There may be a solution to Bayview Community School’s library problem, though it may be early for celebrating.
Kara Turner, president of the Bayview Home and School Association, says the school, the school board and South Shore Public Libraries are looking at creating a community library in the school.
The South Shore Regional School Board cut librarian staff in the region by half last year, which prompted outcry from several communities.
The Home and School Association has been raising funds to secure their librarian a second day a week after the cut and had volunteers in place to keep the library open a third day, though students couldn’t check books out without a librarian.
Because the Town of Mahone Bay doesn’t have its own library, Turner says a community library would work well for everyone.
“It’s a model that works, a community library in a school is a model that’s worked in the UK for a long time so it’s not new and there is one, in Middleton,” says Turner.
The Nova Scotia NDP released a statement Friday praising the school board for helping come up with a solution and for listening to the community.
The party says it’s an example of local decision making, pointing to the province’s plans to eliminate the English-speaking school boards.
They also quoted school board member Christian Maguire, who represents Mahone Bay.
“We knew this was an issue for the community and with local support we’ve been able to come up with a solution,” said Maguire, “The parents at this school and the South Shore Public Libraries came together with the board to make sure we could find a way to have library services for the students throughout the week.”
But Turner says it’s not a done deal yet.
“We don’t have an agreement in place, it’s still up for discussion but obviously we’re all really keen to work out a solution that would work for the town, for the school, and all the children at the school.”
It’s unclear who will pay and how much the project will cost.
Education Minister Zach Churchill was recently in Bridgewater.
When asked if the province would look into the cuts to the librarian staff on the South Shore, he said there are no plans to reinstate the librarian positions.
