After two years of renovations, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (MMA) on July 5, 2011 was re-opened and dedicated as the Niels Jannasch Library.

Niels Windekilde Jannasch was the first director of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. He worked tirelessly as director from 1959 until 1985, taking the MMA from a little private museum with a one-man staff and no permanent home to a major historical waterfront institution of international repute. Niels was a rare combination of a seasoned professional mariner and serious scholar, with an especially deep love of books and literature. Learn more about Niels Jannasch»

The Niels Jannasch Library is the research library of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, a unique resource of over 6,000 titles on Atlantic Canadian maritime history. The collection reflects the activities and collecting interests of the museum.

Subjects include, but are not limited to ships (passenger ships, merchant marine, ocean liners, Coast Guard, naval, and pleasure), shipbuilding, ships registers, the Halifax Explosion of 1917, the sinking of the Titanic, voyages, discovery and exploration. The library contains more than 500 rare books. In addition, the Niels Jannasch Library also contains periodicals, maps and nautical charts, vessel plans, and an extensive photographic collection. Materials are available for in-library use only.

Please note that the library does not have immigration or passenger lists and cannot provide genealogical research.

Photocopies are $.40 per page. Library staff will photocopy journal articles and printed materials, depending on the size and condition of the original, in accordance with copyright guidelines. Photocopy requests will be processed as quickly as time and staffing permits.

Enquiries and HoursBefore making an enquiry, please review our Frequently Asked Questions for the answers you need.

Visit the library, open to the public by appointment only from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 902-424-7890 or email gov.ns.ca

For booking inquiries for school visits and programs, please contact gov.ns.ca or by calling (902) 424-8897

Niels Jannasch,  at his retirement  in 1985.