The Colchester-East Hants Public Library (CEHPL) Annual General Meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, June 28 at 6:30pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
Please RSVP to admin@cehpubliclibrary.ca.
Category: Uncategorized
Adult Summer Reading Challenge 2022
June 18, 2022
Why should kids have all the fun? Join us for the Adult Summer Reading Challenge!
About the Adult Summer Reading Challenge
The Adult Summer Reading Challenge is a summer program encouraging adults to revisit the nostalgia of the summer reading clubs of their childhoods. The more books you read, the more chances you have to win great prizes! The program runs from June 18th to August 20th.
How to Participate
- Starting on June 18th, you can pick up your Bingo Card at any CEHPL location. Choose from the Read Easy or the Read Strong cards (feeling ambitious? Take both!)
- Complete four circles in a row. Once you have completed a line on your Bingo Card, you can bring your card back to a CEHPL branch to have your name entered into our Grand Prize draw.
- The more cards you fill, the more chances you have to win the Grand Prize!
Questions? Call your local branch today for more information.
Summer Reading Club: In a Land Far Away
June 16, 2022
TD Summer Reading Club – For kids ages 3-12
Our annual Summer Reading Club is designed to encourage children to keep reading and learning all summer long, so that they don’t lose the skills they learned during the school year. This year’s program runs from June 18 – August 20, and our theme is “In a Land Far Away.”
To get started, simply visit your local library or satellite location. Children will receive a registration kit with a reading log, bookmark, and more!
Kids, here’s how it works:
READ! Read anything you like and do it often!
Mark off a shape for every 20 minutes you read. For every 400 minutes you read (up to 1200 minutes), get a prize and a ballot for our grand prize draw!
GET ACTIVE AND PLAY! Complete activities on your own or with family and friends. You get a grand prize ballot and a game kit when you complete 5, then 10, activities!
CHECK IN WITH YOUR LIBRARY! Stop by to tell us what you’re reading, collect your prizes and ballots, and get more reading recommendations!
Be sure to check out the fun programs at your Library this summer!
GRAND PRIZE
“Over-Knight Family Adventure Bundle” with passes for a stay at Super 8 Truro, Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre, Cineplex, the RECC, and more!
RUNNER UP PRIZES
· 1 of 2 Razor A scooters
· $100 LEGO gift card
Tatamagouche Library: New Hours
June 14, 2022
Starting the week of June 27, Tatamagouche Library will have new open hours:
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 12:00pm-8:00pm |
| Wednesday | 10:00am-2:00pm |
| Thursday | 12:00pm-8:00pm |
| Friday | 10:00am-2:00pm |
| Saturday | 10:00am-1:00pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
See all Colchester-East Hants Public Library locations and open hours.
Accessibility Plan Accepted by Library Boards
May 19, 2022
May 19, 2022: For Immediate Release
Truro, Nova Scotia: Today marks the 11th Global Accessibility Awareness Day, which aims to recognize the importance of digital access and inclusion for persons with disabilities. On this day, the Interregional Advisory Committee for Library Accessibility (IACLA) is proud to release the multi-year IACLA Accessibility Plan for six regional libraries, including Colchester-East Hants Public Library.
With the passing of the Accessibility Act in 2017, the Province of Nova Scotia recognized accessibility as a human right and set the goal of an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030. IACLA’s Accessibility Plan marks a new chapter for a more accessible and inclusive experience for library employees and members.
Across Nova Scotia, almost 1 in 3 people identify as having a disability, with this number projected to increase as the population ages. The IACLA Accessibility Plan reflects the Library’s desire to be responsive to the needs of people with various abilities. Through this work, we aspire for all Nova Scotians to have full and equitable access to spaces, services, resources, programs, and employment/volunteer opportunities offered by public libraries.
The plan focuses on collections, employment, information and communication, programs and services, and built environments. The plan also includes implementation actions, timelines, and guidelines for monitoring and evaluation.
The plan was created by IACLA – a committee comprised of the CEO of each region, plus a community member from each region. “This plan marks a big step towards a more inclusive and accessible Library,” says Tiffany Bartlett, CEO for the Colchester-East Hants Public Library. “This is about ensuring the dignity and independence of individuals of all abilities and removing barriers to participation. We are committed to continuing to work together with our committee, community members, and stakeholders in order to integrate accessibility into our everyday activities.”
View the full plan.
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For an interview or to discuss this release, please contact:
Tiffany Bartlett, Chief Executive Officer
tbartlett@cehpubliclibrary.ca
902-896-4196
Victoria Day Holiday
May 18, 2022
Closed for Victoria Day Holiday
The Library is closed on statutory and civic holidays.
- On Monday, May 23, all branches and departments of Colchester-East Hants Public Library will be closed for the Victoria Day holiday.
Libraries Get on the Same Page to Provide Better Borrowing
April 11, 2022
April 11, 2022: For Immediate Release
Beginning April 21, many Nova Scotians will notice a big difference in how they access their public library.
A consortium of eight of the nine regional libraries has created a new online service called “Same Page”. Same Page will provide access to almost a million items, including eBooks, magazines, audiobooks, learning materials, and much more. Library users will be able to manage their accounts better, request materials, keep track of their reading, and find suggestions on what to read next.
