Libraries 150
May 19, 2017
In honour of the 150th Anniversary of Confederation, the Nova Scotia Library Association and Nova Scotia’s nine regional library systems present Libraries 150, a province-wide library project to promote reader engagement in the celebration of Nova Scotia’s writers and citizens, ideas and attitudes, culture and environment, stories and treasures.
The cornerstone of Libraries 150 is the 150 Books of Influence, a compilation of 150 books that Nova Scotians feel have somehow influenced or defined them. The titles on the list will be those books that have captured Nova Scotians’ hearts and minds; books that tell Nova Scotia’s stories and inspire its citizens.
Canada’s 150th Anniversary is a perfect opportunity to examine and consider those books which reflect our current state as a people and province, as well as books that mark our progress over the decades since Confederation. This project will memorialize the literary works of Nova Scotia, and leave a cultural legacy for future generations of readers that will be forever accessible to the public. The primary criteria for the books will be that the author be Nova Scotian and/or the book be about Nova Scotia.
One reply on “Libraries 150”
When I first came to Nova Scotia from the U.S. in 1968, one of the first books I read, to get a fix on my new home, was Thomas Raddall’s history, HALIFAX, WARDEN OF THE NORTH. Years later, when I was reviewing books for CBC Radio, I began reading Raddall’s fiction. I was particularly struck by THE GOVERNOR’S LADY, his take on the infamous Lady Wentworth, a woman every bit as independent and opportunistic as Becky Sharp and Scarlett O’Hara. I also admired his novel, THE NYMPH AND THE LAMP, which is based to a certain extent on Raddall’s experiences as a wireless telegrapher on Sable Island. Apart from one melodramatic scene, this is a highly engaging book with another memorable female protagonist. I’d recommend all of these books for inclusion on your reading list–especially since Raddall seems to be off the radar lately and deserves to be better known by a new generation of readers.