Charlottetown Parliamentary Library
May 18, 2009
Having seen the PEI Legislative Library in its 1864 finery, I was a little surprised to see the somewhat emptier shelves next door in its current incarnation, the Prince Edward Island Parliamentary Library.
According to a local newspaper article, “The parliamentary library was moved out of Province House when the Confederation Centre Library opened next door in 1964. It then fell into misuse and was closed.” [1]
Things changed in 2007, when it was agreed to re-establish a reference service for parliamentarians:
In September 2007, the Standing Committee on Legislative Management approved the idea of re-establishing a legislative library to support members, committees, and house officers in their work. The legislative library has had a number of incarnations over the years and since 1971 had been the responsibility of the provincial Department of Education. The renewed legislative library and research service officially opened on May 22, 2008, and is located on the first floor of the Hon. George Coles Building, immediately adjacent to Province House. The library has gathered together a core collection of documents that includes annual reports from departments, commissions, agencies, and boards; budgets and fiscal estimates; statistical reports; electoral information; and a small collection of public policy, agricultural and reference works. The legislative library has partnered with local document collections, including the University of Prince Edward Island and the Government Services Library, to offer better service while the collection grows. [2]
Since then, the new library has clearly become embedded in the local community – when I was there it was the site for an exhibition of photographs from an expedition in which a local teenager had taken part, and as I left with my cousin a hoard of noisey schoolchildren were descending on the building to visit the exhibition. Long may the new-style library flourish!
[1] New positions at P.E.I. legislature key to non-partisan support for MLAs. The Guardian, 21 September 2007.
