Author: Technology Coordinator

Seven-year-old Alice Arsenault, from Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, says she’s been sad and worried since learning last week five libraries in the area will soon close.

The Kentville branch is where Arsenault takes part in chess club, and the Hantsport library is one of her favourite places to read, she said. Both are among those scheduled to shut July 20.

Regional libraries are “where I like to do all the things. And they’re trying to shut down the Hantsport library, which is extremely special to me,” Alice said in an interview with her mother Krista Arsenault in Middleton, N.S., on Friday.

The 11-branch Annapolis Valley Regional Library system announced that five of their branches will close next month due to a lack of funding. The non-profit organization says the decision was made after the provincial government confirmed there will be no increase in provincial library funding in the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Continue reading “‘A billion things special about libraries,’ Nova Scotians rally aiming to save them” →

Dear Premier Houston,

The news of the closures of five branch libraries in the Annapolis Valley Regional Library system was met with distress and disbelief by the members of our association. APLA represents approximately 400 library workers and library supporters across the Atlantic region. I am writing on their behalf to ask that you reconsider the proposed cuts to Nova Scotia libraries, which are not only foundational to communities, but also critical to our regional economy.

The importance of libraries in our province cannot be overstated. They are essential to lifelong learning and skills development for Nova Scotians of all ages. The loss of community libraries, especially those with youth-focused education initiatives, will reduce access to creative learning opportunities across the province. Beyond the immediate impact on these particular branches and their immediate communities, these cuts threaten long-term negative impacts on cultural life, social cohesion, and the broader economy of Nova Scotia.

The consequences of these cuts will be felt immediately. All libraries – public, academic, and special – are essential to the province and its well-being. While the Minister of Community, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage stated that “library funding was not cut,” the elimination of emergency bridge funding effectively reduces operational capacity, particularly for rural and regional libraries already coping with rising material costs. For many communities, even modest funding losses translate into reduced hours, fewer programs, delayed acquisitions, and staffing shortages. Libraries operate in partnership; when
cultural programming shrinks, libraries are left to absorb increased demand with fewer resources. The closing of the 5 branches in the AVRL system is a direct result of underfunding our library systems.

While we acknowledge the fiscal pressures facing the province, it is difficult to accept that reductions to libraries will benefit Nova Scotians in any way. We would like to emphasize that libraries can also be considered a cornerstone of a well-functioning democracy as illustrated by the following example from one of our members:

During an international advocacy tour through several post-Soviet states, a group of about 80
international library professionals witnessed communities celebrating libraries as fundamental
pillars of freedom. Local and national politicians frequently met with the group to extol the
virtues of open information.

In one capital city, the Minister of Culture spoke proudly outside a major national library facility
then under construction. At the time, it stood in stark contrast to the severe funding rollbacks
occurring within the participant’s home country’s national institutions. Even the smallest rural
communities ensured they maintained a local branch, sometimes sharing a single room with a
civic office or local storefront.

This warm reception was rooted in the collective memory of decades under authoritarian rule, a
time when access to information was strictly restricted and privileged. To these populations,
modern libraries directly represented democracy. A functioning democracy requires equal
access to information, serving as a societal equalizer for those lacking computers or internet access.
In contrast, during a subsequent visit to a Southeast Asian nation recovering from
historic, violent totalitarian rule, the systemic execution of library workers had completely
decimated the local information infrastructure, leaving remaining historical collections restricted
to select officials.— (Anonymous, personal communication, June 3, 2026)

The concerns we raise here are widely shared across the services we support and the communities we serve. We respectfully urge you to reconsider and properly fund libraries, recognizing the profound and lasting impact they have on individuals, organizations, and the broader economy of Nova Scotia. We thank you for your attention to this matter and remain ready to engage in constructive dialogue toward a resolution.

Sincerely and on behalf of the APLA membership,

Terri Winchcombe
APLA President, 2025/26

The Nova Scotia cabinet minister responsible for library funding has requested a meeting with the board of the Annapolis Valley Regional Library in the wake of news that five library branches will close due to funding shortfalls.

“We’d like to sit down and have a meeting with them and see where those gaps are,” Dave Ritcey, minister of communities, culture, tourism and heritage, told reporters following a cabinet meeting Thursday.

Ritcey’s comments come one day after he received a letter from the Council of Regional Libraries, which represents the province’s nine regional library systems.

The letter called for the province to increase funding as the libraries struggle with rising costs due to inflation.

Continue reading “Nova Scotia: Province, library officials to discuss pending branch closures in Annapolis Valley” →

The members of Neuro-GLAM-orous Canada invite you to participate in their fourth annual free online conference.

