We are just a few days away from the start of our Out Loud Series in celebration of Canadian Library Month. Tickets have been going fast since September 15. So, please check to see if there are any left for Skip Gorman (October 14), Sandra Lamouche (October 21), Sid Marty (October 18) and Tom Cole (October 28). We would love to have you attend and you don’t want to miss out on these amazing presenters.
Our Bikes For All program had another successful season. Bikes are available to be taken out on your membership card from the May long weekend until the end of September each year. The program has been running for seven years and some of our bikes needed repair and attention. Dave Macaulay stepped up to fill the role of bike mechanic. He also managed to wrangle some donations for tools and supplies to make his job easier. The library would like to thank Canadian Tire and Ridley’s Cycle in Okotoks for being so generous. The bikes are now safely tucked away for the winter but will be back next May.
We have added some book/CD kits to our Juvenile section which are geared towards reluctant or struggling readers aged 8-13 years. Now a child can listen to the audio book while reading along with the printed version. More titles will be added over the fall, but the following titles are available now: Charlotte’s Web, A series of Unfortunate Events, Holes, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Dogs in the Dead of Night and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.
As we transition to more indoor activities, don’t forget about our new podcast room. We have everything you need to create a podcast, including expert instruction. To listen to some of the ones Teagan has already created, go to our website and click on Services and then Podcast Room. Perhaps, this year might be a good time to record your family history or anecdotes that can be shared with family members that live far away. For any questions or assistance with this, please call Teagan at the library.
As we approach the Thanksgiving weekend (my favourite yearly celebration), and our thoughts dwell on being thankful and having an attitude of gratitude, I am reminded of this quote by Anne Lamott
“Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die. They are full of the things that you don’t get in life…wonderful, lyrical language, for instance. And quality of attention: we may notice amazing details during the course of a day but we rarely let ourselves stop and really pay attention. An author makes you notice, makes you pay attention and this is a great gift. My gratitude for good writing is unbounded; I’m grateful for it the way I’m grateful for the ocean.
The library will be open Saturday October 7 and closed Monday October 9.