Annapolis Valley municipalities defer ask for additional regional library funding

A major donation and a successful fundraiser will help keep Annapolis Valley Regional Library (AVRL) doors open until April, but after that an increased level of government funding will take on greater importance.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Reid recently donated $300,000 to the regional library, and a September fundraiser featuring Reid brought in $72,234 in support of library operations.

“With the additional fundraising that’s taken place, the AVRL will be able to operate all 10 remaining branches past March 31, 2027, but the exact date for extension of services is not yet confirmed,” Annapolis Valley Regional Library CEO Julia Merritt said in an Oct. 13 email.

Because enough money to fund operations to the end of the current fiscal year was secured from another source, municipal partners have deferred a request from the regional library for additional funding for 2026-27.

When asked how important it will be to future regional library operations for municipal partners to come through with increased funding for 2027-28, Merritt said that remains to be determined. The board will make an assessment at its November meeting in preparation for the upcoming fiscal year.

Provincial base funding for regional libraries remains frozen at 2020-2025 levels. The Annapolis Valley Regional Library has been calling on the provincial government for a new, sustainable funding formula for regional libraries for the past couple of years.

Merritt said there has been no word from the province about a new, sustainable funding formula. The Council of Regional Librarians continues to be in communication with the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage about the urgency of provincial funding for all Nova Scotia public libraries.

She said the Annapolis Valley Regional Library recently posted on its website and social media channels about the availability of contract positions for branch supervisors and library clerks. The purpose of hiring on a contract basis is uncertainty surrounding the future of sustainable funding for the library.

Merritt said there have been several retirements and resignations over the last several months, and the regional library has been relying on casual staff to keep all the branches open.

There have also been some recent changes on the Annapolis Valley Regional Library’s board of directors. Former board chairperson Janet Ness stepped down from the position in September.

In accordance with the regional library’s bylaws, vice-chairperson Chrystal Remme has taken over as chairperson on an interim basis until the next annual general meeting.

Remme represents the West Hants Regional Municipality on the board. Wolfville Mayor Jodi MacKay has taken over from Ness as the town’s board representative.

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library announced a major restructuring of library services on June 1, including the closure of the Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Middleton, and Port Williams branches on July 20.

At a special library board meeting in Wolfville on July 13, members voted to use a portion of remaining, unallocated reserve funds to keep the doors of the five branches open until Sept. 30.

The Lawrencetown village commission decided to begin operating the Dr. Frank W. Morse Memorial Library, which was an Annapolis Valley Regional Library branch, independently.

The library board also voted to go back to the eight partner municipalities to ask that they provide the full increased budget amount requested earlier this year.

The regional library asked municipal funding partners to respond by Sept. 10. In a Sept. 17 report to the library board, Merritt said correspondence from the municipalities outlining the rationale for their decisions had been received, although a response from the Town of Berwick hadn’t been received as of that date.

Of the eight municipal funding partners, the County of Kings is the greatest contributor. In his letter to the library board, Mayor Dave Corkum said the municipality has provided $82,900 in addition to its mandatory contribution of $331,600 for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

He said it’s the municipality’s understanding that the library board’s July letter restating the request for increased funding was intended to address the funding shortfall required to keep the remaining 10 branches open for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Since the request was submitted, the regional library received “a generous donation of $300,000.” Council’s understanding is that the funding shortfall identified in the July letter has been addressed through a combination of additional municipal support and the donation.

Corkum said in the letter that council is satisfied that no further additional municipal funding is required at this time to address the regional library’s immediate funding shortfall.

“As a committed partner to the libraries, and ensuring they remain open, the municipality is willing to work with AVRL on their current shortfall needs,” Corkum said.

He said that, as a municipality, they recognize the recent donation helps address the regional library’s immediate needs and does not replace the need for sustainable long-term funding for libraries.

“Long-term sustainable funding of library services cannot be achieved through municipal funding alone,” Corkum wrote. “A sustainable solution will require provincial participation and investment.”

The mayor said the County of Kings will continue to advocate to the provincial government for a modernized funding formula for libraries and encourages the regional library board to do the same.

In her report, Merritt said that of the $351,450 in municipal support originally requested, the Annapolis Valley Regional Library will receive $204,630, or 58 per cent. This represents an increase of $4,550 since June.

“The additional funds represent only several days of additional service continuity for all 10 branches at AVRL,” Merritt said.

She said that the reinstatement of the contribution from West Hants “will substantively support” the regional library for the remainder of the fiscal year, in combination with the Reid donation.

Merritt said the 2026-27 budget must be updated to reflect that information, and estimated figures for 2027-28 have yet to be confirmed.

She recommended the library board to make a decision at its Nov. 19 meeting regarding any requests it will make of municipal funding partners for the 2027-28 fiscal year.

Merritt reported that community members have also been responding with donations. As of the end of August, $41,444.70 had been received. Some donations are restricted to the use of specific branches, such as a $20,000 donation to be used exclusively by the Berwick branch.