The Chief Librarian of Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library (PARL) says he is deflated that branches will not get sustainable funding.
The province denied changing the funding formula for PARL, so services will get cut back.
Eric Stackhouse told us it means some locations may need to close one a week, which is a big issue.
“So, just an example, in Antigonish, we have a community food pantry, so we close a day a week, that means one last day that’s going to be accessible,” he said.
Along with possibly reducing their operating hours, programs and services including community pantries and children’s story times may be dropped.
He shared how they haven’t had any funding increases for six years and at the same time, inflation has gone up 21 per cent and the minimum wage has gone up 31 per cent with another three per cent increase coming up.
“During times of real financial hardship, people use libraries more, and we hope that the government understands that,” expressed Stackhouse.
The Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage says, “We value the role libraries play in communities across Nova Scotia, and we understand the pressures they’re facing. That’s why we provided a total of $1.6 million in additional funding this year to help with rising costs.”
“We’re still early in the provincial budgeting process, and the financial situation remains challenging. Libraries’ requests and concerns have been received and will be considered as government prepares next year’s budget,” they said.
The breakdown of how PARL receives their funding is on their website.
Senior staff will be available at PARL libraries to talk to patrons from Tuesday, November 25 to Thursday, November 28.
Anyone who supports the library is encouraged to reach out to their MLA or the Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, Dave Ritcey.
