Kentville’s mayor says a key meeting to pause five Annapolis Valley Regional Library branch closures still has not been scheduled, and he is worried time is running out.
Branches in Kentville, Hantsport, Lawrencetown, Middleton and Port Williams are still slated to close July 20.
Mayor Andrew Zebian has been pushing for a special AVRL board meeting to pause the closures and give funding partners more time to secure the money needed to keep the branches open.
As the Annapolis Valley Regional Library (AVRL) prepares to shut down nearly half its branches due to financial pressures, at least one affected community is refusing to let its library die.
The AVRL announced last month it will close five of its 11 locations on July 20: Hantsport, Kentville, Port Williams, Middleton and Lawrencetown.
In Lawrencetown, N.S., local leaders say they are already taking matters into their own hands by preparing to transition to an independent, volunteer-run model.
The Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library Board has launched a new fundraising initiative to help offset rising costs.
According to a June 23 news release, public libraries are busier than ever. As costs continue to rise, and expectations for library services, programs, and resources keep growing, funding pressures are increasing.
Core provincial government funding for public libraries has remained unchanged since 2020.
The newest Annapolis Valley Regional Library board member says he wants to give the biggest push he can to save branches that are slated to close.
The regional library board’s chief executive officer Julia Merritt announced a major restructuring of services on June 1, including the closure of the Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Middleton, and Port Williams branches effective July 20. Nine full-time equivalent positions will be eliminated.
“Closing them should be a last resort, not a first resort,” Kentville Mayor Andrew Zebian said.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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
