CITYnews halifax : Nova Scotia government says library board must better explain reason for closures

CITYnews halifax / By Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press

HALIFAX — The Nova Scotia government says that the board responsible for libraries in the Annapolis Valley needs to better explain to the public why it has decided to close several branches.

Meanwhile, the CEO of the organization says the “deeply upsetting” decision to close five of 11 library locations was needed to stay afloat despite years of staff reductions and program cuts.

“This is the most difficult decision that a library can make,” Julia Merritt said in an interview Tuesday.

“The library board knows it has to be fiscally responsible, so it had to make this decision to stabilize the system and preserve essential library services at the branches it can afford to operate,” she added.

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library board said last week that it will close five branches because of a structural deficit. It said it made the decision after learning provincial government would not increase funding in the 2026-27 fiscal year. The organization said the eight municipalities it serves had all committed additional money, but it would not be enough to cover the lack of funding increases from the province.

The provincial government and library board met to discuss the issue Monday.

“It was a productive conversation, but there are still questions the board needs to clarify to the public on their decision to close these branches,” Rob Maguire, spokesperson for the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage said in an email Monday evening. He also said they are waiting to learn the projected savings from closing the five branches.

Maguire said the government wants to know what other options the board had, and the board has a responsibility to make sure its cost-saving measures minimize the impact on communities.

He said they’re also waiting for the library’s financial statements from the fiscal year that ended March 31. Merritt said the board’s audited financial statements are in progress, and she expects to have it ready for the province “any minute.”

Merritt said it’s hard to know how much additional funding it needs to keep the branches in operation, but the “starting deficit” for 2026-27 is $625,000 on their $2.7 million budget.

The provincial government provides $16.5 million to cover 70 per cent of all provincial libraries’ operating costs. Maguire said that funding remained in place this year.

“Libraries that offer broader programs and services are welcome to do so, but that needs to be grounded in what their budget can support,” he said.

The Annapolis Valley’s library system has reduced permanent staff by 25 per cent over the past 10 years, Merritt said, and has eliminated more than half of its program offerings, including a mobile book service and event partnerships with community groups.

Core funding to libraries has received just a 10 per cent increase since 2009, Merritt said. This funding has been stagnant since 2020 while costs have increased due to inflation.

“This issue has been going on, really, for 17 years,” Merritt said.

Over the weekend, a number of rallies were held throughout the Annapolis Valley in support of the branches set to close in Kentville, Middleton, Lawrencetown, Hantsport and Port Williams.

Merritt said the public support for the library system through massive letter-writing campaigns and demonstrations has been inspiring.

“This is who we do the work for. So to see this level of public support … is truly heart warming,” she said.

Both opposition parties have called on the provincial government to step in and help keep these library doors open.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, NDP education critic Paul Wozney said the province’s failure to financially support the libraries is a “slap in the face” to the many families and communities that rely on them. He said libraries deliver public health programming, community based activities and literacy.

“They’re one of the last free spaces in rural communities… where people can go spend a day with their family that doesn’t drain the family budget,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2026.

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press