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Ontario Public Library Week October 16-22

Friday, October 14th, 2011

To celebrate Ontario Public Library Week, special activities have been planned in and around the Uxbridge and Zephyr Public Libraries, FREE of charge:

‘For the Love of Reading’ Book Chat

Busy professionals who are on their lunch break, or, residents simply looking to have a literary discussion with others, are invited to chat about books they have read ~ are reading ~ or would like to read! B.Y.O.L. (bring your own lunch); beverages hot and cold will be provided.
* If this type of activity sounds like a fit for you, please come along to this inaugural gathering which will continue, if interest is sufficient, on the first Tuesday of each month.

 

Storytime for Children

Listen, laugh and learn! Discover great books, rhymes and/or songs. 18 months to 8 years old.

 

Storytime for Children ~ French

Le même, en français!

 

OPLW Reading Challenge

The challenge is simple… children try to read seven or more books, teens/adults to read at least one book… between October 15 – 21. Fill out a ballot listing the books you read by end of day Saturday, October 22, for a chance to win a ‘cool’ prize! Winners announced October 23.

 

Sidewalk Chalk Talk

Time to get creative and use that imagination! Help us celebrate libraries by writing or drawing a library-themed word or two on the sidewalks surrounding our libraries. Coloured chalk available at the circulation desks. Ages 1 – 99!

 

Library Patron Appreciation Open House

Stop in for refreshments and treats… and see what new items and services await at your neighbourhood library!

 

@ UXBRIDGE Public Library

Sat Oct 15 Sun Oct 16 Mon Oct 17 Tue Oct 18 Wed Oct 19 Thu Oct 20 Fri Oct 21 Sat Oct 22
10:00 – 10:30
Storytime		   10:00 – 10:30
Storytime		   10:00 – 10:30
Storytime		 10:00 – 10:30
Storytime		   10:00-10:30

Storytime
10:30 – 11:00
French Storytime		 OPEN!
1:00 – 5:00		   12:00 – 2:00
Book Chat (drop-in)		       10:30-11:00

French Storytime
      4:00 – 4:30
Storytime		     4:00 – 4:30
Storytime		  

 

@ ZEPHYR Public Library

Sat Oct 15 Sun Oct 16 Mon Oct 17 Tue Oct 18 Wed Oct 19 Thu Oct 20 Fri Oct 21
10:30 – 11:00
Storytime		     6:30 – 7:00
Storytime		   6:30 – 7:00
Storytime		  

 

ALL WEEK, at BOTH libraries:
Library Patron Appreciation Open House ~ OPLW Reading Challenge ~Sidewalk Chalk Talk

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Meet Me @ the Library

Monday, November 15th, 2010

By:  Shannon Fleming and Sean Wetselaar

Food for Thought

It is a widely-held (and absolutely true) belief that for a fairly small town, Uxbridge has a very well-stocked library.  With over 60 thousand items between the two branches, it’s an incredibly diverse collection.  However, the libraries in major centres and big cities are often given much more funding by the government, and thus have larger collections.  This makes sense, as they service so many more people.  However, our opinion of city libraries changed drastically when Sean dealt with a couple who came into the Children’s Department one day, several months ago.

They had a little boy, and wanted recommendations for a good series for him to read.  Sean made a couple of suggestions, but continuously hit dead ends in acquiring said books for them (another patron had them out, this one was an audio book, this one was just plain M.I.A. – it was seemingly unending).  He finally suggested ordering the books in from another library – often a time-consuming process.

By this point, most patrons would have been fed up and simply have called it a day.  But not these two.  They were friendly, understanding – the model of stereotypical small-town generosity.  However, one of them let slip that they were in fact new arrivals to Uxbridge, and that they’d been living in Toronto until recently.  They went on to compliment the service and comment on what a wonderful library we had.  They told Sean that our staff were helpful and understanding, and that they liked our little local library as much as, if not more than, the one in Toronto.

This was a shock to Sean, as what he had always considered would seem limited and tiny to anyone from Toronto had satisfied these city-dwellers totally.  Even better – they went out of their way to tell him what a great place it was.

It seemed that our homey, little, local library is a much bigger deal than we had always given it credit for.  It occurred to us that size doesn’t always matter, even when it comes to the size of a collection in a library.  And maybe what really determines a library’s worth is the people.  In other words, a library is what you make of it – it’s up to the patron and the staff to make one really stand out.

Just food for thought.

What’s Happening: The Children’s Department is pretty busy these days.  A collage contest is being held for children ages 12 and under to celebrate the library’s 123rd birthday.  The subject for the collages: “Why Do You Love the Library?”  Entries are due in by December 9.  Additionally, a “Harry Potter Potions” activity is being held on November 19 for kids in grade 3 to 7, with the cost being four dollars per participant.  For more information on what’s happening at the library, come pick up a newsletter at one of the circulation desks.

