Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

IKPIARJUK/ARCTIC BAY
In an attempt to recover non-curriculum space, Inuujaq School will no longer house the community's public library, district education authority chair Qaumayuq Oyukuluk stated in an April 11 letter made public April 25.

The Arctic Bay district education authority has ended its agreement to house the community library at Inuujaq School. Although the decision was made January 24, many did not find out until April 25. - Casey Lessard/NNSL photo

The district education authority made the decision at a January 24 meeting, the letter to Nunavut Public Library Services (NPLS) manager Ron Knowling read.

Other parties in the community – including the hamlet and many groups affected by the decision – got the official word April 25 when a delegate at an interagency community meeting asked about the rumoured closure.

"The tension level went up in the room noticeably," said economic development officer Clare Kines, who was at the meeting. "The DEA president said he didn't want it there because of problems, but he never specified what the problems were."

That's when Mayor Frank May told the meeting he had learned of the decision a couple of weeks ago when Knowling called to ask if the hamlet wanted to take over the library.

"At that time, I didn't realize it was a 'we're going to pack up the books and move' decision," he said, "so I didn't move on it quite as quickly as I could, until I got that call from Mr. Knowling saying 'OK, we're going to come up and get everything'."

After discussions this week, May "quite easily" secured a temporary reprieve from Knowling.

"We've got a month or so here to see what we can come up with," May said April 27, noting he wants to find a "made in Arctic Bay solution. We should be able to sort it out here."

While some have suggested alternative locations, May wants to reopen the discussion with the DEA.

"The best solution would be to keep it where it is," he said, "because it's accessible to the kids."

If a solution can't be found, Knowling said "the collection will be transferred to the Iqaluit Centennial Library, placed in storage, and the NPLS will explore options."

"The bottom line is, we're trying to keep the library in town," May said. "Who on Earth would say they don't want this library in the school?"

In the letter made public April 11, Oyukuluk wrote "We suggest contacting Hamlet of Arctic Bay or Arctic College for any available space for the Community Library."

The library is currently closed, and the part-time librarian was let go about a month ago, likely at the end of the fiscal year, March 31, he said. The books will stay at the school library for now, and school principal Abdus Salam told him it would be best to move them out after the students are done school in June.

The NPLS website said the library's hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 1 to 7 p.m., and Fridays from 2 to 7 p.m.

Salam said the school is "overwhelmed with the community work" and it often stays open for public use.

"Since we are giving lots of space, we have a shortage of space (at the school). The DEA is giving space for Head Start, elders' centre, early childhood education, cadets, gym."

Although Salam cited limited space as the reason for the decision, May said Salam told him the main concern was security. Quttiktuq MLA Ron Elliott suggested that having the library open to the public during school hours was likely a consideration.

"If I were the principal, that would be one of the chief concerns," Elliott said. "How do you keep the school secure when the public's going in there?"

Public library resources make up about three-quarters of the space, May said. Most of the books came from the Nanisivik school's public library after the school closed, Elliott said.

With the decision to expel the public library, the DEA "may not be in a position to apply for contribution agreement for the library operation for the financial year 2012-13 and years after," Oyukuluk said in the letter, "DEA is in the opinion that this will be beneficial for both the community and the school."

Kines had a contrary assessment.

"As a parent, I want my kids to be exposed to more things, not less," he said.

The school will still have a library for its students, Salam said, noting the increased space availability will be used for teaching and for conferences.

Principals, such as Salam, are advisors but not voting members on their respective DEAs, department of education spokesperson Wende Halonen said. The principal would be the person bringing concerns about space or security to the DEA's attention, she said, as he is the one at the school every day.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.