The Pictou Antigonish Regional Library has announced that in order to cope with static provincial grant funding and the uncertainty over bridge funding, the Antigonish Library and the New Glasgow Library will close on Sundays, beginning in April.
A release from PARL states they are the only two libraries in the region open on Sunday. The release also states while Sundays are busy, they are the slowest day of the week and use of public meeting spaces is lowest.
Chief Librarian Eric Stackhouse stated closing on Sundays will impact the many users who need access to the internet and technology and those in need of a free public space for shelter, study, or social time. He added those libraries should be open 7 days a week but it isn’t possible in these fiscal conditions.
Previously, Stackhouse noted core operational funding that has not changed for 7 years, and for the last three years the province offered emergency bridge funding to libraries to cope with minimum wage increases and inflation, with PARL receiving to $134,600 extra for salaries and books. PARL requested the emergency funding be included with the core library grant but it was not.
The release stated the PARL board will be looking for help from its users in April as it begins fundraising in earnest.
