Sunday September 4th, 2016 Back to School

 The beginning of a fresh school year is a wondrous time at the public library. We are eagerly anticipating the influx of class visits (both in library spaces and in local classrooms), literacy based programs, new books, educational events, and more.

Working closely with local schools has always been a priority for the Thunder Bay Public Library. Younger students can take advantage of a wide range of options, including class visits to the Library for puppet shows and story times. High school, college and university students have the opportunity to participate in research workshops that library staff will customize to meet class needs.  These in-class sessions help familiarize students with how to effectively use research material from books, databases, and online sources.

For many of us September feels like a return to routine even if we’re not going back to school.  At the library that routine includes resuming our regular Children’s programming.  This means parents with young children can look forward to the return of regular library programs such as Baby Time, Tales for Twos, and Preschool Storytime.  Read, Sing, Play! also returns this fall with new sessions at our County Park branch in addition to those offered at Brodie and Waverley.

Kids who need a boost with their reading or teens looking for volunteer hours may be interested in the Readers are Leaders program.  Children in grades 1, 2 or 3 are matched with (trained) volunteer partners from the community. The program runs at the Mary J. L. Black Branch Library and the Waverley Resource Library. Volunteering is a valuable and enjoyable experience to help instill lifelong reading skills. If you are 13 years old or over we encourage and welcome you to join us. Accumulated hours can be put towards high school community service requirements. Application forms for participants and volunteers can be found online here or at the above specified library locations.

Other volunteer activities include our Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and helping run some of our kids programs.  This fall you could help out with the Star Wars Reads Day on October 8th or Fantastic Beasts in the Library on November 26th.  If you’re interested in YAC check out our website for registration forms.   Basically it’s a way for teens to have a say in what their library is going to be.  This can take the shape of suggesting program ideas or participating in an offsite visit to Chapters to buy new books.   Each year YAC is just a little different depending on the interests of the group.  Expect two meetings at Brodie and a shopping trip this season.

Parents, guardians, and babysitters, we’ve got you covered too.  If you’re not sure what to do with a rainy Saturday consider the many puppet shows and other activities we have on offer throughout the year.  A few highlights are the Family Lego Club at Brodie, the Old Witch Rescues Halloween puppet show at Mary J.L. Black, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree story time and Craft at County Park, and the Sing-a-long Concert at Waverley.  Please check our newsletter or website for dates and times.  Some of our programs require registration or free tickets for entry.

There’s so much more to share as we head back into the school year (Science Literacy Week anyone?), but alas we have only so much space so I encourage you to explore our website for more Fall fun.

Ruth Hamlin-Douglas