A large donation by author Rachel Reid to the Annapolis Valley Regional Library (AVRL) has granted a reprieve for five of its branches that were slated for closure next month
Reid, author of the popular Game Changersbook series — also known by fans as the Heated Rivalryseries — donated $300,000 after she heard the branches were set to permanently close
“I just really believe that libraries are so important, especially to small communities,” Reid told Global News in an interview. “They’re an essential service and I don’t think closing a library branch is a small change to a community, I think it is actually catastrophic. So if there was a way I could stop it from happening, I wanted to do it.”
Reid said she reached out to AVRL to find out how much money they’d need to stay open until at least the end of the 2026-27 fiscal year
Once she found out how much was needed, she donated the amount to keep them going though acknowledged more work needs to be done
“We’re profoundly grateful to Rachel for her belief in and commitment to libraries and to helping us in this vulnerable time,” said Julia Merritt, CEO of the Annapolis Valley Regional Library
AVRL announced June 1 that it would be closing its Kentville, Lawrencetown, Hantsport, Middleton and Port Williams branches due to a lack of sustainable funding
The branches were set to close last month but days before that July 20 date, the board of AVRL approved using half of its remaining reserve funds to extend the service of those locations until Sept. 30
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It said it had $160,000 in its reserve funds
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In an interview, Merritt told Global News that the donation will allow the library to keep open all 11 branches through the “entirety” of 2026-27, which would take them up until about March 2027
However, she noted that since the library branches’ time was extended, they have had to cut some hours to operate five instead of six days a week and summer programs weren’t able to proceed
“But aside from that, it has been pretty steady and the public has been very supportive of the staff and very kind to the library in general,” Merritt said
Susan Leblanc, NDP critic for communities, culture, tourism and heritage, said in an interview she was “very excited” about the donation for the libraries
“I think it’s an amazingly generous donation from somebody who has been really public about how much libraries have meant to them and influencing the fact that they’ve become a writer and such a successful writer,” Leblanc said
While her donation can help keep the branches running for the time being, she said she’s hoping it will spark more conversation to prevent a potential closure from happening in the future
“The long-term [goal] is to make sure that this conversation doesn’t have to be had again, that the budget moving forward will include funding that will keep all library branches open because I do think that they are essential,” she said.
“They’re something the government needs to keep going, it’s not something that can just be cut.”
As the AVRL faced financial issues, a letter from the Council of Regional Librarians to Dave Ritcey, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, said that libraries in the province are facing a funding gap of almost $12.8 million
Merritt says AVRL has been open about its struggles, cutting staffing by 25 per cent and programming by 50 per cent since 2015
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting in July, Ritcey said the province has no more money to give beyond the $16.4 million in the provincial budget
The department said in a statement to Global News that Reid’s donation was “especially generous.”
“Library boards fundraise a portion of their budget under our shared funding formula, and gifts like this support that work,” the email reads
It goes on to say that the $16.4 million is funding that’s been “protected despite the province’s difficult financial situation.” An additional $500,000 in supplementary operating funds have also been provided to support libraries. It also noted that AVRL asked municipalities it serves for additional support and some have agreed
“Together, this funding will give us the time we need to work with AVRL and our municipal partners on a sustainable operating model that reflects the province’s financial realities,” the statement says
Leblanc criticized the government for this stance
“The libraries are in crisis and any donation is going to be well used and well received,” she said. “But it is not a replacement for the proper funding from the government.”
She urged the government to examine the funding formula for libraries to ensure the government paid its “fair share.”