What’s New: In the Adult Department, we now have a sequel to Bram Stoker’s classic vampire novel: Dracula: The Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt.  We also have in a plethora of new audio books, including Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

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Meet @ the Library

Monday, November 1st, 2010

By:  Shannon Fleming and Sean Wetselaar

Twice a year the hallowed halls of the Uxbridge Public Library are graced by the presence of one of the library’s biggest events of the year.  Not only is the Friends of the Library Book Sale a great opportunity for the library to make some extra money, it’s a gathering of like-minded individuals that creates a feeling of unity within the town.  The most recent book sale took place this past weekend, from October 30 to November 2.

Saturday morning found line-ups of eager book hunters waiting outside both library entrances, as early as 9:15 a.m., and the customers continued to pile through the doors throughout the day.  At the time of writing this column, the exact amount of money made through the sale is not known; however, the sale itself is a great generator of income for the library.

But the book sale is not as simple to organise as it is to peruse.  We at the library begin to amass donations for the sale months in advance, and we are never short of items to sell. The boxes pile up in the staff room, and the Friends of the Library must sort through every single book, with the assistance of student volunteers.

Transforming the meeting room into a usable site for the book sale takes several days of preparation, and even the process of moving books down the hallway can be a daunting task.  But the library’s book sale is more than just a sale.  It’s an event that many members of the community look forward to throughout the year.  It brings the community together, and it contributes to arguably one of the most important institutions of the town:  the library.

What’s Happening: On the P.A. Day (November 19), the library will be hosting a Harry Potter-themed event for kids grades 3–7.  Also, a retirement party is going to be held at the library for long-time staff member Ruth Street on November 10 from 1 to 4 p.m.  For more information on what’s happening at the library, come pick up a newsletter at one of the circulation desks.

What’s New: Thanks to a generous contribution by the Friends of the Library, the library is now in possession of $2,000 worth of British classic DVDS, including Fawlty Towers, Hamish Macbeth, and the complete Sherlock Holmes series, starring Jeremy Brett.

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Meet Me @ the Library

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

By:  Shannon Fleming and Sean Wetselaar

Looking forward to looking back

October is Library Month, and this year the annual event is themed “Your Library, Your World: Opening Doors to the Future”.  If you think about it, libraries really are the door to the future.  They represent the collective wealth of mankind’s knowledge in an age dominated by information.  Looking at the beliefs and stories of individuals is certainly a way to predict the future.  We’re also in a time where the evolution of information is affecting the way people think about libraries.  But they’re also a door to the past.  So, for this year’s theme, we’re going to do more than look to the future.  We’re going to give you a glimpse into the library’s past.

1851.  The Mechanic’s Institute was founded by Joseph Bates, amid a tiny hamlet just beginning to come into its own – Uxbridge.  Over the next 50 years, the Mechanic’s Institute would move to several iconic buildings across town, eventually landing in the clock tower it’s known for today.  The collection would grow from a mere 164 books to 5 000 books in 1880, and then exponentially to the 60 000 it houses today.  Over the years, the Uxbridge library was frequently named the best library for the size of its town, earning acclaim from all levels of the government.  In 1986, construction commenced on an addition which more than doubled the size of the building. It was completed the following year, leaving us more or less with the library that we know today.

It would be impossible to write a column about the future of libraries without discussing aspects of technology today – such as the prominent electronic readers (the Kindle and iPad come to mind).  Many people are (perhaps rightly) of the opinion that books are fast going the way of the dinosaurs.  But there’s something about the feel of a physical book, the smell of the pages, the act of leafing through it, that we feel will keep books where they are.  Technology may continue to improve, but as far as we’re concerned, libraries are here to stay.

What’s New: A Battle Won by Thomas Russell is available to be signed out in the Adult Department. In addition, The Bear, the final volume of R. A. Salvatore’s “Saga of the First King”, is in.

What’s Happening: The Teen Advisory Board had its first meeting last Thursday, with great success. As well, patrons should be aware that the library will be closed on Monday, October 11 for Thanksgiving. For more information on what’s happening at the library, come pick up a newsletter at one of the circulation desks.

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Pass the Book

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Pass the Book aims to foster community and discussion through shared stories.  In an exciting partnership, Uxbridge Public Library, Oshawa Public Libraries, Whitby Public Library, Clarington Public Library, Scugog Memorial Public Library, and Ajax Public Library have selected one title for the entire Durham community to read, discuss, and share.  The title is “The Factory Voice” by Jeanette Lynes.

This exciting program gives people across Durham Region the opportunity to read an outstanding Canadian novel, come together to discuss the book, and attend programs based on the book’s themes.  Books can be borrowed from either the Uxbridge Public Library or the Zephyr Public Library.

This book is a light-hearted mystery that tells the story of four women trying to achieve their dreams while working at an aircraft factory in Northern Ontario during World War II.  The story is told through different voices as their lives intersect and create a snapshot of life in Canada in the 1940s.

Stay tuned for more details on a luncheon with the author on September 24.  Visit the Pass the Book website at www.passthebook.ca for a list of events throughout Durham Region.

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