Dear Editor,
The recent news about library closures in the Valley should cause great concern locally. Library systems all across Nova Scotia are seriously underfunded and have been for years. Although Houston’s government claims that library funding wasn’t cut in the recent budget, the temporary funding they were receiving was indeed eliminated, and even with that there was barely enough to cover operation costs. Without this added support it has finally reached the breaking point.
In the past year or so, Eastern Counties Regional Library (ECRL) has notified patrons that they are unable to purchase suggested books anymore because funding is so tight. More recently we’ve been informed that the books by mail service and the transfer of book requests between libraries will become much slower because of reduced staffing across all the library systems.
Since the SamePage system came online a few years ago, library systems across the province have done a beautiful cooperation that has made library services in rural areas much more accessible. For those who don’t use it (though if you don’t, you should sign up!); how it works is that as a patron of ECRL I go on SamePage, search a book I am interested in, and all the books across all the rural systems (I think only Halifax is not on there) are shown that are available. I click on the book and am sent the closest available copy (either by mail or to the local library of my choice). This is done whichever library system the book is in. If not in the regular libraries, I can request through interlibrary loan and ECRL will search university libraries and sometimes even public libraries in other provinces. If they think it is worthwhile or I request it they will order the book for the ECRL system and so get new books in based on actual patron interest.
This new system is phenomenal and is also very economical as one book can be shared across systems. It does depend on three things though – 1)The federal/Canada Post books by mail program which is extremely inexpensive (another reason to preserve a public postal system), 2) local library funding, and 3) the funding of each of the other rural library systems in Nova Scotia (so the closures in Annapolis, and the funding of each of the main systems does effect us directly).
This cooperation between the libraries is an amazing example of creative and economical action that has made the system highly accessible and, frankly, just wonderful. But they are all being slowly strangled to death. Libraries are one of the third spaces that are an economic equalizer; we should consider that it was not many generations ago when libraries were the exclusive privilege of the rich. Another important consideration is that ECRL runs some of the school libraries (Dalbrae, and SAERC, that I know of). There is a Save Nova Scotia libraries campaign that has been started; I hope this urgent issue will receive appropriate coverage.
The closure of libraries in Annapolis is like the canary in the coal mine. It is important for all those who love and support our public libraries to make your views known to the Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, PO Box 456, STN Central, Halifax, NS, B3J 2R5, [email protected], and be sure to copy your letter to the premier and your local MLA ([email protected] / [email protected]).
Sincerely,
Roberta MacEwan
Judique Intervale