About Nova Scotia Provincial Libraries

HISTORY

The Antigonish Movement of the 1930's was a program of adult education and economic co-operation through which many small Maritime communities were brought back to life from the verge of decay during the depression. Based on the premise that adults can learn if a beginning is made with something that vitally concerns them, the leaders began with poverty, the most vital problem in the Maritimes. The basic unit of adult education in the Antigonish Movement was the study club through which participants in small and rural communities followed a systematic program of reading and discussion. The need for reading materials soon became apparent and the Movement did much to encourage a climate of citizen interest in the development of public libraries.

In 1935 Father James J. Tompkins opened the People's Library of Reserve Mines, in an attempt to provide material to support his study clubs. At this time he came into contact with Nora Bateson, a professional librarian in charge of the P. E. I. Library Demonstration. In this meeting of dedicated professionals was the seed of development for regional public libraries.

Father Tompkins was convinced of the possibility of a tax supported library service and the potential for a regional library scheme for Cape Breton. During 1936-37, the Central Library Committee, made up of interested citizens from several centres in Cape Breton, experimented with providing materials on a regional basis and began a lobbying campaign to convince the provincial government to enact legislation authorizing the establishment of regional libraries in Nova Scotia. On April 17, 1937, the "Act to provide for support of Regional Libraries" became law and although permissive only, it was a milestone in the development of public libraries in Nova Scotia. Citizen demand combined with strong professional leadership proved to be the most important factor in this achievement.

Later in 1937 the Province of Nova Scotia commissioned Nora Bateson to survey library facilities in the province. In addition, Miss Bateson provided a plan for Public Library Service in Nova Scotia to this date. The Bateson recommendations included: appointment of a provincial public library commission, establishment of county or regional systems and more detailed provincial legislation supporting libraries. In the spring of 1938, the Nova Scotia Legislature amended the Libraries Act of the previous year to include Bateson's recommendations regarding a Commission and a Director of Libraries. Later in 1938, Bateson was appointed the first Director of Libraries.

Although extensive public relations work was done in Cape Breton during 1938-39 by Bateson and other concerned citizens regarding the need for library development, both the lack of provincial aid and poor economic conditions prevented the local councils from taking any action. In April 1939, the Libraries Act was again revised to provide for provincial aid for regional libraries. During the next six years, World War II drained the energy and resources needed to further regional public library development. Although Nora Bateson campaigned endlessly with tactics that were later to work effectively, she failed to establish any regional public libraries in Nova Scotia. In 1945, she was relieved of her position by Premier Alexander MacMillan with whom she had quarrelled. Without a doubt Nora Bateson's contribution to the development of regional libraries was very significant. Her plans, her influence on library legislation and her campaign methods provided the blueprint for library development in Nova Scotia.

It was not until January 1949 that the Annapolis Valley Regional Library was established as the first regional public library in Nova Scotia. Guy Henson, as Director of Adult Education for Nova Scotia, guided a public relations campaign all over the valley area that explained the value of regional libraries and gained significant grassroots support for the idea among the farm families of this area. This local support, along with the provincial aid and encouragement and strong professional leadership were the factors that together provided the proper conditions for the development of a regional public library system. These factors were to reappear again in different regions of Nova Scotia until most of the population of the province was served by regional public libraries. People such as Peter Grossman, Director of Libraries, and Alberta Letts, Assistant Director and subsequently Director of Libraries, contributed a great deal to this continued development of regional libraries.

In sum, the Antigonish Movement had created grassroots demand for reading material. Father Tompkins and Nora Bateson provided the leadership and direction that translated this demand into a plan for regional public libraries and gained the cooperation of the Provincial Government. Later, other library campaigns created a demand for library service among people all over the province and then translated this demand into action by local councils. The campaigning, public education and citizen commitment to the idea of regional libraries was, and is, essential tot he development of public library service in Nova Scotia.

In 1981, the last municipality in the province without regional public library service joined the regional library system. Since then, public library service is available everywhere in Nova Scotia.

REGIONAL PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Regional public libraries are established by an agreement between one or a number of municipal governments and the Minister of Education. Provision is made to allow for withdrawal from the agreement as well as for the addition of a new city, town or municipality wishing to become party to the agreement.

Financing of regional libraries is shared between the Province and the municipal councils involved in the agreement.

MUNICIPAL COUNCILS

The municipal councils involved in an agreement to set up a regional public library are financially responsible for providing and maintaining the buildings which house branch libraries. For this purpose, they may obtain a loan on the credit of their Governments.

They must also contribute to the annual operating costs of the regional library board on the basis of their uniform assessment. To raise funds for the operation of the library, the municipal councils may collect and grant sums in the same way as for other municipal services.

REGIONAL LIBRARY BOARDS

The regional library board is responsible for the management and operation of the regional public library. It consists of one representative from each of the municipal councils, two members appointed by the Provincial Cabinet and any additional members appointed by consensus. Municipal appointments are made annually for a period of one year while provincial appointments are usually for two years.

Each regional library board is a Body Corporate and has many responsibilities: it hires the Chief Librarian who, at the same time, becomes secretary to the board; it hires the other library employees; it acquires real property and provides the facilities for the library headquarters; it acquires materials for the library collection; it may borrow to defray operating expenses; and it may enter into agreements with other municipalities, associations and persons for the provision of library service. It must also appoint an auditor who is required to make an annual financial report concerning the operation of the library.

Being a Body Corporate, a library board may make rules and regulations for the conduct of its business. Therefore, each board decides whether the meetings are open to the public and to whom minutes of its meetings are distributed. As has been pointed out, funding for regional public libraries is a responsibility shared by the municipalities and the Province.

Regulations under Section 14 of the Libraries Act lay out the ground rules for Provincial grants for regional libraries. There are four types of grants:

Essentially, operating funding for regional library service is cost-shared between the Province and municipalities in the following way: A global per-capita operating budget is established annually by the Minister of Education. The municipal share of this budget is determined by multiplying a library tax rate, also established annually by the Minister, by the total uniform assessment for the region. This municipal share is then divided among the participating municipalities in proportion to their individual uniform assessments. The Provincial grant makes up the difference between the per-capita operating budget and the municipal share. For example, if the annual per-capita budget rate is set at $10.00 and the library tax rate at $.01 per $100 of uniform assessment, for a regional library board serving 50,000 people and having a uniform assessment of $1 billion the annual operating budget would be $10 x 50,000 or $500,000. The municipal share of this budget would be $.01 x $1 billion/$100 or $100,000. The Provincial grant would then be $500,000 - $100,000 or $400,000. Since the population and uniform assessment varies from region to region, so the Provincial grant will also be different from region to region.

French language grants were established to assist those regional library bards that, because of the bilingual nature of their population, must provide library service in both official languages. This grant is 5% of the regular annual operating grant and is in addition to it.

Municipal units providing branch library facilities within their jurisdictions receive a provincial grant toward the provision and upkeep of the facility. This grant is based on the population of the unit and the square footage of the branch library. The per- capita and square footage rates are set annually by the Minister of Education.

Capital grants were established to assist regional library boards and municipal councils in the provision of new branch libraries or the expansion or relocation of existing branch libraries to improve service in the region. Grants are available toward the construction, renovation or relocation of a facility for the use as a branch library; toward furnishings and equipment for the new or expanded facility; toward an initial collection of library materials for the new or expanded facility and toward the cost operating the facility for the first two years. Capital grants are also available for the purchase of automated library systems. Capital grants are generally at the same percentage of actual costs as the provincial operating grant is to the approved regional library budget for the year in which the project is approved.