and the provincial government didn’t cut regional library funding. The decision to close branches was ultimately made by the library board, he said.
The June 24 statement from Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage says the province provides about 71 per cent of regional library funding, with municipalities contributing 26 per cent and boards raising at least three per cent.
Funding is reviewed every five years, with the last increase in 2020–2021 adding $2.1 million annually. The province has also provided one-time support over several years, including $800,000 in 2025, and allowed libraries to use the $500,000 Library Development Fund for operating costs this year.
“We know that libraries are under pressure and are seeking increased funding through changes to the funding formula. We understand those challenges. At the same time, we are operating in a difficult fiscal environment,” the statement says.
It goes on to say that, across government, departments have been asked to make reductions and find efficiencies. Despite this, “government not only maintained provincial funding to libraries at $16.4 million annually but also provided supplemental funding to help offset costs.”
Source: Annapolis Valley Register