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In a news release Tuesday, the province said Islanders borrowed 735,151 library items over the past year — one of the highest circulation totals on record and a seven per cent increase compared to 2024.

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny was the most borrowed title of the year.

Grace Dawson, P.E.I.’s director of libraries, said the growing demand reflects the financial pressures many Islanders are facing.

“I think you can see with the financial and economic climate as it is that people really are struggling in terms of being able to have that extra income to access resources,” Dawson told CBC News.

“So they’re turning to free institutions like libraries, where they can access things like free Wi-Fi, books, a lot of other types of free resources and programming that they might not be able to access otherwise.”

In addition to in-library services, the Community Care Facility Delivery Service delivered 4,359 books and items directly to community care facilities and nursing homes.

“A further 5,843 items were delivered to early learning and child care centres across the province, helping ensure access to books and learning resources for residents of all ages,” the release said.

Digital borrowing continues to rise

Dawson said libraries continue to see strong growth in the use of digital resources like e-books and audiobooks.

She noted that if the library system’s digital platform — OverDrive and its mobile app, Libby — were treated as a branch, it would rank as the second-highest circulating location in the province, behind only Charlottetown Library Learning Centre.

But she said providing digital materials comes with added costs.

“Libraries get charged more money to purchase e-books from publishers and different digital providers, and we also have limitations in terms of how many checkouts or circulations we can offer to that book,” she said.

“So we might only get it for a year. We might only get it for 26 checkouts. So that means that we have to keep purchasing the title to have it available. So that does put some strains on us in terms of our budget, but we try to offer resources in as many formats as we can to the public.”

With increased demand for digital content, Dawson said P.E.I. Public Library Services plans to continue allocating a significant portion of its budget to online resources.

Programs, non-traditional items draw interest

Beyond borrowing books, the P.E.I. Public Library Service also expanded its programming this past year.

Throughout 2025, the P.E.I. Public Library Service delivered more than 5,000 programs across 25 public libraries, attracting more than 50,000 participants, the release said.

Dawson said the programs span all ages and interests, including story times, toddler and baby sessions, Dungeons and Dragons clubs for teens, seniors’ cafés, technology sessions for older adults, and adult craft and sewing clubs.

Libraries also partner with community organizations, including the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, which allows people to have their tax returns completed at library branches, she said.

In addition, Dawson said Island libraries offer a growing collection of non-traditional items.

New additions in 2025 include ghost-hunting kits and LaunchPads, which are tablets preloaded with educational games for children.

“They focus on different types of learning areas like math, music, phonetics, writing, arithmetic. So that’s been very popular.”

Other new items include Heart Health kits, which contain a blood pressure monitor, an oxygen monitor and healthy cookbooks focused on heart-friendly meals.

“We also added some cognitive care kits, which are for individuals who are going through the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s. So they have lots of different learning resources, but also some games and some puzzles for people who are going through those conditions.”

A full list of non-traditional specialty items is available on the province’s website.

Source: CBC PEI

The library community in Newfoundland and Labrador is worried legislation before the House of Commons would give Canada Post the ability to increase mailing costs for library materials across the province.

They’re also concerned the Mark Carney government’s proposed changes—outlined in the Liberals’ recent budget bill—will remove Canada Post’s requirement to provide free postage for materials for persons with visual disabilities.

Bill C-15, which passed its second reading in Ottawa last Wednesday, would implement parts of Carney’s controversial federal budget.

Tucked into the 634-page document are amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act, including a provision which allows public libraries to benefit from what’s called the “Library Book Rate” — a postage discount for libraries.

Josh Smee, vice-chair of the St. John’s Public Libraries Board, says the legislative change came as a surprise. “There was no consultation or notice before this,” he says. “It was just caught by some eagle-eyed observers looking at the actual budget legislation, and they realized that the section was being repealed.”

Libraries are a critical part of the province’s social fabric, says Smee. “We have this amazing library system. We have branches all over the province in communities of every size [that] provide a free public space, which is incredibly rare.”

Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Paul Dinn said the provincial government would be “very disappointed” by any federal government action that would negatively impact provincial libraries, but that the province has been reassured.

“We have received confirmation from the federal government that Canada Post will maintain free mailing of materials for the blind, as well as the current reduced rate of postage for library materials through the Library Book Rate,” Dinn told The Independent.

Canada Post would not need approval to raise postage rates

St. John’s researcher and activist David Brake says even if Canada Post keeps the Library Book Rate in place in the short term, the crown corporation’s ability to change its mind at any time is a worry public libraries would have to live with going forward.

Smee says Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should be contacting their MPs and calling on Parliament not to amend the Canada Post Corporations Act.

Currently, to make any changes to the book rate, Canada Post has to seek approval from the federal government. If Bill C-15 receives royal assent, the crown corporation will no longer need that approval.

This is especially important for Newfoundland and Labrador, where a majority of the province’s 94 public libraries are in rural areas, and where nearly half the province’s residents are library cardholders. In 2024, NL Public Libraries says it sent nearly 214,000 books to residents across the province.

