Budget boost to N.L. libraries a welcomed surprise, says director, but questions linger

Public libraries across Newfoundland and Labrador got a surprise in this year's provincial budget — an extra $500,000 added to the funding.

The province earmarked $13.5 million in April's budget announcement for the Provincial Information and Library Resources Board, a Crown corporation established under the Public Libraries Act to oversee the operation of public library services in the province.

The budget has not yet passed in the House of Assembly.

"It was very good news for us. We're very pleased to see it," said Fred Whitmarsh, director of library operations with Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries (NLPL).

However, Whitmarsh says there's some uncertainty around the money.

"We're still in the process of parsing it out because one of the things that's unknown … is this a permanent boost to the funding or is it one time money?" he said.

Some of that funding could go toward facility maintenance and improving accessibility in libraries across the province, Whitmarsh said, as well as updating servers so they run smoothly.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries put a pause on late fees. Whitmarsh said he'd like to see that become permanent.

"The big thing for us is our collections, whether it's the physical collections on the shelves and the branches or some of the digital resources as well," he said.

He said books are becoming more expensive, so libraries are being strategic in what they acquire, and he doesn't know why the government decided to increase the budget this year.

"My personal perspective is that the library is wonderful, it's great. We can do great things with the funding," he said.

According to a briefing note prepared for government officials, released via an access-to-information request in 2023, Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries saw a jump in clients using Libby, the library system that lets patrons access e-books and audiobooks, in recent years.

Whitmarsh says the increase in people using the online services hasn't gone down.

"You can't put that genie back in the bottle," he said. "We've seen a continued demand for those online services."

In an email, Department of Education spokesperson Lynn Robinson told CBC News the budget increase is in recognition of the vital work libraries carry out.

"Library staff and volunteers work diligently to support public library services and programming throughout Newfoundland and Labrador," Robinson wrote.

"Funding for the [Provincial Information and Library Resources Board] supports the operation of the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Library system and fosters improved literacy in our province."

NLPL was established in 1935 and provides public library services through a network of 94 locations across the province.

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