A major donation from one of Nova Scotia’s most celebrated authors will help keep five library branches open in the Annapolis Valley for a little while longer.
Rachel Reid, the bestselling author of Heated Rivalry, has donated $300,000 to the Annapolis Valley Regional Library (AVRL), marking one of the largest private gifts in the library’s history.
“I couldn’t let these library branches close, and I knew that it was possible for me to stop it from happening,” she told our newsroom.
“I just think libraries are extremely important, and I think a branch closing, especially in a small community is really tragic.”
The contribution comes after AVRL announced they would have to close five branches without more funding. Months of uncertainty followed. But this donation will help support priority services across the region, they say, and in the coming months, they will outline exactly how they plan to use the funds.
AVRL CEO Julia Merritt says the donation represents an extraordinary investment in both library services and the communities they serve.
“This is an incredibly generous gift, and we are profoundly grateful to Rachel for choosing to invest in libraries, the Annapolis Valley, and the people our libraries serve,” said Merritt. “Her support will make a meaningful difference and help us continue creating opportunities for people across the region to read, learn, and connect.”
Wealthy for ‘five minutes’
With the success of the TV show and the book series, Reid says she has more money than she needs, so she is happy to help out.
“I’ve been very wealthy for, like, five minutes now, and right away, I realize it’s quite easy, if you have more money than you need, to use it to help.”
With a massive platform, Reid says she can help charities very easily, and that comes with a lot of power and a lot of privilege.
Overall, she hopes the donation will bring more attention to libraries that need funding, because her donation is only a “Band-Aid” solution.
Hopefully, she says, the provincial government will find a long-term solution.
Event next month
Reid says more details should come out soon, but there will be a live event with her on stage in Wolfville next month.
It is the last one she has on the calendar for the rest of the year, she says.
“I think it will be definitely worth going to if you’re a fan of my books or the show,” says Reid.
Listen here to reporter Jacob Moore’s full interview with Rachel Reid:
Mayor celebrates donation as win for libraries
Kentville Mayor Andrew Zebian is celebrating the donation as good news for libraries across the Annapolis Valley.
In a post, Zebian said Rachel Reid’s $300,000 gift will make a real difference for libraries and the people who use them across the region.
Zebian says the issue is personal for him after spending months working to keep library branches open and making sure their importance was heard.
“I believed then, and I believe now, that our libraries are too important to lose,” Zebian said.
He says Reid’s story shows what libraries can do, giving people a place to learn, discover new things and sometimes find a path they did not know was possible.
Zebian says he is proud of the role he played in standing up for libraries, but even prouder of the community that rallied around them.
He says the donation is worth celebrating, while adding governments still need to provide stable long-term funding.
“Donations like this can help tremendously, but they shouldn’t have to carry the responsibility alone,” Zebian said.