With the final decision expected early in the new year, Brake says there isn’t much time; he says the federal legislation should be “a wake-up call” for those who care about and benefit from public libraries. “They continue to be underfunded, and there is a threat to them now.”

The Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries Board said in a statement that the removal of federal oversight could “leave the door open for Canada Post to change the [Library Book Rate] in a way that could negatively impact how we carry out our business.”

Dianne Keeping, dean of libraries at Memorial University, says she’s “extremely concerned” about the proposed changes, adding MUN libraries extensively ship materials across multiple locations in their library system.

Keeping says if Canada Post’s library book rate is increased or cancelled, “the impact on our ability to share resources efficiently and affordably will be significant, especially given the budget challenges we are already facing.”

The change wouldn’t just affect the university, she stresses, but also students, researchers and communities across the province, especially in rural and remote areas, “where access to library materials depends on affordable shipping.”

Smee says it would be “financially unsustainable” for libraries to lose the benefit of Canada Post’s Library Book Rate, explaining that losing the discounted rate, “you’re certainly into the millions of dollars.”

It’s not just books that libraries offer, says Brake. They provide audiobooks, DVDs and a variety of other materials that many communities would otherwise not have free access to.

Provincial libraries already underfunded, says advocate

Brake says public libraries in the province are “catastrophically underfunded.” In 2016, the public libraries board announced it would close 54 library branches due to budget cuts but public outcry forced the provincial government to suspend the decision. A 2017 report found that Newfoundland and Labrador libraries are funded 42 per cent below the national average.

Libraries level the playing field between those in smaller communities and those in larger cities by providing access to educational resources, technology and a safe space to learn and connect, says Smee.

“I would hope that we would be hearing something from MPs soon to just clarify what’s going to happen here, and then to at least indicate that they heard the concerns of the library community.”

Source: The Independent

The provincial government says it is aware of proposed changes to Bill C-15, the Canada Post Corporation Act and has been assured that the current reduced postage rate for library materials will be maintained.

Changes to the bill will allow the corporation to set it’s own rates without seeking the approval of the federal government.

That was a great concern for the province’s 94 public libraries that regularly send books and other materials through the mail.

Regional Librarian for St. John’s Public Libraries, Emma Craig says libraries make regular use of the postal service to share materials not just between libraries in the province, but with libraries in other provinces as well.

“If an item is not available with us here at NLPL, but another library in Canada has it, we will be able to work with them in order to get items that might be a little harder for patrons to get” says Craig.

“About a quarter of our library circulation just from last year were done through this system-wide hold system.”

The Department of Education says it has received confirmation from the federal government that Canada Post will maintain free materials through the Library Book Rate.

Source: VOCM

Libraries across Canada are ringing alarm bells about pending changes to the Canada Post act, which they say will threaten their ability to ship books at low rates.

The changes are contained in Bill C-15, the federal government’s budget implementation act. Provisions in the massive 634-page bill are set to remove specific clauses in the Canada Post act that allow the corporation to set special rates for libraries.

Those special rates provide massive discounts for libraries for shipments of written, visual and audio material up to five kilograms in weight.

While spokespeople for Canada Post and Public Services and Procurement Canada both told CTV News the program will continue, critics say the changes remove legislative oversight and will allow Canada Post to more easily set rates as they wish.

“The devil’s always in the details, right?” said Mary Chevreau, Executive Director of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council “We want this at a legislative level. We want this approval to stay at that level in terms of rate changes.”

Chevreau’s organization administers the online tool that allows libraries to access Canada Post’s preferred rates. She said the program is used 30,000 times per month and that it’s the backbone of inter-library loaning provisions.

“Millions, millions of Canadians literally across the country rely on that library book rate in order to receive materials and the entire public library system,” she said.

“The question really is how affordable it will become, and can libraries really participate going forward,” she added. “Not only is it interlibrary loans between systems, it’s within their own systems that they use.”

According to an example calculation published on the program website, the Library Shipping Tool allows a three-pound book to be mailed within Toronto for less than $2. Without the program, it would cost nearly $26.

The Ontario Library Association launched a letter-writing campaign Wednesday to attempt to pressure MPs on the issue. It wrote in its campaign website that “Canada Post could raise rates dramatically, making interlibrary loans financially impossible for many libraries.”

Canada Post spokesperson Lisa Liu wrote in a statement that the corporation “is not contemplating any changes to the service at this time.”

“We are proud of our longstanding commitment to provide reduced rates in our library materials services,” she wrote.

A spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada wrote in a statement that the changes in Bill C-15 were designed to reduce “administrative burden,” and wrote that Ottawa “will maintain” the reduced rate program.

The legislation enshrining the ability of Canada Post to offer the library rate was enacted in 2013, however Chevreau says some form of library discount has been in effect in Canada since the 1930s.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial library system is particularly reliant on the program for its inter-library loans. The system has 94 branches across the province. Between July 2023 and June 2024, more than 200,000 loans were facilitated through the library board’s inter-library loan program.

St. John’s resident David Brake said he hopes the federal government changes course. He is also encouraging other Newfoundland and Labrador residents to contact their MP to push for a reconsideration.

