Adult Services

Writer in Residence

PARL is pleased to offer the Writer-in-Residence program. The Writer-in-Residence acts as a mentor to writers (and readers) of all ages and abilities by giving workshops, reviewing manuscripts, providing criticism and offering advice about publishing.
Join us for a series of sessions to develop your creative writing skills, for drop-in lunch hour writing seminars and/or one on one in-person mentoring sessions. Check for details here...

Book Discussion Groups

Each month these groups meet at the New Glasgow, Antigonish, River John, Pictou and Stellarton branches. Read a book, come together and share their thoughts.

Membership does have privileges!

With your free PARL card, you can borrow books, audiobooks (CDs & Playaways), magazines, movie DVDs, reserve use on public access computers, login to the Wireless HotSpots@Library, accesss quality information Databases online (Chilton Auto Repair, A to Z Maps, TumbleBooks, Health & Wellness, +) , and check-out and download e-books and audiobooks! Most of our library branches also carry copies of the local daily newspapers. You can also borrow and return library materials from any other public library in Nova Scotia and many academic and government libraries too!

The loan period for most library books is 3 weeks, which may be easily renewed – provided another request for the library book has not been made. The loan period for library DVD's is 1week, and other specialized material may have a shorter or longer loan period too.

Hold requests or reservations for library items can be made in person at any library branch, or by calling your local library or Regional Library Headquarters, or through your online Library Account.

Renewing your library materials is as simple as calling your library branch, or going to you online account and clicking "renew". Materials can be renewed twice, but cannot be renewed if another library patron has already requested to borrow the book/DVD you currently have.
Also, extended loan periods may be arranged upon request, on an item by item basis. Please ask at the Circulation Desk when you check-out your library materials.

Overdue, late fees…

Not something we like to talk about – but a necessity… Over due fees are 10 cents per day per item, up to a total of $2.00. So, if you're going to be late – please renew the item by calling your library branch, or renew through your online Library Account.

Advantage 65+ ...a special privilege for our Seniors – after age 65, no more overdue fees! Usually this is automatically updated in your library account, provided we do have your correct birth date on file, but if we miss it – please let us know and the correction will be made.
Lost books and other library items, again a very rare situation, but when it does happens – if the library item is still popular and requires a replacement , we ask that you pay for the replacement cost of the lost item that you have borrowed.

Books by Mail... and home deliveries – library outreach services for you!

For our rural library members (your home address is over 5+km from your nearest library branch), library materials can be delivered right to your mailbox in Pictou and Antigonish counties. Exceptions may be made though, to see if this service is for you – please contact Karen and Susan at our Books by Mail Department at Regional Library Headquarters (755-6031 or toll-free 1-866-779-7761, email: bbm@nsngp.library.ns.ca ).

By request, delivery of library materials can be arranged to residential care homes, and home-bound library members as well. Several of the local residential care homes (Seniors Homes) do receive monthly book deposits from the library. For individual deliveries, the library can arrange to have a bag of selected books ready for a family member or a friend to pick-up, or sometimes a volunteer may be able to make the home delivery. Once again, please contact our Books by Mail Department at Regional Library Headquarters (755-6031 or toll-free 1-866-779-7761, email: bbm@nsngp.library.ns.ca) to make arrangements.

Library Programs & Programming for you!

Illustrated talks, workshops and presentations!

Interesting programs on just about everything under the sun! The Library hosts many evening and sometimes afternoon workshops and presentations on a wide range of topics of interest to our community. If you have an idea, or a request – or a program to offer, please contact the Programming Department at Regional Library Headquarters (755-6031 or toll-free 1-866-779-7761).

Details are also available online in the PARLevents calendar that is updated daily, and follow us on Twitter or Facebook too!

The library program rooms are also available for non-profit community groups and organizations that hold their regular monthly meetings & seminars – and very often the seminars are open the public as well, such as the following meetings.

