Celebrating Public Libraries

October is Canadian Public Library month and here in the province of Ontario we celebrated First Nations Public Libraries during the first week of the month, and this week we celebrate Ontario Public Libraries. To celebrate, the Thunder Bay Public Library is having a Customer Appreciation Day on Tuesday, October 16 at all branches.

If you visit the Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) regularly, or read the @ Your Library column weekly, then you probably know about everything we have to offer. But if you don’t visit the Library, or rarely read this column, then there is a lot you should know about TBPL. So, where do I start? I could start with listing all the different subjects you will find in our adult non-fiction collection, such as computers, self help, religion, business, science, health, automotive, cooking, baking, home repair, crafts, literature, travel, and history, just to name a few. I could write about all the great programs we offer for children and youth, like Tales for Two, Preschool Storytime, Baby Time, Northern Nature Trading, YAC and Youth Move (and that’s not everything). I could go into great detail about how to access our many online resources which includes Hoopla, Overdrive, Ancestry LE, Zinio, Simply Analytics, and TumbleBook Library. Or I could focus on the variety of services we offer such as photocopiers, faxing, free Wi-Fi, computers, interlibrary loan, garbage tags, room rentals, battery recycling and more.

But instead of telling you about all the reasons why you should visit your Thunder Bay Public Library, I’m going to ask you to visit us and discover those reasons for yourself. You may discover a new author, a new genre, a new TV series, a new hobby, a new musical group, a new place to work, or a new place to meet others.

I think public libraries are a great place, and I know they are filled with great people. Hopefully you will discover how great TBPL is too. And don’t forget to come help us celebrate public libraries on Tuesday, October 16. We look forward to seeing you.  Refreshments will be available at Waverley and Brodie from  11 am – 8 pm, at Mary J.L. Black from 1 pm to 8 pm, and at County Park from 1 pm – 5:30 pm.  Meet our amazing staff, update your Library card, and enter draws!

Lindsey Long – www.tbpl.ca. If you have a comment about today’s column, we would love to hear from you. Please comment below!