Library relents, legion allowed its poppy trays

Colchester East Hants Library reverses policy on non-profit donation boxes

TATAMAGOUCHE, N.S. – Poppy trays and other non-profit donation boxes now are permitted in all library branches within Colchester and East Hants municipalities.

The Colchester East Hants Library Board in a recent meeting approved a reversal of its previous policy that banned all such dona- tion boxes.

The previous policy barring outside sales or solicitation in its branches prompted complaints from the Royal Canadian Legion in Tatamagouche, after it was refused permission to leave a donation tray in the village library during last year’s poppy campaign.

“We communicated the good news to the Tatamagouche Legion in late January and have heard that they were pleased with the outcome,” said library CEO Tiffany Bartlett.

Bartlett said the board passed a motion at its January meeting to amend its Selling and Soliciting Policy to allow all branches of the Colchester-east Hants Public Library to accept money donation boxes for non-profit, charitable and community-led fundraising initiatives.

“This situation provided us with a valuable opportunity to reflect upon and strengthen our service to the community,” she said.

Alan Fahey, past president of the Tatamagouche legion branch who expressed concerns after his request to leave a poppy tray in the library branch last year was denied, said the outcome is precisely what he and other members were hoping for.

“I’m more than impressed that they … came up with a solution that we were looking for,” he said. “And they are more than pleased as well,” he added, of other legion officials.

“It’s the principle of the thing,” he said. “Sometimes you have to ask questions, I guess, in order to receive results.”

And Fahey said the move is especially important because of the limited number of locations were poppy trays can be displayed in the village.