Usually in this issue, we would be proudly waving our Out Loud Series banner and touting all the wonderfully talented performers, artists and authors that would be coming to the library during the month of October, in celebration of Canadian Library Month. Alas, not so for 2020. Out Loud is just another victim of the COVID pandemic. However, the library is still alive and kicking, with plenty to offer the community at large. We are back to our regular hours and all library services are offered. Curbside delivery is still possible for those who prefer to receive their items this way. Some programs are still running, and if you missed the program list in last month’s edition, they are on our website or in the brochures at the library. Room rentals are available on a case by case basis. Please make note of the safety protocols put in place by the various facilitators and the library staff.
Country Food Mart in Black Diamond is continuing to sponsor free family memberships again for children in Kindergarten to Grade 6. If your child attends either Turner Valley or C. Ian McLaren schools, a voucher will be made available through the school. Normally these vouchers are distributed at the end of the school year but because of the COVID-19 pandemic that did not happen in 2020. If you have already renewed your cards, we can extend your membership another year when you bring the voucher to the library. We send a very big THANK YOU to Mark and Rachelle at Country Food Mart for continuing to support the library and for their passion for family literacy. Unfortunately, Mark was not able to come and read to the kindergarten classes this year, but we hope to be able to do this again in 2021.
In September, families were faced with making decisions about schooling for their children. If you have decided to take the home-schooling route, you are welcome to bring your children to the library during “school hours”. Our staff can help with finding material for topical studies or research projects. The TRAC system we are part of links us to nearly 200 other libraries, which makes it possible to find most of the items you are looking for. Teagan, our children’s area specialist, can assist with finding great reading material for pre-school and elementary children. For the next few weeks, we have a display of books by local author Rob McWilliam in our Juvenile section. In the last two years Rob has written and published sixteen books. Many of these books have the common theme of “What if…”, which is sometimes all it takes to spark an idea. The Squirrel Who Saved a Tree is available through the TRAC catalogue; Rob’s other books will be in the library’s collection and available for you to borrow very soon.
Our space is also available for University students faced with doing course work online. Our internet is superior and reliable. We can arrange a separate space for Zoom calls for students as well. The library is an accredited testing site for many educational institutions, so if exam proctoring is required, please talk to us. We offer this service free of charge.
Stay safe, enjoy the beautiful fall colors, Thanksgiving and great books!