Nova Scotia library shutting down branches in Kentville, Hantsport this summer

Person holding book from shelf (Pexels)

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library Board is closing five branches in Nova Scotia this summer due to a “significant funding shortfall.”

The board, which operates 11 branches in the Annapolis Valley, said it is facing a “structural funding deficit” that cannot be overcome with incremental changes.

On July 20, the branches in Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Middleton and Port Williams will close their doors. Services will be consolidated into the remaining six branches.

These closures will eliminate nine full-time-equivalent positions. The board says the affected employees have been offered transition support.

“While this decision is deeply difficult, the long-term vision is to protect the Library’s ability to serve the region by focusing resources into a smaller but financially stable library system that can continue to support literacy, learning, digital access, and community connection,” a news release from the board reads.

The board asked eight municipalities for additional contributions to the 2026-2027 budget, but despite the extra support, they say they still have to make these changes.

The board says they have seen a 40 per cent increase in circulation in the last 15 years.

“These decisions are not being made because libraries are no longer being used,” said board CEO Julia Merritt. “They are being made because the current funding model has not kept pace with rising demand, inflation, and operating costs.”

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