“I absolutely take the point that it might be for now that Canada Post says we have the freedom to continue to provide discount books to the library, and we intend to do that. But unless their hands are tied by the legislation as it is now, there’s always going to be that temptation to save a few bucks.”

Source: CTV News 

Amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act in Bill C-15 (the Budget Implementation Bill)

This Friday, the Canadian Parliament will hear the second reading of Bill C-15, which includes a proposal to amend the Canada Post Corporations Act and repeal Canada Post’s Library Book Rate and the Free Materials for the Blind clause. This loss would have catastrophic impacts on library services in our region, and across Canada.

The Free Materials for the Blind service is currently protected, and allows eligible individuals to receive accessible materials by mail at no cost, while the Library Book Rate allows for reduced postage for library materials.

The proposed repeal of Section 19 (1)(g)(i) was included in Bill C-15 without the government mentioning their intent to do so in the budget delivered by the Federal Minister of Finance on November 4, 2025; nor was there consultation with libraries or organizations that provide library services for Canadians with print disabilities.

Without the Library Book Rate, library systems will not be able to share material between libraries, and patrons in rural areas will be limited to whatever materials are housed in libraries within driving distance. Many of our Atlantic Canadian Library systems use Canada Post to ship materials across their provinces, a service that greatly benefits rural and urban populations. In addition, organizations who support people with print disabilities across Canada, like CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Services) and NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service), will not be able to continue mailing accessible formats like braille and audiobooks to library patrons. This will have a negative impact on library systems across our region, and on literacy Canada-wide. We are encouraging people to write their MPs about this and let them know how important your local library service is to your community.

As Parliament continues its study of Bill C-15 at Second Reading, it is incumbent upon organizations impacted by this change to raise their objections to the Minister responsible for Canada Post, the Hon. Joël Lightbound, and to seek an opportunity to appear before the House and Senate Committees that will be charged with reviewing the legislation.

If opposition to the repeal is not voiced, Parliament will assume that there are no concerns with the proposed changes.
Time is of the essence, as the House of Commons is seeking to complete its Second Reading debate of Bill C-15 and refer the legislation to Committee before the House rises for the winter break on Friday, December 12, 2025.

The Senate has begun a pre-study of the legislation and the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications has been charged with reviewing sections of Bill C-15 impacting the Canada Post Corporations Act. To date, it is has not heard from any witnesses affected by the proposed repeal of Section 19 (1) (g)(i).

We would expect the government to seek to have Bill C-15 pass all stages of review in the House of Commons and the Senate by early February 2026.

This leaves little time for Parliament to consider amendments to the legislation, including the reversal of the proposed repeal of Section 19 (1) (g)(i) of the Canada Post Corporations Act from Bill C-15.

A coalition of organizations, including APLA, has prepared a letter to federal elected officials urging them to remove this clause from Bill C-15.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

APLA regrets to report the death of Richard Ellis, Librarian Emeritus, Memorial University.

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It is with sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Richard Harold (“Dick”) Ellis on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. Much loved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and grandpa.

Born July 11, 1942, in Salem, Oregon, the eldest son of J. Harold and Marion (Driggs) Ellis. Predeceased by his parents.

Leaving to mourn the absence of his expositions on a variety of topics, his loving wife and partner for 51 years, June; his son, Sean (Alicia); daughter, Anneliese (Jenn Ghaney); granddaughter, Ryen Beckett (Travis); grandsons: Seamus and Arlo Reardon and his sister, Margaret Ivey (Frank), as well as a large circle of family, friends, and colleagues.

From UCSF, Seattle University, to Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1971, Dick brought his engaging and curious personality to the province, where he worked in Memorial University’s libraries for 37 years. For his 25 years as University Librarian, his approach to librarianship, his interest in change, and his commitment to open dialogue placed Memorial on the map as one of the more progressive library management systems in Canada. He viewed the QEII as a pillar of the community and snowshoed through blizzards to open it on more than one occasion.

Throughout his career, he received awards from a variety of library associations (CLA, APLA, CARL) but was most pleased to receive the Librarian Emeritus distinction in 2009 from Memorial University. This was a reminder of his love for the province, its history, its adventure, its invaluable educational institutions and the colleagues within. On campus, he was known for his humour, calm approach and interest in all elements of the university.

At home, he was found reading, tinkering with the ’72 Triumph, and later the ’85 VW Westfalia, in which he and June shared many camping adventures around Newfoundland. He enjoyed a good family game, the general contentment of others, and oration over a nice glass of wine. Never one to forget a fact or detail, his retelling of stories often became as long and wonderous as the events themselves.

The family would like to thank the St. Clare’s Hospital, the Dr. L.A. Miller Centre, and the teams who helped him live many comfortable days looking out at June’s garden. He would also have liked to thank Angel, Comfort Home Care, and Drs. Lee and Johnston for their exceptional care and compassion over the course of their time together.

Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held at Barrett’s Funeral Home, 328 Hamilton Avenue on Sunday, December 7th from 2pm-4pm and 7pm-9 pm. A private family service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, Dick would love for you to purchase a new book for yourself or your children to enjoy. Donations in Dick’s memory may also be made to Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries.

Barrett’s Funeral Home