Redefine

We are moving out of the country and into downtown Halifax! Our contributor on this 5 Questions about Poverty theme is fromSara Gillis. Sara is a Librarian at the Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library, a branch Halifax Public Libraries. Public libraries, as the name denotes, are public spaces, serving a wide range of clients, among them those... struggling with poverty. With access to warm spaces, technology, learning & cultural opportunities, and the services of library staff to help answer any number of questions - like where to find a place to sleep - public libraries are cornerstones for many in the community in ways you may not have considered. How does poverty impact on your work? The traditional philosophy of the public library is to level the playing field regarding access to information by providing free access. We also offer a host of cultural and informational programs, upgrading and basic literacy classes for adults, English Language Learning for new Canadians, and lots of family and children's programming, accessible to the community regardless of income level. The public library also attempts to bridge the digital divide by offering free computer access and computer classes. I know a couple of decades ago there were lots of predictions of a computer in every home in the 21stcentury with access to the Internet but we know this is not the case. Computer use in our branch continues to rise, not decline. Although there have been significant price drops over the years, computers are still priced out of reach for many, and access to the Internet seems to me to be getting more, not less, expensive. With more and more government information and other resources available only on the Internet, more job applications being processed only online, students being required to access online sources to complete coursework, not to mention the important social networking aspects of computers and the internet - staying in touch with families and friends, computer and Internet access continues to be an important ...Read More