MULGRAVE — Less than one month after its chief librarian described staffing and infrastructure strains as pressing and “ridiculous,” the Eastern Counties Regional Library (ECRL) board has voted to stay at its headquarters in Mulgrave, raise salaries for all branch assistants and partner in the launch of a new location in Cape Breton.
District 6 Councillor Susan Cashin – who represents the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) on the board – outlined the decisions to fellow councillors at their regular monthly council meeting on Oct. 15.
According to Cashin, ECRL had been weighing whether to sell its building and relocate, but “it really wouldn’t have made any sense if we would sell and then move to another building – it would take too long,” she said. Instead, the board voted to keep its existing space and hire a project management company to address ongoing facility issues.
Meanwhile, she reported, the board voted unanimously to increase all branch library assistant position salaries to $20 an hour, up about a dollar. The salary hike follows a modest injection of approximately $56,000 in funds from the provincial government, along with $10,300 from the dissolution of the Library Boards Association of Nova Scotia (LBANS).
Finally, Cashin said, ECRL’s partnership with the Municipality of the County of Inverness and the We’koma’q (Whycocomagh) Waterfront Centre will see a new public library open in the Cape Breton community this winter. The site – which will offer ECRL services, municipal programming and visitor information in a shared space – will become the first municipally owned and operated library in Inverness County.
Cashin described the model as a “one-shop” approach, with local staff expected to contribute to library operations on site. “It will be the first municipally owned and operated library in Inverness County, which will integrate ECRL services, visitor information, and municipal programming in a shared community space,” she said.
The update marked a notable shift since Sept. 17, when ECRL CEO and Chief Librarian Laura Emery painted a sobering picture of the library system’s capacity and funding woes during a previous meeting of MODG council. At that time, she said the system suffered from the lowest staffing and wage levels in the province, and warned that its operations lacked the redundancy to avoid branch closures.
“We really need to strive to bring that wage up,” Emery said then, describing library assistants as “the face of the service” and “a very big priority.”
Meanwhile, the system’s Mulgrave headquarters – owned by the board – was a growing burden. “Honestly, it would be one of the greatest reliefs of my working life if that building was not resting on my shoulders,” Emery told council. She said while ECRL had secured a $250,000 grant to help address repairs, the site remained a challenge and lacked internal expertise to manage.
Broader still, ECRL continues to operate under a population-based provincial funding model that Emery said during her presentation to MODG council disadvantages smaller communities. “Folks expect… why is my library not open 35 hours a week staffed, when the library in Antigonish is opened… 35 hours a week staffed?” she asked. “And when you get into the population aspect of this, it’s ridiculous.”
She urged MODG to advocate for a formula that better reflects rural realities. Council, at the time, made no formal commitment but noted that Cashin would keep them informed.
“We do know that municipal units have a great voice, particularly with the government, in terms of concern for rural services,” she said. “We probably do need your help to make sure this stays top of mind for the province, and we will be working hard to prevent service declines in 2026-27.”
ECRL operates10 branches in Guysborough, Inverness and Richmond counties. With a mission to “stimulate a love of reading and a life-long interest in learning” and “to be responsive to community needs and contribute to the economic and social well-being of our communities,” the system offers a range of services, including books, digital resources, free Wi-Fi, community programming and outreach support for isolated regions.
