Annual Report 2021-22

Expanding Reach

Pass by any Library branch and you'll see activity bustling beyond its walls. Whether it's a teen typing up homework while lounging in a hammock in Keshen Goodman's Outdoor Library, a family video calling in the park across the street from Halifax North Memorial Public Library, or a boat as it passes by Sheet Harbour Public Library to gather weather information, we're sending signals and you're picking them up.

Over the past three years, in response to pandemic-related branch closures, Halifax Public Libraries' dedicated IT Team has been boosting our WiFi signal beyond the borders of our libraries and even surrounding our Book Kiosks in community centres. By strengthening our existing signals, and blasting additional signals off rooftops, we've seen record-breaking statistical results, and more importantly, immediate, meaningful improvements in digital access for our neighbours.

Finding Answers

Sharon McInnis has worked for Halifax Public Libraries for 17 years. While she can recite Dewey Decimal section numbers off the top of her head, and loves routing books through the Automated Materials Handling Machine, her home domain is in the historical holdings file section at Central Library.

If you're seeking answers to a local history mystery, Sharon is likely to be the speedy sleuth solving it for you.

"Even finding one simple obituary means a lot to many a family. And we can get feedback from customers around the world—because these people have some connections and roots with Nova Scotia."

Evolving Spaces

We celebrated two major milestones this past year. We opened a whole new Library Office in the Preston Township, and our Dartmouth North Public Library underwent a major interior renovation. With a new team dedicated to outreach and collaboration in Preston Township; and the additions of a meeting room, gaming nook, study pod, and play areas to our Dartmouth North branch, we've witnessed the true meaning of spaces shaped by community.