NewsLanc received the following ‘heads up’ from a reader: “Canadians think that libraries are important for many reasons, as discussed in this news release. So they fund them and build new ones.”
The Nova Scotia News Release describes how 55 million Canadian dollars are being provided by the federal, state and local governments to construct a 109,000-square-foot facility. It will include “a larger book collection, additional meeting and study rooms, a 250-seat auditorium, and technology areas for computers.” (Canadian and US dollars have fluctuated around par over the past few years.)
The Greater Halifax areas have a population in 2006 of 372,679. The estimated population of Lancaster County in 2008 was 502,370, so Greater Lancaster is approximately the same size as Greater Halifax.
The Lancaster Public Library was deprived at the last minute of a promised $3 million dollars in State money to renovate and expand its facility to a third of the size of the proposed new Halifax library. (The state funds likely went to cover cost overruns at the Convention Center.)
What does it tell us about a difference in values and priorities between the respective governments and civic leaders?
Traditional public libraries are a thing of the past. These resources could easily and more affordably be accessed at our schools and universities – all of whom have libraries and computers that can or could be made available to the public
Traditional public libraries are currently being utilized more heavily than ever before. For proof, just stop in the main public library on Duke St. in Lancaster on any day of the week.