Catherine Coles
Coles Notes
The summer is coming to a close and we at the library are moving full steam ahead into our fall programs and events. If you haven’t picked up our latest program guide, I would encourage you to do so but in the meanwhile please take note of the following fall programming highlights.
Our fifth annual Author Gala, a culmination of our “One Book, One L&A” program for 2018, will be held Sept. 29 at 2pm. We will be hosting best-selling writer Susanna Kearsley, author of Bellewether.
This year’s gala will be a little bit different from previous years. Because this event is running during Culture Days, the tickets will be free! You can register for your free ticket at any of our library branches.
The other change is that we will be hosting this event at the Allan Macpherson House. Those who have read Bellewether will know that it largely takes place in a family homestead turned museum (just like the gorgeous Macpherson House) so we thought it would be a perfect venue for this occasion.
Later next month we will be celebrating Science Literacy Week! Running Sept. 17-23, Science Literacy Week highlights Canada’s outstanding scientists and science communicators from coast-to-coast. The goals are to showcase the excellence and diversity of Canadian science and to show a wide audience just how exciting science can be.
We’ll celebrate Science Literacy Week by hosting a full-sized, mobile planetarium Sept. 21. The planetarium will be set up inside of our Amherstview library branch for users to explore the universe. It is free to participate but because there is a maximum capacity, we require you contact the Amherstview Branch to book your time slot in advance. We had a mobile planetarium visit a few years ago and it was a huge hit.
For Halloween, we have a special treat for you. Joel A. Sutherland, the award-winning author of the wildly successful Haunted Canada series, will be visiting our Napanee and Amherstview branches to share some spooky Canadian ghost stories. These free events will take place Saturday, Oct. 13 at 10:30 a.m. in Amherstview and 2 p.m. in Napanee.
We recommend this event for families with children over age 6 – we want our attendees to be scared, but not too scared!
The Ontario Library Association’s Evergreen Award is best described as the “readers’ choice” of Canadian literary awards. Each year, a list of 10 nominees is selected by a committee of librarians in and in September library patrons from all across the province can vote on their favorite. The winner is announced during Ontario Public Library Week. You only need to read one the 10 titles to be eligible to vote – so there is still time for you to participate! Voting starts at all branches beginning Sept. 1.
In partnership with the County Museum & Archives, we will be hosting author Janet Kellough for a special Tuesday Night at the Museum presentation Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. She will be discussing her popular Thaddeus Lewis Mystery series. They are loosely based on the real-life experiences of a 19th Century saddlebag preacher in Upper Canada. She’ll talk about how she did her research on the era. This event will take place at the County Museum & Archives and admission is $3.
Also in partnership with the County Museum & Archives, we will be running our “Ancestry & Beyond” workshops – back by popular demand! Want to learn more about the ancestry.com database (available for free though library)? Interested in discovering how you can access genealogical resources beyond ancestry. com? This workshop is for you! Facilitated by County archivist Lisa Lawliss, each session will give you the tools you need to discover your family’s roots! Register for your free session in advance by contacting the host branch. Amherstview’s workshop will be Nov. 19, 10:30 a.m. and Napanee’s workshop will be Nov. 26, 10:30 a.m.
This is just a small sample of the great programs and events we have going on our libraries over the next few months. Don’t forget our P.A. Day events, teen and tween programs, book clubs, storytimes, maker clubs and annual Storytime with Santa. It’s a packed schedule!
For more information, please check our website at www.countylibrary.ca or stop by your local library branch.