APLA Open Letter Regarding Closure of 5 Branches of Annapolis Valley Regional Libraries

June 10, 2026

The Honourable Tim Houston
Office of the Premier
7th Floor, One Government Place
1700 Granville Street
Halifax, NS B3J 1X5
premier@novascotia.ca

June 10, 2026

Open Letter Regarding Closure of 5 Branches of Annapolis Valley Regional Libraries

Dear Premier Houston,

The news of the closures of five branch libraries in the Annapolis Valley Regional Library system was met with distress and disbelief by the members of our association. APLA represents approximately 400 library workers and library supporters across the Atlantic region. I am writing on their behalf to ask that you reconsider the proposed cuts to Nova Scotia Libraries, which are not only foundational to communities, but also critical to our regional economy.

The importance of libraries in our province cannot be overstated. They are essential to lifelong learning and skills development for Nova Scotians of all ages. The loss of community libraries, especially those with youth-focused education initiatives, will reduce access to creative learning opportunities across the province. Beyond the immediate impact on these particular branches and their immediate communities, these cuts threaten long-term negative impacts on cultural life, social cohesion, and the broader economy of Nova Scotia.

The consequences of these cuts will be felt immediately. All libraries – public, academic, and special –are essential to the province and its well-being. While the Minister of Community, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage stated that “library funding was not cut,” the elimination of emergency bridge funding effectively reduces operational capacity, particularly for rural and regional libraries already coping with rising material costs. For many communities, even modest funding losses translate into reduced hours, fewer programs, delayed acquisitions, and staffing shortages. Libraries operate in partnership; when cultural programming shrinks, libraries are left to absorb increased demand with fewer resources. The closing of the 5 branches in the AVRL system is a direct result of underfunding our library systems.

While we acknowledge the fiscal pressures facing the province, it is difficult to accept that reductions to libraries will benefit Nova Scotians in any way. We would like to emphasize that Libraries can also be considered a cornerstone of a well-functioning democracy as illustrated by the following example from one of our members:

During an international advocacy tour through several post-Soviet states, a group of about 80 international library professionals witnessed communities celebrating libraries as fundamental pillars of freedom. Local and national politicians frequently met with the group to extol the virtues of open information.

In one capital city, the Minister of Culture spoke proudly outside a major national library facility then under construction. At the time, it stood in stark contrast to the severe funding rollbacks occurring within the participant’s home country’s national institutions. Even the smallest rural communities ensured they maintained a local branch, sometimes sharing a single room with a civic office or local storefront.

This warm reception was rooted in the collective memory of decades under authoritarian rule, a time when access to information was strictly restricted and privileged. To these populations, modern libraries directly represented democracy. A functioning democracy requires equal access to information, serving as a societal equalizer for those lacking computers or internet access. In contrast, during a subsequent visit to a Southeast Asian nation recovering from historic, violent totalitarian rule, the systemic execution of library workers had completely decimated the local information infrastructure, leaving remaining historical collections restricted to select officials.— (Anonymous, personal communication, June 3, 2026)

The concerns we raise here are widely shared across the services we support and the communities we serve. We respectfully urge you to reconsider and properly fund libraries, recognizing the profound and lasting impact they have on individuals, organizations, and the broader economy of Nova Scotia. We thank you for your attention to this matter and remain ready to engage in constructive dialogue toward a resolution.

Sincerely and on behalf of the APLA membership,

Terri Winchcombe
APLA President, 2025/26