Welcome to Halifax’s new library!

The brand-spanking new Halifax Central Library opened its doors to the public for the first time this morning. This building has been about five years (and 57 million dollars) in the making. I’m so excited that it’s finally here! And so were the many, many people (hundreds? thousands?) who turned out for the grand opening this morning.

You may recognize this library from such features as CNN’s 10 buildings to pay attention to in 2014, and now you can see just how awesome it is in real life.

The doors finally opened at 10 a.m. after music, speeches, and a community ribbon-cutting (with 300 pairs of safety scissors). There were also jugglers, balloon-twirlers, and hot fresh donuts leading up to this moment.

Look how many people there are! Nope, that’s not a mall on the second-to-last Saturday before Christmas — it’s our new library. Apparently it was busy all day long.

Honestly, it was so busy and I was so focused on taking in the big picture — 129,000 square feet, five storeys, a 300-seat auditorium, two cafés, umpteen meeting rooms and multimedia spaces and kids’ areas and spots to curl up with a book, plus a rooftop patio and green space — that I forgot to take any pictures of the books.

However! I know I’ll be back to the new library in the next few days, and I’ll post more pictures then.

What I Learned About Politics: Inside the Rise – and Collapse – of Nova Scotia’s NDP Government by Graham Steele (2014)

I got this book from the library a few weeks ago. I knew it was brand new, and they had it prominently displayed because it was both new and local. Obviously I scooped it up right away.

I only found out the next day from a friend who was at the book launch that the launch was actually happening while I was at the library! My local library is on. the. ball.

Anyway, this is a memoir-ish account from the former finance minister of our previous provincial government. It was the first time the NDP had formed government in any of the Atlantic provinces! Exciting stuff. And then they sort of crashed and burned.

This book has lots of interesting anecdotes and little bits of inside information. Steele does a really good job, I think, of making a book about backroom politics clear and captivating and easy to follow.

I think it’d be neat for someone to read this book who isn’t from Nova Scotia and isn’t aware of this government’s legacy. I’d be interested in hearing what they thought about it.

Explanations/Excuses for Absence

So I actually just moved! Not across the country or anything, but from the suburbs into the city. I’ve been taking some time to get settled in, buy furniture, etc. Not that I’ve not been reading. I’ve read a bunch of decorating books over the last few weeks. They were mostly okay, although they all kind of run together in my mind now. Some were more DIY and realistic and others were for, like, mansions. Which I obviously have not moved into. (Just a decently-sized apartment.) When my new library card from the city library comes in the mail, I’ll be sure to stock up again! It’s long past time for me to get my hands and eyes on a new book.