“This was in direct response to public demand for a new library experience with as few barriers as possible,” explains Eric Stackhouse, Chair of the Same Page consortium. “Our vision is for all Nova Scotians to have equal opportunity to connect to library resources through a universal library card.” The eight regional libraries represent library users outside of Halifax Regional Municipality, over fifty percent of the population. This approach is in keeping with the overall tradition of Nova Scotia Public Library service, to offer the best and most cost-effective service through cooperation and efficiency. Same Page was made possible through funding from the Province of Nova Scotia’s Culture Innovation Fund.
Work started in 2019 to simplify borrowing rules, eliminate overdue fees, combine collections, and develop a library card that can be used anywhere in the eight library regions. Working in close cooperation with the Nova Scotia Provincial Library, our government partner in library service, the Same Page project was kept on track and on budget despite pandemic-related delays.
To begin using Same Page on April 21, simply go to your local public library website or www.samepagens.ca and choose the regional library where you live. Your current library card will continue to work, but over time, people will be provided with a new Same Page branded card that will allow access any of the eight regional library systems. There is no cost for a library card, and as always, your public library is free to use.
For an interview, or to discuss this release, please contact:
| Eric Stackhouse Chair, Same Page Library Consortium Chief Librarian, Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library estackhouse@parl.ns.ca | Tiffany Bartlett Chief Executive Officer, Colchester-East Hants Public Library tbartlett@cehpubliclibrary.ca |
Rapid Test Kits Are Back at the Library
March 2, 2022
Updated March 2, 9:40am:
Free COVID rapid antigen tests are available to pick up at the Library once more!
What you need to know
We want you to have a safe and positive experience when picking up your rapid test kit.
- Available during open hours. You can pick up a test kit anytime during open hours. Find a location near you. If you’re travelling to a branch, please call ahead of time to ensure that kits are in-stock.
- Wear a mask when picking up your kit.
- One kit (or bundle) per person, please.
- Tests should not be taken inside the Library.
Are you feeling sick? If yes, please stay home and complete Nova Scotia Health’s self-assessment tool or call 811. And when you’re at your Library, please remember to remain physically distanced from staff and other community members.
Limited but regular supplies
A new supply will arrive regularly, and each branch’s stock will fluctuate. Library staff cannot take appointments or reserve kits for you. Please call your branch ahead of time to ensure that kits are available.
Pop-Up, Pick Up
With test kits back in our branches, our drive-thru pick-up service has been suspended at this time. Thank you for all of your support!
Community Volunteer Income Tax Program Returns
February 28, 2022
Do you need help with preparing your income tax return? The Community Volunteer Income Tax Program provides eligible community members with the opportunity to have their tax returns done free of charge.
Am I eligible for help?
You may be eligible for help at a free tax clinic if you have a modest income and a simple tax situation. In general, you have a modest income if based on your family size, your total family income is less than the amount shown in the chart below.
The chart below shows the requirements to take part in a free tax clinic.
| Suggested income levels | |
| Family size | Total family income |
| 1 person | $35,000 |
| 2 persons | $45,000 |
| 3 persons | $47,500 |
| 4 persons | $50,000 |
| 5 persons | $52,500 |
| More than 5 persons | $52,500 plus $2,500 for each additional person |
Simple tax situation
In general, your tax situation is simple if you have no income or if your income comes from these sources:
- employment
- pension
- benefits such as Canada Pension Plan, disability, employment insurance, social assistance
- registered retirement savings plans (RRSP’s)
- support payments
- scholarships, fellowships, bursaries or grants
- interest (under $1,000)
Your tax situation is not simple if you:
- are self-employed or have employment expenses
- have business or rental income and expenses
- have capital gains or losses
- have filed for bankruptcy
- are completing a tax return for a deceased person
Branches offering the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program
| Branch | Details |
| Elmsdale | Starts March 1. Tax returns can be dropped off during open hours. |
| Stewiacke | Starts March 1. Tax returns can be dropped off during open hours. |
| Truro | Starting March 3, tax returns to be completed can be dropped off at the police side entrance of the Library during the following timeslots: Tuesdays: 2:30pm-5:30pm Thursdays: 1:30pm-4:30pm |
Questions? Call your local branch today for more information.
African Heritage Month
January 31, 2022
February is African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia! The 2022 African Heritage Month theme, Through Our Eyes: The Voices of African Nova Scotians, recognizes the legacies of people of African descent through first voice, lived realities, and experiences.
The theme highlights that when we listen to others’ perspectives, interpretation, and views on the world, particularly those from marginalized communities, we will gain a more meaningful understanding on how to make our world a better place.
Did you know that Nova Scotia has over 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities with history dating back over 400 years? African Heritage Month provides another opportunity to celebrate and promote the culture, legacy, achievements and contributions of people of African descent in Nova Scotia, past and present. Click here to learn more.
Upcoming Events at CEHPL
- Feb 7-Feb 12 – Crafts Around the World: Ghana
- Feb 9 – Virtual Tour: Black Loyalist Heritage Centre
- Feb 16 – Maritime Centre for African Dance
- Feb 24 – Author Reading with Lindsay Ruck, author of Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians
Recommended Reads
- Memoirs, Biographies, and Stories by African Nova Scotians
- Poetry by African Nova Scotians
- Movers and Shakers: Video Collection
- African Heritage Month on hoopla
Resources
Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
The Struggle of Blacks in Cape Breton