One of your Library’s new strategic objectives is to foster a safe, clean, and healthy community. You may be wondering how a Library can do this, so here are a few ideas.
As community hubs, your four library locations bring positive activity to their neighbourhoods. Many people walk, bike, or bus to the Waverley, Brodie, County Park and Mary J.L. Black Libraries. They are located near parks, other community services, local businesses, and schools. Add a visit to the Library to your next outing!
Your Library gives you access to a wealth of information to help you live a healthy life. We have cookbooks, books about exercise, work out videos, audiobooks to listen to while you are active, and music to motivate you. One of the most popular non-fiction book at your Library is about the keto diet: Keto diet : your 30-day plan to lose weight, balance hormones, boost brain health, and reverse disease by Dr. Josh Axe. Turn your living room into a gym and get fit with Jillian Michaels’ 10 minute body transformation DVD. You can even borrow walking poles from any Library location!
Gardening has been proven to reduce stress, and growing food can save you money and provide you with fresh, tasty fruits and vegetables, as well as feeding the environment with oxygen and food for pollinators. Canadian garden guru Mark Cullen’s book The new Canadian gardener can help you if you’re a new or experienced gardener. It explores new trends, horticultural innovations, and the creativity that has been tapped by a generation of younger gardeners. (Description from markcullen.com).
In partnership with Roots to Harvest, your Library is thrilled to bring you the Garden Tool Lending Library for a third season. You may have noticed a cute cedar shed on the main floor at Waverley, and the ground floor at Brodie. These sheds contain a wide range of garden tools that you can sign out with your Library card. Need a wheelbarrow, ladder, rake or post hole digger? — come and see us! We even have colourful kid-sized tools. A full list of tools, and more information, may be found on our website at www.tbpl.ca/tools
Another way your Library contributes to a healthy community is by offering free programs which provide people of all ages opportunities to learn, socialize, and have fun. Read, sing, play is a popular drop-in program for babies, and a place where caregivers connect. It’s important for young children to learn how to get along with each other before they start school, and also for caregivers to interact with other adults on a regular basis. This summer we have many fun programs planned for kids of all ages. Talks on local history, book clubs, and tech help are regularly offered for adults.
June is National Indigenous History Month, and our film series provides a unique way to build a safe, healthy community. Learning about Indigenous history leads to increased understanding, and builds bridges across cultures. Everyone is welcome to come out and watch the following movies on Thursdays at 6 pm: Trick or Treaty, June 20 at Waverley; and Our People will be Healed, June 27 at Mary J.L. Black. Your Library also welcomes you to the Shared Teaching Circle, which provides a safe space for anyone interested in learning the teachings of Anishinaabeg culture. Teachings will be shared by traditional knowledge keeper Sheila Karasiewicz for Fort William First Nation and will open with a smudge and prayer. The next Shared Teaching Circle will be at the Brodie Story Hour Room on Wednesday July 17, at 6 pm.
Pick up a copy of the Library newsletter for a full list of programs, visit our website at www.tbpl.ca/getinvolved to look at the program calendar, or come and visit and talk to our friendly staff.
Joanna Aegard – www.tbpl.ca. If you have a comment about today’s column, we would love to hear from you. Please comment below!
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