Partners with Nunavummiut in preserving culture and nurturing literacy.

About Nunavut Public Libraries

Public Libraries in Nunavut are administered at the community level through contribution agreements with Nunavut Public Library Services (NPLS), a responsibility of the Government of Nunavut's Department of Culture, Language, Elders & Youth. Operating at arm's length from government, Nunavut public libraries vary program and resource offerings from one community to the next, depending on needs and aspirations articulated by local persons and groups.

A community's support for its library is essential, as are the various funding opportunities made available through charitable organizations, commercial sponsors, government programs, and non-government agencies. NPLS wishes to acknowledge the generous support of the following organizations in bolstering library programs and objectives in Nunavut:

ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and Starbucks Coffee Canada Gift of Words™ funding for the development and maintenance of reading circles in public libraries.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for providing hardware, software, and training in the early development of public access computing in Nunavut communities.
Calm Air International for support in ensuring the financial viability of children's literature author tours of Nunavut public libraries and schools.
Community Access Program - Industry Canada for public access computing support in select community locations.
NFB is the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) a public agency that produces and distributes films and other audiovisual works which reflect Canada to Canadians.
TD Summer Reading Club for supporting literacy programs aimed at Nunavut youth.
TechSoup for software donations in support of technology upgrades in the libraries.

NPLS Headquarters and Distribution Centre

Headquarters provides policy guidance as well as financial, technical, and operational support to public libraries in Nunavut. Services available to Nunavummiut all across the territory, which include the borrower by mail program, intended primarily for those living in communities without a public library, inter-library loan services, and the web catalogue of library holdings (Nunavut Libraries Online - www.nunavutlibcat.nu.ca), are coordinated centrally by HQ. NPLS Headquarters is located in the Kivalliq region community of Baker Lake (Qamani'tuaq).

NPLS staff include:

Ron Knowling: Manager (); Ron is responsible for planning, promoting and directing library services. He develops policies, goals and objectives for NPLS and is in charge of how the funds available to NPLS are distributed.

Community Services Librarian: Community Services Librarian; The Community Services Librarian provides advice, support, assistance, and training to all community librarians for their program administration and delivery. They are responsible for promoting library literacy and for overseeing collection development at all libraries in Nunavut.

Scott Dunbar: Systems Librarian (); Scott is responsible for technology planning and for supporting staff and public access computing in the community libraries. He also administers the Virtua Integrated Library System which includes Nunavut Libraries Online, the web catalogue of books and videos.

Secretary/Clerk: Secretary/Clerk; The Secretary/Clerk is responsible for our administrative and operational files, takes care of financial coding and record keeping and assists with all NPLS HQ correspondence.

Sarah Sevoga: Technical Services Assistant (); Sarah is responsible for technical processing of all library materials, which includes cataloguing, taking care of periodical subscriptions, borrower by mail, and inter-library loan services.