Category: Advocacy

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

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

 

From Dalhousie University:

We are deeply concerned by the announcement that Nova Scotia Community College will eliminate 91 positions, including all campus librarian positions and the Director of Library Services. We stand in solidarity with the librarians, staff, faculty, and students directly affected by these decisions. Libraries are not optional services within educational institutions; they are a foundational infrastructure for learning, equity, critical inquiry, digital literacy, and community connection. Librarians are educators, information specialists, and public servants whose work supports student success, lifelong learning, evidence-based decision-making, and access to trustworthy information. Their expertise is especially vital at a time when misinformation, technological disruption, and widening social inequities increasingly shape public life.

The elimination of professional librarian positions has consequences that extend far beyond physical campus access. NSCC libraries serve students across the province, including rural and underserved communities, newcomers, first-generation learners, and those pursuing retraining and career transitions. Removing access to professional library services weakens the academic and social supports that many students rely upon to succeed. Librarians help instructors, staff, and students adapt to new technologies and digital modes of learning. As educators, students, alumni, and friends of the Master of Information program at Dalhousie University, we see every day the breadth and importance of the information professions. Our graduates work in academic, public, school, health, government, and community settings where they help people navigate complex information environments, preserve collective memory, protect privacy and intellectual freedom, support research and innovation, and build more informed and inclusive communities.

The elimination of librarian positions at NSCC raises broader concerns about the future of information services in Nova Scotia. Decisions that diminish professional library expertise risk undermining the educational mission of our public institutions and devaluing the specialized knowledge required to steward information ethically and effectively.

We urge NSCC and the provincial government to reconsider these cuts and to recognize that investments in libraries and librarians are investments in students, communities, workforce development, and the public good.We extend our support to our colleagues at NSCC and reaffirm our commitment to advocating for the vital role of librarians and information professionals throughout Nova Scotia and beyond.

If you wish to sign this open letter, please do so using this form.

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

The HRM budget meeting is happening on Tuesday, and supporters are asked to email the HRM’s clerk office at clerks@halifax.ca with the subject line: Please Print and Distribute to Councillors and Mayor for the Budget Meeting.

While your own words are appreciated, please feel free to use the letter copied below.

Thank you for your support!
Save School Librarians

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Dear Mayor Fillmore and Councillors,

I am writing to urge you to restore the Supplementary Education Fund for Library Support Specialists (LSS) during the final budget vote on March 31.

These 98 specialists are not an optional enhancement; they are essential to our schools. They provide:

  • Critical Literacy Support: Helping students improve reading levels and provincial exam scores.
  • Safe Spaces: Offering a supervised, inclusive environment for all students throughout the school day.
  • Equitable Access: Ensuring every student, regardless of their home situation, has access to technology and research materials.

I ask that you prioritize our students’ education and future by maintaining this funding. Please do not let a jurisdictional dispute between the city and province result in the loss of these vital positions.

 

The following email has been sent to government officials:

Parks Canada announced in late 2025 that The Canadian Register of Historic Places (aka historicplaces.ca website) will be decommissioned in Spring 2026.

Reaching the end of its technological life, there is no plan for replacement of this vital tool and system of record for ca. 13,500 historic designations in Canada. Heritage advocates are scrambling to save the data and find a replacement.

Administered by Parks Canada, The Register was launched in 2004 as an online, searchable, publicly accessible database under the Historic Places Initiative, a collaboration between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to improve protection of the country’s historic sites and to foster a culture of heritage conservation in Canada.

APLA is writing to advocate that the Register’s information contents are retained and remain accessible in both the immediate and short-term. We are also asking that a collaborative longer-term solution is found.

With the loss of such an important national database, there is an urgent need to preserve the information with respect to Prince Edward Island that is currently maintained in the Register’s database. Does the Provincial Government have a plan to save the data before it is disabled this spring?

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Terri Winchcombe
President, Atlantic Provinces Library Association
On behalf of APLA members

The following letter was sent to members of government:

I am writing to you today on behalf of the Atlantic Provinces Library Association to express my concerns about the elimination of the Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DCHP) by Library and Archives Canada, due to recent budget cuts by the federal government.