Conference Date: August 21st, 2026
Location: Online (registration forthcoming)
Time: 1:00 pm-5:00 pm Atlantic Daylight Time

Proposal deadline: July 2nd, 2026

Potential Topics:

The theme of this year’s conference is Hopepunk: Neurodiversity, GLAM, and Neurodivergent Knowledge Justice

“Knowledge justice is based on the principle that each person has the equal capacity to be knowledgeable, yet this right is often denied to individuals based on the social identities they hold. It also involves recognizing that some knowledge systems, particularly those of Indigenous peoples, have been purposefully ignored, eliminated, or silenced.”
What is Knowledge Justice? – Knowledge Justice in the Helping Professions

Knowledge justice impacts us as neurodivergent information practitioners through our practice, and in our communities and workplaces. It asks us to consider how we work professionally and personally to counter misinformation and address inequities as information professionals.

Hopepunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction and art that focuses on optimism, gentleness, kindness, and collaboration as effective weapons in the fight to create a better future.

This year we invite submissions that respond to how the concept of Hopepunk shows up at the intersection of information professions and neurodivergence. Of particular interest is how we can engage with Hopepunk and knowledge justice themes to build sustainable affirming communities in the face of job cuts, funding cuts, gaslighting, lack of inclusion, and injustice.

“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
– G.K. Chesterton

Presentations, panels, and lightning talks may relate to, but are not limited to:

  • research, professional work, and ongoing projects related to the theme, including epistemic injustice, hermeneutical injustice, gaslighting, funding cuts, job loss, etc.
  • personal accounts of being neurodivergent in GLAM spaces in the context of knowledge justice, building community, self-advocacy, etc.
  • how GLAM professions have historically resisted or facilitated knowledge justice in different contexts or are currently resisting or facilitating it
  • surveillance, ableism, and gaslighting in GLAM professions

For those interested, the conference will conclude with a “Five Minute Fascinators” event where participants are invited to talk about a special interest for five minutes and why they think it is so interesting. If you are interested in participating, a call will go out less formally the day of the conference.

After the conference there will be a channel created on the Neuro-GLAM-orous Canada Discord server for ongoing discussions and follow up to discussions raised during the event and where links to recordings will be posted.

Guidelines

We invite proposals for individual presentations as well as for panel submissions.
Presentations and panel discussions can be pre-recorded or delivered live.

For individual presentations, please submit:

  • an abstract of no more than around 2500 characters (approximately 400 words)
  • a presentation title
  • a brief biographical statement (including pronouns if you feel comfortable doing so)
  • contact information
  • any potential trigger warnings for your presentation
  • the expected length of your presentation (20 minutes maximum)
  • whether the presentation will be live or pre-recorded
  • you may also indicate:
    • if you want your presentation to be for neurodivergent attendees only
    • if you prefer not to be recorded

For complete panels, please submit:

  • a panel abstract of no more than 2500 characters (approximately 400 words)
  • a list of all participants and brief biographical statements (including pronouns if you feel comfortable doing so)
  • please identify (up to three panelists and one moderator) and provide participants’ contact information for the panel organizer
  • you may also indicate:
    • if you want the panel discussion to be for neurodivergent attendees only
    • if you prefer not to be recorded

At Neuro-GLAM-erous Canada we believe that the personal and professional are political, and encourage participants to think of themselves as whole beings. The sphere of vulnerability this creates will require tact and understanding. While this is a space to learn and be vulnerable; however, harassment, bigotry, and bad-faith actors will not be tolerated.

Submit proposals:

By form: NeuroGLAM 2026: Conference Call for Proposals – Fill out form
Or return attached template to: neuroglamcon@gmail.com
Direct questions to: neuroglamcon@gmail.com

Additional information can be found here

Opposition MLAs say the closure of five libraries in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley will be devastating to the communities they serve and that the Houston government should try to keep them open.

As of July 20, branches in Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Port Williams and Middleton will shut down. The Annapolis Valley Regional Library Board said its decision ultimately came down to increasing costs and limited funding.

“When you think about the essential service that is no longer going to be provided in the Valley for the communities, for the families, there’s going to be a loss of jobs within those particular locations,” NDP MLA Suzy Hansen told reporters in Halifax on Tuesday.

“I think the government has a responsibility to keep these spaces open for community and for families, and it shouldn’t fall under their cruel cuts they put forward in this year.”

Continue reading “Nova Scotia: Opposition MLAs urge province to help keep Annapolis Valley libraries open” →

The Village of Lawrencetown, N.S., is pledging to keep its library open after the Annapolis Valley Regional Library Board said it would shut the branch down, along with four others, this summer.

The board said the branches in Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Middleton and Port Williams will shut down on July 20 due to a “significant funding shortfall.” The move will eliminate nine full-time-equivalent positions.

The board runs 11 libraries in the Annapolis Valley.

Continue reading “Nova Scotia: Lawrencetown pledges to keep library open amid Annapolis Valley closures” →

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library Board is closing five branches in Nova Scotia this summer due to a “significant funding shortfall.”

The board, which operates 11 branches in the Annapolis Valley, said it is facing a “structural funding deficit” that cannot be overcome with incremental changes.

