05/22/2026
THE STRAIGHT GOODS ON THE ZOÉ VALLÉ LIBRARY
As the reopening of the Zoé Vallé Memorial Library approaches, we wanted to share our excitement. We are thrilled to have been entrusted with shepherding this community treasure and we cannot wait to welcome the community back inside. None of this would be possible without all the volunteer hours and hard work of community members and to you and to them we say thank you!
We know the change in stewardship of the ZVL has been unsettling for some. We hear the concerns about the village offices moving into the space, about the need for accessibility and questions related to the Village of Chester’s qualifications for running a community library. We understand the many volunteer hours have gone into this space over the last number of years and that some are feeling left out or unheard through this change. Please know we are listening and we are working hard to respond to your concerns and questions. We so appreciate the hard work that so many put into the ZVL and the sense of ownership some feel for this special space. We hope that this message can provide some assurances, answer questions and start to bring our community back together with a shared goal of celebrating the re-opening of this special treasure.
The Village of Chester was awarded the “governance and operations” of the ZVL through an open and transparent RFP process lead by the Municipality of Chester. The Village has the management experience and expertise to manage a public space as demonstrated through 88 years of managing the Chester Volunteer Fire Department and its continued ownership and operation of the Lido Pool.
Over the last few months and with the guidance and professional expertise of South Shore Public Libraries, an enormous amount of work has been done to get the space ready to re-open to the public. We have reconfigured shelving and layout and increased both the square footage of public space and better accessibility to all books. As before, we have installed free public Wi-Fi and computers and printers for public use. As an official Branch of SSPL, new books will be arriving regularly and access to all SSPL services such as borrowing from other branches, research materials, and eBooks will be available. A professional librarian will also be employed four half-days a week to serve the public.
We also welcome anyone who would like to join us in a volunteer capacity at the library. Please reach out.
The public space of the library will grow, not shrink. The Village Clerk/Treasurer’s office has been situated upstairs in the former caretakers’ residence. This was previously not a space open to the public. Our long-serving part-time administrative assistant has a small nook in the Club Room so as to ensure consistent open library hours for the public. No library space has been or will be sacrificed.
In keeping with the provisions and obligations of the ZVL deed to provide a “public library and community and civic centre”, we are and will continue to host groups and meetings with Community partners such as the Chester Art Centre, Municipality of Chester Recreation, Our Health Centre and the Garden Club. Workshops, speakers, and social gatherings are being added to the program calendar. Anyone is welcome and we encourage the public to contact us to arrange use of the space.
We also have put together a plan to ensure both the washroom and an entrance are made fully accessible well before the provincially imposed 2030 deadline while respecting the heritage designation of the building.
The Village of Chester is fully committed to transparency and ensuring the public understands how the ZVL endowment funds are being allocated. As per the ZVL Warranty Deed the ZVL endowment fund will continue to pay for capital costs – meaning anything that stays with the property like walkways, lighting fixtures, building upgrades – and for library services. The Village of Chester will cover all building and grounds operational costs from its own budget – utilities, internet, maintenance and repairs, security systems, insurance, etc. In addition, the Village of Chester is contributing 50% of the cost of librarian services for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Finally, the Village will be working with the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia – an established charitable giving facilitator – to ensure the endowment is invested wisely.
The Village Commission and the ZVL will soon commemorate their Centennial anniversaries. One hundred years in this fast new world is no small achievement. This partnership is not only logical but allows for a continuity that can carry us forward for another hundred years. Though the faces will change, the groundwork and mission laid out so perfectly by the founders will continue.
Spring is here, the doors will open soon, there will be old books and new books, there will be computers to work on, printers to print on, rooms to meet in, coffee to be drunk, and a garden to enjoy. We are not reinventing the wheel, but we are happy to lead it into the future. We hope you will join us in celebrating the re-opening on June 1st, all will be welcome!
Thank you,
The Village of Chester Commission
Laura Mulrooney
Tom Mulrooney
Gloria Nauss
Randall O’Malley, Vice-Chair
Geraldine Pauley, Chair
www.zoevalle.ca
www.villageofchesterns.ca
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