The DHCP supports the preservation of and access to Canada’s documentary heritage for Canadians, particularly material that is often overlooked by bigger institutions. Since 2015, it has provided funding to support more than 400 projects that have allowed small, community-based organizations to preserve and provide access to archives of marginalized, minority, and underrepresented groups, including indigenous communities.

Archives and libraries play a vital role in enabling the public to understand, access, and make sense of our collective histories, which serve as the foundations of our country, our society, and identities. Millions of historical documents, photographs, maps, and audio-visual items are held in archives and libraries across the country and made accessible to the public.

Archives and libraries are fundamental to the success of countless public, private, and educational enterprises. They also support Canada’s knowledge-based economy by sustaining and facilitating access to our knowledge resources. For archival and library repositories to continue to fulfil their missions to preserve and make available documentation about these shared histories, they must be recognized, protected and funded accordingly.

The entire archival and library community are extremely concerned about the negative impact that eliminating the DHCP will have on the preservation of and access to our collective histories.

Cutting this program will devastate small, underfunded archives that rely on this program to carry out their work.

I respectfully ask that you advocate for the restoration of dedicated federal support for community-based documentary heritage work, whether through reinstating DCHP or creating a comparable program. Protecting and providing access to Canada’s documentary heritage is an investment in education, accountability, identity, and intergenerational knowledge.

Thank you for your time and for representing our community. I would appreciate knowing your position on this issue and any steps you are taking to address it.

Yours sincerely,

Terri Winchcombe
President, Atlantic Provinces Library Association
On behalf of APLA members

In our commitment to transparency and to supporting Nova Scotia’s arts and culture community, we have prepared and sent an open letter this morning to the Premier and Members of the Nova Scotia Legislature regarding the proposed provincial budget cuts.

We encourage you to share the attached letter and social posts widely within your libraries and throughout your communities.

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March 6, 2026

Open Letter Regarding Proposed Provincial Budget Cuts in Nova Scotia

Dear Premier Houston,

The news of the impending cuts, specifically towards arts and culture, to the Nova Scotia provincial budget 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 these sectors that are not only foundational for the community, but are critical to our regional economy.

The importance of arts and culture in our province cannot be overstated. Art programs and cultural organizations are crucial to lifelong learning and skills development for Nova Scotians of all ages. The loss of community arts programming, especially youth-focused education initiatives, will narrow access to creative learning opportunities across the province. Beyond the immediate impact on these sectors, 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 in our libraries. All libraries – public, academic, special – rely on a vibrant local publishing ecosystem to build collections that reflect Nova Scotian voices and stories. Reductions to publishing grants and cultural funding weaken the very supply chain that sustains literacy, local authorship, and access to diverse Canadian content in our communities. 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 managing rising costs of library materials. For many communities, even modest funding losses translate into reduced hours, fewer programs, delayed acquisitions, and staffing shortages. Libraries and arts organizations operate in partnership; when cultural programming shrinks, libraries are left to absorb increased demand with fewer resources.

While we acknowledge the fiscal pressures facing the province, it is difficult to accept that reductions to arts funding  represent prudent long-term solutions. Cost savings achieved through deep cuts – specifically to arts and culture, are offset by broader economic and social consequences. The question must be asked: will the projected savings outweigh the cultural vibrance and energy of local publishers, theatres, galleries, and festivals? Youth will lose access to creative and educational opportunities. Emerging writers and artists may be forced to leave the province in search of sustainable support. The arts sector contributes significant GDP and supports thousands of jobs across Nova Scotia. Weakening this sector undermines not only Nova Scotia’s cultural vibrancy but economic adaptability.

The concerns we raise here are shared widely across the sectors we help to promote, and the communities we serve. We respectfully urge you to reconsider these proposed cuts, recognizing the profound and lasting impact they would have on individuals, artists, 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,

Terri Winchcombe
APLA President