Thanks to a fundraiser featuring a bestselling Nova Scotian author, doors to all Annapolis Valley Regional Library branches may remain open beyond the end of the fiscal year.

Rachel Reid is one of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary romance writers. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Game Changers series, which has been adapted into the smash hit TV series Heated Rivalry.

When asked why it was important to her to help keep the regional library’s doors open with a recent $300,000 donation and the Sept. 12 fundraising event in Wolfville, Reid said it’s because she has the ability to help and “I have been very, very blessed this year.”

“It really wasn’t a tough decision at all. I just saw an opportunity to help, and I wanted to do it, because I think that’s what people should do when they’re blessed,” Reid said.

The fundraising event at University Hall on the Acadia campus featured a silent auction with unique Heated Rivalry items up for grabs.

It was followed by an hour-long conversation and Q&A session with Reid, moderated by host Stephanie Domet, the co-founder and co-executive director of the AfterWords Literary Festival and author of Homing and Fallsy Downsies.

Reid, whose novels have earned international acclaim and a devoted global readership, has long championed the importance of reading, literacy, and accessible public libraries. She said she read a lot when she was growing up and could do so through the library without it costing any money.

She said libraries are important to communities for many reasons that go beyond books, including serving as essential third spaces beyond the home and workplace.

Growing up in Bedford, the library gave her somewhere to go and do things with other kids, including taking advantage of learning opportunities presented through workshops and events.

Reid shared several stories, including being part of what Domet described as a lively and diverse arts and culture scene in Halifax. Some experiences included being part of a punk rock band called The Stolen Minks, and burlesque performances.

“I don’t think it ever occurred to me that there were things that I couldn’t do,” she said.

Reid recalled one hockey-themed burlesque performance where she borrowed a friend’s hockey gear so she could strip out of it. She said, “it smelled really bad, so I was happy to take it off.”

She said these experiences were “incredibly important” to her artistic development, and sustainable funding for the arts is another important topic she would like to see the government address.

“It’s one of the coolest things about living here, so it makes me really sad that it’s not getting the funding that it used to,” Reid said.

Reid said she feels that she has become acclimated to the fame that has come with the success of her books and the TV show. She recognizes that what she is experiencing as an author “is not normal” and she’s doing what she can to adapt to it.

Reid described her popularity as an author as a “slow build” and that only last year she remembers telling her kids that she would never become a New York Times bestselling author. Six months later, it had happened, and she “never, never expected that.”

“I felt that in a matter of weeks I accomplished every goal that I could possibly have,” Reid said. “I think the goals have to be more about what you’re creating and not what you’re being given in response to it.”

When asked what advice Reid would give to aspiring writers, she said, “just write for yourself.”

“Write what you want to read,” she said. “Don’t worry about what other people do.”

Supporting the fundraiser

Nicole Thimot and Ashley Newell of Clare had a chance to meet Reid and have a photo taken with her at the event.

Thimot said she is a firm believer that everyone, including residents of rural communities, should have access to books and to reading, whatever genre they prefer. She said this is why supporting the library fundraiser was important to her.

“This fundraiser is absolutely amazing to support the arts, to support reading, and the fact that everyone is here to support the cause, it makes the two-hour drive to come here even better,” Thimot said.

She said she likes to support authors, particularly independent authors from across Nova Scotia and Canada, so she really took the library fundraiser to heart.

Thimot said she couldn’t believe an author of Reid’s calibre was willing to give of her time in such a way. She said Reid really “blew up overnight” in terms of popularity. Thimot recalls friends from Quebec sending her the link to Heated Rivalry, and that the title was already on her “to be read” list.

Thimot said she picked up the book, read it, and thought it was “incredible.” She decided to read everything Reid has written.

“She is one person making a huge difference, especially in Nova Scotia,” Thimot said. “I call her a superhero to come back and donate her time, donate her money. It’s absolutely incredible.”

Newell said she thinks it’s very important to support the arts, and that’s why she bought a ticket to the event. As an English and language arts teacher, “I think reading is for everyone. I think there’s a book out there for everyone.”

“This is an amazing cause. Thank you so much to Rachel Reid for supporting the public libraries in the area, because a lot of people don’t have access to books regularly, so I think this is a wonderful cause she’s standing behind,” Newell said.

She said she thinks it’s a “tragedy” that the provincial government has yet to step up with a new, sustainable funding formula for regional libraries. Losing branches would take access to books away from a lot of people, and Newell hopes there will be a change in the coming months and years when it comes to governments seeing the value in supporting the arts.

Keeping the doors open

More than 600 tickets to the fundraiser, which cost $65 each, were sold. Although a grand total for the fundraiser had yet to be tabulated, Annapolis Valley Regional Library board chairperson Janet Ness said they had brought in more than $53,000 through ticket sales and donations. Proceeds from the silent auction still hadn’t been factored in.

Reid’s earlier donation of $300,000 will keep all Annapolis Valley Regional Libraries open until March 31, 2027. Ness said the proceeds from the fundraiser would sustain library operations beyond that.

“The importance and the value of the public library to each of you and your communities cannot be overstated,” Ness said. “We urge you to continue to communicate with your provincial and municipal representatives about how essential sustainable government funding is for all public libraries.”

In an earlier interview, Annapolis Valley Regional Library CEO Julia Merritt said there may be additional service continuity beyond the end of the current fiscal year, depending on the results of the fundraising event and the final decisions of municipal partners that currently have a funding request before them.

However, “the underlying financial insecurity remains.” If there is not a solution to the sustainable funding issue from the province and municipal funding partners, “the board will have to return to major service reductions in 2027-28.”

Provincial funding for regional libraries remains frozen at 2020 to 2025 levels. Annapolis Valley Regional Library officials have been calling on the provincial government for a new, sustainable funding formula for regional libraries for the past couple of years.

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library announced a major restructuring of library services on June 1, including the closure of the Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Middleton, and Port Williams branches on July 20.

At a special library board meeting in Wolfville on July 13, members voted to use a portion of remaining, unallocated reserve funds to keep the doors of the five branches open until Sept. 30.

The board also voted to go back to the eight partner municipalities to ask that they provide the full increased budget amount requested earlier this year. The library board has restated its initial ask and requested that all partner municipalities reconsider the amount given.

The Lawrencetown village commission has decided to begin operating the Dr. Frank W. Morse Memorial Library, which was an Annapolis Valley Regional Library branch, independently.

Source: Annapolis Valley Register