Same Page is a partnership between eight regional libraries from across Nova Scotia. We’re working together in new and exciting ways to improve your library experience!
Same Page:
- Provides you with a library catalogue that makes it easy for you to find exactly what you’re looking for.
- Gives you access to the collections of over 60 library branches across the province. That’s almost one million items!
- Automatically renews your expiring checkouts up to three times (as long as no one else is waiting).
- Has no overdue fines.
Your Same Page card will let you borrow items from any branch in these partner library regions (over 60 locations):
- Annapolis Valley Regional Library
- Cape Breton Regional Library
- Colchester-East Hants Public Library
- Cumberland Public Libraries
- Eastern Counties Regional Library
- Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library
- South Shore Public Libraries
- Western Counties Regional Library
We’re launching a brand-new chapter this year! We want Nova Scotians to have an equal opportunity to connect to library resources for learning, discovery, and improved quality of life. By working together, we can provide everyone with access to more items. This is a huge step forward for libraries and library users.
Your Same Page card will let you check out most items available through our library partners. Here’s how:
- Visit any participating library in person to browse and borrow.
- Use the Same Page catalogue and request items to be sent to your local library for pick up.
- Explore our shared digital collection on Libby to find thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks that are free to download to your favourite device.
- Visit your regional library’s website to search the Same Page catalogue and begin the adventure!
- Some libraries have special items that are available only in that library, or in that library region. We cannot ship those items to other regions.
- Some library programs, services, and resources are only available to individuals who live in a specific region.
Most digital content is licensed by library regions for access by users who live in that region. Your Same Page card may not give you access to all the digital content available in other regions. Contact your local library for more information.
Our “Getting Started” page will tell you most of the things you need to know:
If you need more help, check out our FAQ page:
You will start to see some exciting changes happening in April 2022. We may not be able to provide you with all of our regular services for a couple of weeks while we prepare for the changeover.
You can check out our new system on April 21!
Yes! If you would like to request items from Halifax Public Libraries or other libraries outside of Same Page, see the Interlibrary Loans section under “using the library” in the catalogue. If you have more questions, contact your local library.
Borrowing Basics
It’s easy and convenient to borrow, place holds, renew, and return your items to any of our Same Page partner libraries.
Our shared collection of nearly one million items includes books, eBooks, audiobooks, DVDs, and more! The possibilities are endless.
You can keep the items you check out from the library for three weeks.
Note: Items in our shared digital collection are automatically loaned for two weeks—if you need more time, you can increase that to three weeks at checkout.
Never forget to renew your loans again! Same Page will attempt to renew your borrowed items three days before the due date. As long as no one else is waiting, items you check out from the library will automatically renew up to three times – that’s a total of 12 weeks!
If you receive email notifications from your library, you will receive an email to let you know whether the auto-renewal was successful.
Log in to your Same Page account anytime to check due dates or manually renew your items.
Note: Most items can be renewed up to three times. Interlibrary loans, items that have already been renewed three times, and items on hold for other library users cannot be renewed.
There is no limit to the number of items you can put on hold.
You can place a hold on almost any item in the Same Page catalogue.
- Physical items
- You will be notified when the item is ready for pick-up at your preferred library.
- Items will be held for you for ten (10) days.
- Digital items
- You will be notified when digital items are available to download.
Going on vacation? You can log in to your account to temporarily pause or deactivate your holds so you won’t lose your place on the wait list.
Note: Holds that are ready for pickup cannot be modified. Call your library for assistance.
Most items do not need to be returned to the same Library you borrowed them from. A few exceptions apply.
The time it takes for library materials to arrive at your library for pickup depends on a variety of factors:
- The availability of an item:
- “Available” means that an item is on the shelf, and will be processed for your hold as soon as possible.
- “Material has been checked/charged out” means that the item has been borrowed by another patron/user, and will need to be returned before it is processed for your hold
- Waiting list:
- The number of people ahead of you on the waiting list will affect hold times. If there is a big waiting list for an item, it will take longer.
- We make an effort to supply multiple copies of popular items throughout the Same Page system to shorten wait times for our patrons.
- New items
- Items listed as “On Order” may take considerable time to arrive. The library often places orders for new releases ahead of publication dates. Ordering in advance helps us put the newest and most popular titles on shelves sooner.
- Location
- The location where the item is being delivered from can affect wait times.
- Staffing & Inclement Weather:
- Severe weather and possible staffing shortages can affect wait times for your holds.