On July 20, the branches in Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Middleton and Port Williams will close their doors. Services will be consolidated into the remaining six branches.

These closures will eliminate nine full-time-equivalent positions. The board says the affected employees have been offered transition support.

“While this decision is deeply difficult, the long-term vision is to protect the Library’s ability to serve the region by focusing resources into a smaller but financially stable library system that can continue to support literacy, learning, digital access, and community connection,” a news release from the board reads.

The board asked eight municipalities for additional contributions to the 2026-2027 budget, but despite the extra support, they say they still have to make these changes.

The board says they have seen a 40 per cent increase in circulation in the last 15 years.

“These decisions are not being made because libraries are no longer being used,” said board CEO Julia Merritt. “They are being made because the current funding model has not kept pace with rising demand, inflation, and operating costs.”

Source: CTV News Nova Scotia

Date: Tuesday, June 30th, 2026
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Cost: free

AI is everywhere, wanted or not. It’s a current reality that libraries need to address in policy. However, there are many questions to explore to be able to write a comprehensive policy that can stand up to rapidly changing technology. In this webinar, we’ll explore the past and present of AI from technological and social perspectives to provide a foundational understanding to allow libraries to establish a maintainable policy. We’ll discuss the things you need to decide within your library regarding the usage of AI, as well as both the risks and potential benefits for staff and patrons alike.

Register here

To Mayor Andy Fillmore
Halifax Regional Municipality

May 25, 2026

RE: Open Letter Regarding Funding for School Librarians

Dear Mayor Fillmore,

The Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA) represents library workers and supporters across the Atlantic region, all of whom believe that school librarians are critically important to student success in primary and secondary institutions. I am writing on their behalf to acknowledge the immediate relief offered by the new agreement, and to respectfully ask that the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) reconsider phasing out this important investment.

The direct link between school libraries and student achievement cannot be refuted. Decades of research has documented the positive correlation between school libraries and student achievement under the direction of qualified staff (Curry Lance & D. Kachal, 2018). Moreover, school librarians are leading the charge in realigning the library to anticipate the learning needs of today’s K-12 students. These highly qualified professionals are uniquely positioned to support students, faculty, and administrators as they navigate the intersection of information, technology, and experiential learning and lay the foundation for responsible digital citizenship. Without a school librarian, the library learning commons is just another room in the building.

Thank you for your commitment to funding for the next five years. While the reprieve is a relief for school librarians, the lack of certainty has been “extremely stressful and difficult on all the members” (Ryan, 2026). Ongoing commitment to school librarians is good for Halifax’s economy, its continued tax base, and the future of education in Nova Scotia. We stand in solidarity with CUPE Local 5047 and their promise to “continue to advocate and fight for the importance of these positions” (Ryan, 2026). On their behalf, and on behalf of the APLA membership, I respectfully encourage continued investment in the youth of your province by ensuring that this funding continues beyond the current five-year limit.

Sincerely, on behalf of the APLA Membership,

Terri Winchcombe
APLA President, 2025/26

To the Honourable Brendan Maguire
Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

May 25, 2026

RE: Open Letter Regarding Funding for School Librarians

Dear Minister Maguire,

The Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA) represents library workers and supporters across the Atlantic region, all of whom believe that school librarians are critically important to student success in primary and secondary institutions. I am writing on their behalf to acknowledge the immediate relief offered by the new agreement between the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE), and to echo the request that the province Department “commit to replacing any funding for Halifax school librarians” (Ryan, 2026).

The direct link between school libraries and student achievement cannot be refuted. Decades of research has documented the positive correlation between school libraries and student achievement under the direction of qualified staff.1 Moreover, school librarians are leading the charge in realigning the library to anticipate the learning needs of today’s K-12 students. These highly qualified professionals are uniquely positioned to support students, faculty, and administrators as they navigate the intersection of information, technology, and experiential learning and lay the foundation for responsible digital citizenship. Without a school librarian, the library learning commons is just another room in the building.

In March of this year, we wrote to Premier Houston to express our concern with proposed budget cuts, but received no response. We did, however, receive a response from the office of the Honourable Becky Durham acknowledging our advocacy efforts. While the Minister of Community, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage stated at the time that “library funding was not cut,” we are about to witness the impact of reduced funding on the learning experiences of our children and their continued success in primary and secondary education. We cannot let this happen.

Thank you for acknowledging the “great impact” that [school] librarians have on education in Nova Scotia, and for taking the opportunity provided by the five year commitment by HRM and HRCE to engage in “discussions and planning with the province on long-term funding and support for students and school communities” (Ryan, 2026). On their behalf, and on behalf of the APLA membership, I respectfully encourage continued investment in the youth of your province by ensuring that funding for these positions continues beyond the next five years.

Sincerely, on behalf of the APLA Membership,

Terri Winchcombe
APLA President, 2025/26