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| Home > Library Information > History of Western Counties Regional Library |
A brief history of Western Counties Regional LibraryThe first library in the region was the Yarmouth Book Society established in 1822. Books were available to members through a private subscription. Books were rare and very expensive and belonged to people with money and influence. This began to change in 1872, when Mr. L. E. Baker placed a large collection of 2,500 books and curiosities in an upper floor of his building on Central Street, calling it the Free Library for the use of the people of Yarmouth. It was opened on February 6, 1872 and was open to the public once a week. There was no record of books circulating to the rural districts; however, just before the First World War in 1914, a report noted that 25 boxes of books were available for distribution to the outlying regions of Yarmouth County. In November 1914, the library agreed to send a box of books to Mavillette, Digby County. It was decided then that “any responsible person desiring books for distribution may, by making application to the Public Library, have boxes sent periodically by assuming responsibility for the safety of such books and by paying cartage both ways. Selection to be left to the Library authorities.” This was the first instance of a regional library in the western counties. Travelling libraries In 1915, travelling libraries came into being, consisting of 11 boxes of books being sent to five districts, all within Yarmouth County. The first mention of a regional library was May 1944 when the idea was turned down by the Free Library trustees at a meeting at the Grand Hotel. In September, Dr. Henry Munro, chairman of Nova Scotia Regional Libraries Commission, sent a letter asking the Yarmouth district to consider creating a regional library. The Yarmouth library trustees responded positively saying they would be pleased to create a space for a regional library in any new building. At the time the library was housed in one room in Ross Pitman’s store on John Street in Yarmouth. At the end of the summer of 1944, the trustees voted to move forward with establishing a regional library for all of Yarmouth County, but there were no immediate changes for the next 17 years. In the spring of 1961, after years of providing library services to the outlying areas through boxes of books and book deposits, the Yarmouth Public Library trustees and Rotary Club met to discuss the feasibility of a regional library. That summer, the Killam sisters, Constance Killam and Elizabeth Rodgers offered to donate the funds for a new library building in memory of their late brother Izaak Walton Killam. This native of Yarmouth had risen to prominence in Canadian and International business, industry and finance during his lifetime. In September the trustees approved in principle the establishment of a regional library to serve the towns and municipalities of the counties of Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth. A motion was made to outline details to educate the people of Yarmouth about a regional library. Costs of a regional library In November, the Provincial Director of Libraries met with the trustees to discuss questions about regional libraries and it was estimated the initial costs would be $1 per capita with 50 cents coming from government and 50 cents from the municipalities. The identity of the library property and other assets would be maintained by the Yarmouth Public Library. The regional library would maintain the expenses of stocking books, distributing them to other branches, mailing books to borrowers and paying staff salaries. The final plans for the building were drawn in 1962 by J. Phillip Dumaresq & Associates of Halifax and called for a one storey, brick veneer building with full length windows on portions of the east and south sides. The main floor of the library was to be 109 feet wide by 50 feet deep and contain the main book stacks and reception area. Attached to the south end of this, out in front, was an area thirty three feet by twenty feet to contain a small kitchen and meeting room. To the rear of the large main section was an area forty five feet by twenty five feet for the administration offices and a staff lounge. The basement areas were the same size with the large area being used for storage, arts and crafts and story telling. The new building was opened in June, 1963 and the keynote speaker was Premier Robert L. Stanfield. In October 1964 the trustees continued to move forward with plans for a regional library, but it took until 1968 for the Yarmouth town council to accept the regional library in principle and be willing to accept its share of the cost, estimated at $7,200. In 1969 the regional library system became a reality when the towns of Digby, Lockeport, Shelburne and Yarmouth formed the regional library in June. Board is born A separate board was established to govern the new regional library. The board was composed of a representative of each municipal unit participating in the regional library and representatives from each of the existing libraries in Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth that preceded the formation of the regional library. The board consists of 16 members in 2007 including two provincial representatives. The Western Counties Regional Library began with five staff in 1969 and has grown to 60 full- and part-time employees. Over the years services were added such as bookmobiles (which were replaced by Library Express), visits to hospitals, seniors residences and schools and Library Express. The following are the 10 branches making up the Western Counties Regional Library with the dates that they joined the regional library and related branch information: Barrington Passage Clare Clark's Harbour Digby Lockeport Pubnico Shelburne Westport Weymouth Yarmouth |
| 405 Main Street · Yarmouth, NS · B5A 1G3 · Phone: 902-742-2486 · Fax: 902-742-6920 · Email: ansy@nsy.library.ns.ca |