Media Release: NSGEU supports a strong library system and staff at schools in the AVRSB

June 26, 2014

Valley – The NSGEU supports a strong library system and staff at schools in the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board and urges to the Board to reconsider its continued cuts to library staff and services.

“Libraries and the professional staff who maintain them are an important part of the education system and an essential part of children learning to love reading,” says Joan Jessome, President of the NSGEU. “The Board must stop balancing their budgets on the backs of library staff and services.”

The Board is reducing library hours by 4.5 hours a day across the region. This amounts to approximately 855 hours per school year less of library services for the schools in the region. Some schools will go from two library days per week to just one. Some schools that have one day of library per week, may lose their library services entirely.

Library technicians help instill the love of reading to students. Part of their mandate is to connect students with resources that support the student’s personal interests, whether in books, or on-line.  They support and encourage the student’s personal literacy development outside of the classroom. They also organize events that get students excited about reading for the fun of it. Losing library technicians and libraries in schools hurts the overall quality of education our children receive and our goal for a high literacy rate.

“Every position lost is a loss to the economy of the community,” says Jessome. “As the hours of these positions are whittled away, the Board is in effect starving people out of a position, making it impossible for these professional and enthusiastic staff to stay in the community and raise their families.” “Losing these good jobs, affects not only the staff member but their families and the communities in which they live and the stores they shop at.”

There are 376 members in Local 73. They provide support services for the AVRSB as: Educational Assistants, Library Technicians, Library Support Workers, Student Supervisor, Teachers’ Resource Centre Technician and Student Support Workers

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The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 30,000 women and men who provide quality public services Nova Scotians count on every day.