The first steps have been taken to strengthen the relationship between South Shore Public Libraries and the region’s BIPOC community.

Chief Librarian Troy Myers describes Friday’s meeting with the anti-racism task force from the town of Bridgewater as a starting point.

“Our role was to listen, to learn. We started a relationship that we know is going to take some time,” said Myers. “We still accept full responsibility.”

Tensions arose between SSPL and supporters of the Black, Indigenous and People of Colour community last week when the library attempted to provoke discussion around “Freedom to Read” week.

Their choice to use the recent controversy around the publisher’s decision to stop printing some Dr. Suess titles because they contained racist language and imagery provoked a strong reaction online.

Members of the Bridgewater anti-racism task force didn’t want to be recorded for this story. The representative said they, in no way, wish to portray that they speak for the entire BIPOC community.

They did say that the library board listened to their position during the meeting but there is still a long way to go before real change in the institutional racism can be fully addressed.

Myers appreciates the task force member’s willingness to engage with the library and provide their perspective. He reiterated just how sorry he was to have upset members of the community.

“We want our spaces to be safe and secure for everybody and it’s our fault that some people are feeling they’re not. We’re not asking for people to accept this apology. We want people to watch our actions moving forward,” said Myers.

Actions before words

Hours before the meeting, South Shore BIPOC, a collective of BIPOC people on the South Shore of Nova Scotia organizing advocacy, events, and community supports for BIPOC posted a 17 page letter to Facebook outlining several concerns, among which are how the controversy has been handled, the deletion of posts and how Meyers could confuse their group with the Bridgewater anti-racism task force.

The letter included several suggestions as to how SSPL could begin to address institutional racism including: providing dedicated funding for resources by and for BIPOC communities, creating an independent advisory council to decide next steps, a review of senior library staff and equity hiring practices, anti-racism training and education for staff, and a commitment to a timely review of children’s and Young Adult books to ensure racist and discriminatory materials are removed.

The letter was addressed to SSPL board of directors and senior staff, the director of Nova Scotia Public Libraries, Vanessa Fells with the African Nova Scotia decade for people of African descent coalition and the minister of communities cultures and heritage Suzanne Lohnes-Croft.

Spokesperson for South Shore BIPOC Jessika Hepburn says they highlighted several resources the library can engage to begin reparations. Until they see action being taken they will not accept Meyers’ offer to meet.

“No work has been done to guarantee any kind of safety,” said Hepburn. “I could go to that meeting, it’s going to be upsetting and traumatic for me but there is no way that any of the people in our community are going to be willing to sit down with a library or any sort of institution that is so clearly not capable of having this conversation.”

Hepburn says the library didn’t acknowledge the group’s concerns on the original posts and have done nothing to engage with South Shore BIPOC since.

She says she has yet to see any outreach by the library, including inviting the Bridgewater anti-racism task force to a meeting.

“A municipal task force that they have a fiduciary responsibility to, because they receive financial contributions every year from the town of Bridgewater, that’s not outreach,” said Hepburn. “That’s responding to a letter that you received. They had a responsibility to respond, that’s PR.”

Myers says the library and the anti-racism committee will meet again in the coming weeks. He hopes the continued dialogue will help lead to changes to make everyone feel safe and included at South Shore public libraries.

“We ask for people’s patience and understanding,” said Myers. “These things take time. We’re not going to fix it tonight or tomorrow; it’s going to take some time. It’s a long journey and I’m making that pledge to leave this library in a better position than I found it 11 years ago and I’m committed to that.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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