Iqaluit library temporarily closed
Shutdown due to ‘staffing issues’: GN
The Iqaluit Centennial Library will be closed until further notice due to staffing issues, a spokesperson from the GN’s Culture and Heritage department announced on Tuesday. (File photo)
The Iqaluit Centennial Library is closed temporarily due to staffing issues, the territory’s department of culture and heritage announced Tuesday.
The library will be closed until further notice, said spokesperson Seane d’Argencourt-Printup.
However, the library’s free WiFi is still accessible during the closure and patrons can use the WiFi network ‘ICL_Patron’ and the password ‘iclpatron’.
Patrons who need to return items can place them into the book drop located at the front of the building.
Some library programming will resume and dates will be announced later, said d’Argencourt-Printup.
Besides being source of books and Internet access, the Library has been one of the few places in Iqaluit a person with no money and no home could go to get warm, use a washroom, and relax for a few quiet hours.
As the weather turns colder I expect more people will turn to minor crime, just to get into BCC.
I thought there was a massive demand for good paying jobs in the north, how could there possibly be short staff at a library?
The public library has some staff but this appears to be the lack of planning and management from the GN. The Culture and Heritage department who manages the library did not plan (nor communicate) how to deal with this issue. Even though the department knew well in advance of the changes to the library staff.
The Public Library system in Nunavut is atrocious, and that’s not an attack on its staff. The directors in Culture and Heritage don’t give a crap about libraries. Years under Doug Stenton, who only cared about his archeology pet projects, did a lot of damage to the library system and it has never recovered because director got used to ignoring libraries.
Libraries in Nunavut are dropping like flies because C&H makes the Hamlets or Schools run them, and they get dropped like flies once interest dries up a little bit.
Would love to see Nunatsiaq do a deep dive into the library woes in this territory. The court, legislative, and college libraries have no librarians at the moment. It’s a joke.
Hello Bookwarm
Their is College Library they open Mon-Fri 9-5 and I know I miss the library too
Who is the person responsible for library services for the GN? It would be interesting to hear why in a capital city we don’t have library resources at this time. People rely on this facility for much more than checking out books. Shouldn’t the manager responsible be stepping in to facilitate services in the interim? There are no jobs listed on the GN website for libraries at the moment.
Hmmmm……..
The fact that indeterminate positions aren’t being posted and filled is almost entirely on Culture and Heritage HR.
The manager of Libraries is based in Baker Lake.
Public libraries serve an important function for a community that can easily be forgotten. They can be an escape from the cold, but also an escape from other things like an unhealthy home. At best a library offers an intellectual and creative space for the mind that is truly invaluable.
In Rankin Inlet we have a nice little library, but it appears to have children’s books only, along with spaces for kids to hang out and do crafts, etc… This is good stuff and I do not wish to criticize it. But it would be nice to see a space for adults as well.
If someone wants to apply for a job at the library how do they do that if it’s closed? Will there be an update on how to apply?
As a former Iqaluit resident and library sciences student, it’s horrible to see this. Libraries are a necessary community resource, especially in a ‘city’. The educational gap between Nunavut and the rest of Canada is inexcusable and it starts with literacy. Nunavut needs to invest in education. It makes me want to start a foundation instead of waiting for government and city councillors to maybe take notice.