Year: 2026

Officials with the Nova Scotia government and Annapolis Valley Regional Library have agreed to another meeting as the book is set to close on five branches next month.

The library’s board announced plans on June 1 to close branches in Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Port Williams and Middleton as of July 20 due to funding pressures.

Julia Merritt, CEO of the regional library, said in an interview Monday that the next meeting has yet to be scheduled. But she said without an increase in funding, the closures will go ahead.

Continue reading “Nova Scotia: Government, library officials to meet again as Annapolis Valley branch closures loom” →

Kentville’s mayor says the town should have been part of any talks about the future of its library before the branch was selected for closure.

The Kentville Library is one of five Annapolis Valley Regional Library branches slated to close July 20.

Branches in Hantsport, Lawrencetown, Middleton and Port Williams are also scheduled to close.

Continue reading “Nova Scotia: Kentville mayor says town should have been included before library chosen for closure” →

Work on a new waterfront library in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) has been delayed as the proposed commercial space at the site has expanded.

Last December, the CBRM council approved a project for the Central Library on the Sydney Waterfront. The building, which would be made in partnership with Doucet Developments, would also feature residential units and commercial spaces along the boardwalk.

The developer had originally agreed to submit building permits by late June, but now says it will be able to finalize its designs and development permit submission by October.

“According to the developer, site work is expected to begin in late summer/early fall as construction activities commence,” a staff report to council reads.

Council approved the extension at a special meeting on Monday.

According to the staff report, the developer has increased the proposed number of residential units from 138 to approximately 186, which represents a 36 per cent increase. The expanded design is expected to provide up to 8,000 square feet of additional commercial space.

The library space, which is planned to occupy 35,000 square feet on the ground floor of the building, would replace the James McConnell Memorial Library, which opened in 1960 and expanded in 1987. The municipality has noted the older building no longer meets the technology and accessibility needs of the community.

The municipality previously said the new library is expected to open in 2028.

Source: CTV News Nova Scotia

As five library branches in the Annapolis Valley face closure due to funding pressures, Chester is taking a different approach.

South Shore Public Libraries has opened a new branch in the community, expanding access to library services at a time when library systems across Nova Scotia are warning about financial challenges.

The contrast is not lost on CEO and Chief Librarian Ashley Nunn-Smith.

Continue reading “Nova Scotia: Chester opens new library branch as other Nova Scotia communities face closures” →

The Pictou Antigonish Regional Library is taking more steps to secure additional funding to maintain programming.

Chief Librarian Eric Stackhouse says they are currently setting up donation stations at each branch allowing users to make cash donations or electronically through their debit and credit cards. Stackhouse says another measure is establishing a fund to help PARL remain on stable financial footing.

Stackhouse says the board is trying to be realistic with financial support from the province not expected to increase, while trying to meet the needs of its users.

Source: 989 XFM

Students will see more of their own stories reflected on school bookshelves as Prince Edward Island’s novel selection committee brings in books that offer more perspectives.

The committee, made up of teachers and education staff, selects new novels to add to P.E.I. classrooms each year.

Lauren Key, who teaches English at Summerside Intermediate School, said her goal is to foster a love of reading in her students.

“We set reading goals, we talk about reading, we talk about what students are reading. We make it part of our culture here at our school,” she said.

“When you’re trying to foster a love of reading … it’s very important that they’re able to see themselves within the text.”

Continue reading “PEI: Students will find more relatable stories in classrooms with new book selections” →

After about 40 years in the Waterford Valley Mall, the Michael Donovan Public Library in St. John’s is turning the page.

A sugary scent filled the one-room library as staff brought out cake for patrons on Saturday, who came together to check out books and colour pictures one last time.

St. John’s Public Libraries manager Susan Prior called the event a “see-you-soon party.” Newfoundland and Labrador’s library board is working with the provincial government to secure a new location. The lease for the Topsail Road unit expires at the end of this month.

Continue reading “NL: St. John’s public library closing a chapter – and its doors – ahead of relocation” →

The Bay Roberts Public Library Board recently held a celebration commemorating its 80 anniversary.

The library was incorporated into the provincial library system in 1946. The Town of Bay Roberts was incorporated in 1951, making the library older than the town itself. Originally located on Water Street, today the library is found on Cross Road.

At the celebration, Bay Roberts Mayor Geoff Seymour said public libraries are generational. As a child, his mother would go to the library on Saturdays to sit in the stacks and read Nancy Drew mysteries. Eventually, the librarian informed her she could take books home if she got a library card. Seymour’s mother ran home, got a parent signature for the card, then ran back to the library and borrowed a wagonful of books. She got her card from the library when she was nine years old, and not only still has it, but is still a patron of the library.

Seymour added the role of the public library has expanded. It remains somewhere people can get books, where reading is promoted and made more accessible and affordable. However, libraries now also have technology, such as computers, that people can use for free, and offer media content.

“As a town, institutions and organizations like this, that serve the community, are invaluable,” said the mayor. He presented a certificate from the Town to congratulate the library on its anniversary, which was accepted by Bay Roberts Public Library Board Chairperson Florence Morgan-Thom. Morgan-Thom noted the Town also made a financial contribution to the library.

The celebration continued with a cake cutting, refreshments, and some readings. Two authors attended as special guest speakers: Pat Collins of Harbour Grace, and Robert Lundrigan, currently of Spaniard’s Bay, but originally from Upper Island Cove. Both Collins and Lundrigan spoke about their writing processes and read passages from their latest books.

“I work with a lot of libraries in a lot of communities in this region, and very few have the degree of community support that this library has,” said Sarah Bartlett, the Eastern Regional Librarian with Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries. “Seeing all of you here today, the sheer volume of cars in the lot, I think is really indicative of the level of use, but also the commitment of the members of the community here to the library.”

Source: The Shoreline News

 

The message was clear.

“What do we want?”

“Sustainable funding!”

“When do we want it?”

“Now!”

The chant, by nearly 100 people in front of Annapolis MLA David Bowlby’s Middleton office June 12, was almost as loud as the car and truck horns of passing motorists supporting the call for adequate funding for public libraries.

Continue reading “Nova Scotia: Middleton rally urges sustainable funding for libraries – now” →

“The space is out of date,” university librarian Svetlana Kochkina said as she toured The Guardian around UPEI’s Robertson Library recently. The 52-year-old building is in the beginning stages of a significant renovation project.

The renovation will include new flooring throughout the lobby, fresh paint, updated furniture, new signage, redesigned washrooms and additional seating areas. While there are no major structural changes planned, the university says the project is about much more than improving the building’s appearance.

Kochkina said the goal is to create a space that reflects how students use libraries today.

Continue reading “PEI: UPEI’s 52-year-old library is getting a major makeover” →