Pictou County Naturalists Club - meets 1st Tuesday of the month at the New Glasgow Library, 7:00 pm
Pictou County Roots Society - meets 2nd Tuesday of the month at the New Glasgow Library, 7:00 pm.
Armchair Travellers – meets the 2nd Thursday of the month at the Antigonish Library, 7:00 pm.
Highland Garden Club – meets 4th Tuesday of the month at the New Glasgow Library, 6:30 pm.
Open Mic Night – 3rd Friday of the month at the Antigonish Library, 6:30 pm

Book Clubs

Always popular, and always growing… and no two Book Discussion Clubs are the same. PARL currently has 8 Book Clubs at the library that usually meet once per month from September - June, and we will also try to arrange reading sets for Book Clubs outside the library too. For assistance with arranging multiple copies of books for 'outside the library' Book Clubs, please contact Angela, at our Interlibrary Loans Department at Regional Library Headquarters and to make arrangements (755-6031 or toll-free 1-866-779-7761; email: insngp@nsngp.library.ns.ca ).

To join a Book Club at the Library – please contact your local library branch

Antigonish (863-4276), New Glasgow (752-8233), River John (351-2599), Pictou (485-5021), and Stellarton (755-1638).
Details are also available online in the PARLevents calendar that is updated daily, and follow us on Twitter or Facebook too!

Seniors' Cafes

Once per month the library hosts a Seniors' Café at several branches with activities and seminar topics of interest – with light refreshments served as well. These are 'drop-in as you wish' sessions. The Seniors' Cafes occur from September – June at most participating branches. Sometimes the scheduled date may change by a week, depending upon the various holidays.

Antigonish (1st Wednesday of the month, at 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm)
Westville (2nd Monday of the month, at 10:00 am – 12noon)
Pictou (3rd Monday of the month, at 10:00 am – 12noon)
New Glasgow (4th or last Monday of the month, at 10:00 am – 12noon)
Details are also available online in the PARLevents calendar that is updated daily, and follow us on Twitter or Facebook too!

Writer in Residence at the Library

For the past 8+ years, through financial support from various municipal, provincial and federal grant programs - Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library has been very pleased to offer to our communities, a Writer in Residence at the Library. The Writer-in-Residence at the Library acts as a mentor to writers (and readers) of all ages and abilities by giving workshops, reviewing manuscripts, providing criticism and offering advice about publishing.

Each year the Writer-in-Residence joins us in September/October and is with us for about 20 – 24 weeks, until March/April. For more information about the program, please contact the Community Services Librarian, Programming Department at Regional Library Headquarters (755-6031 or toll-free 1-866-779-7761).

Join us for a series of sessions to develop your creative writing skills, drop by for writing seminars or maybe arrange one on one in-person mentoring sessions. Check here for details.

Special library collections & services

Local Historical Archives, online Digital Historical Collections & Genealogy Collection

All our library branches hold small local collections of historical information relevant to each community. In addition, the Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library's website contains a large number of local history digitization projects of interest – from historical photos, to the naming of place names, to maps and more … all online at www.novastory.ca .

In addition, our New Glasgow library branch in association with the Pictou County Roots Society holds several Archives. During regular library hours, a Reference Library Clerk/Archivist may be available to assist you with your historical research needs, or provide helpful advice in tracking down family ancestries and interesting historical events (752-8233).

Audio Books, Talking Books and Large Print books

Audio Books & Talking books are recorded novels, short stories, non-fiction, and other genres. At PARL we have a large variety of audio books on cassette, compact disc (CDs), Playaway devices (just need batteries & earphones), and downloadable audio books through the online OverDrive library catalogue system.

Through fundraising efforts by local community groups, the Regional Library also has a limited number of Talking Book machines and Daisy Readers that may be reserved for long-term use through contacting the Books-by-Mail Department (755-6031 or toll-free 1-866-779-7761).

Large print books are un-abridged books, with clear, over-sized, high contrast type, which makes reading easier. The Regional Library collection is rich with best-sellers, mysteries, romances, westerns, popular fiction, classics, and non-fiction titles.

Wireless Hotspots, Public Access Computers, & other gadgets

All our library branches have wireless access (inside, and on the sidewalk area outside!) for those dropping by with their own laptop computers. In addition, each library has several individual computer workstations with internet access that may be reserved for public use – please make reservations at the library's Circulation Desk.

Each library also has printers and photocopiers, and some of the larger branches have FAX machines, image/document scanners, and other devices available for public use. Again, please ask at the library's Circulation Desk.

Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library

Online Services

PARL Rooms

Library Services