Author: Lindsay Moffatt

February 2022 saw the province under public health restrictions, which led Bruce County Public Library staff at our Walkerton Branch to bring Valentine spirit to residents at different long-care homes nearby. The Walkerton Branch received an impressive 317 Valentines’ Cards, on top of many social media shares and comments, and local media coverage. 

Valentines for Seniors is extending to all Bruce County Public Library branches this year. You can stop into your Branch’s set program date and time to complete your Valentines there or pick up a take-home package to complete at your leisure and drop back off. 

You can visit the Online Calendar to find out when your Branch is hosting its Valentine’s for Seniors program. 

Walkerton Branch staff drew inspiration from their 2020 redeployment experience at Brucelea Haven and decided to make up packages of different craft materials to help Library patrons get creative for our local seniors, launching the first Valentines for Seniors. 

‘We were thrilled to extend this program to our Branches this year after the success we saw in 2022. The community is looking for ways to support and build each other up, and the Library has given them an outlet. We hope this is the start of an annual program that keeps having such a positive impact.” Says Bruce County Public Library’s Director, Brooke McLean. 

These Valentine’s will lift the residents’ spirits at multiple long-care homes in Bruce County. Bruce County Public Library appreciates the community’s creativity and support of this project. 

Bruce County Public Library is excited to announce the addition of CBC Corner to its online resources. Online resources are services included for free with your library card, such as Kanopy, Press Reader, Linkedin Learning and more.  

CBC Corner was developed specifically for Canadian Public Libraries as a digital portal that brings together all the variety included in CBC and Radio-Canada digital content. This unique, free digital collection will include content from CBC News, CBC Listen, CBC Gem, CBC Kids, MAJ and Rad, sports, and CBC Parents full of advice, shows, crafts and more. 

This is a one-of-a-kind resource with an all-in-one approach to creating accessible entertainment. Free access to award-winning podcasts, educational kids’ content and even a free English and French language learning app. CBC Corner will consist of an English and French option. 

Library Director Brooke McLean said, “Bruce County Public Library has been consistently growing our collection of online resources available to our patrons. We are excited to partner with CBC to provide entirely Canadian content, in different formats, that we haven’t previously offered.”

Need a BCPL Library card? Pop into any of their 17 Branches across Bruce County to sign up, or register online and start your CBC Corner journey today. 

Bruce County Public Library is bringing Canada’s largest recreational reading program to Bruce County on December 1. The Forest of Reading program typically has upwards of 270,000 participants annually. The program consists of six categories that cater to children of all ages, from Kindergarten to grade 12. 

Each category includes ten popular titles, and participants are required to read five before being eligible to vote for their favourite. The picture book category, Blue Spruce, is aimed at children from Kindergarten to grade 2 and is the only category where they must read all ten titles. Once completed, students will then vote for their favourite before the April 30 end date. 

This year BCPL is working to engage local schools to register as a group through Beanstack. Beanstack is a free service provided by BCPL. It is a fun way to track your reading, complete challenges and win prizes.

The Forest of Reading program will be running Forest Fridays, where nominees will host 30 minute virtual visits that you can connect to at home, in the classroom, or at the Library. There will also be a series of activities that students can participate in and earn virtual badges. 

Library Director, Brooke McLean, hopes The Forest of Reading program will follow the success of their Summer Reading Club. ‘This summer, Bruce Country Public Library recorded record-breaking numbers for Summer Reading Club. The Forest of Reading is a unique way to engage children over the winter months and continue to help build a lifelong love of reading in Bruce County.’ 

Want to learn more or access the list of nominated titles? Visit Forest Of Reading website for a complete breakdown of each category. 

Bruce County Public Library’s Sauble Beach Branch will close for renovations on November 24, with a planned reopening date of December 14. With new flooring, shelving, furniture and a brand-new paint job, this makeover is expected to take several weeks.  

Are you currently waiting for an item that’s on hold? All patrons with holds will be contacted by Library staff with information on how to collect your item. The Sauble Beach book return will also be out of service during this closure. If you cannot return your item to a different branch, don’t worry, BCPL will waive any overdue fines during this time. 

All Sauble Beach programs will be on a short hiatus during the renovations. What can library patrons do while they wait? While there is the option to visit the Wiarton branch at 578 Brown St., or any of our other locations, you can also visit their online resources for a list of all the amazing add-ons available with your library card. This includes access to thousands of titles in eBook and eAudiobook format through the Libby app.

Once renovations are complete, Bruce County Public Library will plan a reopening event for the public to visit, look at the updates, and enjoy a treat with library staff. 

Bruce County Public Library’s Port Elgin Branch recently held a Thank You Tea to acknowledge the Library’s Friends group. Staff and board members attended the event along with Friends of the Port Elgin Library members, recognizing the group’s many achievements.

The Friends first meeting was back in October 2006 at the Port Elgin Branch. Since then, the Friends have made meaningful contributions to the Library in many ways. They have held author events and book sales, purchased furniture, hosted Art Night and Stories of the Season, supported the Library’s popular fish tank, and printed large format archival photographs for the Library’s foyer.

Most recently, the Friends purchased the beautiful, built-in, solid wood bookshelves for the children’s picture books. These shelves are a wonderful enhancement to the space, making it easier for children and their families to browse the collection and choose books to read.

“We are sad to see the Friends of the Port Elgin Library come to an end but are thankful for all they have done over the past 16 years. Their support and contributions will be remembered and appreciated for many years” says Library Board Chair, Luke Charbonneau.

Through their support of legacy projects like the children’s picture bookshelves, the Friends have helped to enhance and improve the Port Elgin Library. As the group draws its activities to a close, the staff and board extend their sincere thanks to the Friends of the Port Elgin Library for many years of service and support.

Discover your community while rediscovering your Library with Bruce County Public Library’s New Resident packages. If you are new to Bruce County, you can stop into your local branch and pick up a free package designed to welcome you to the area. Packages are filled with information and fun items relevant to your new community. You can sign up for your BCPL Library card while there and browse the shelves or participate in a library program. Bruce County Public Library consists of 17 branches across Bruce County. To find the one closest to you, visit the Locations section of their website.

“During our strategic planning process, we heard from residents and stakeholders that there was a need to create a hub for residents new to Bruce County or possibly new to Canada. By providing New Resident packages, we have created partnerships with local businesses and services to help those new to our communities get situated and familiarized with their new home,” says Library Director Brooke McLean. 

Libraries are frequently the first place new residents visit to find out more about their community. In addition to receiving important community information in their New Resident package, they can also rely on the knowledge of their local library staff to answer questions or provide a warm referral to other organizations.

October is Canadian Library Month, with October 16 – 22 being Ontario Public Library Week, Canadian Library Month was initially launched in 2006 by the Canadian Library Association to provide an opportunity for Canadians unfamiliar with their local Library to explore all available services. This makes it a perfect time for all Bruce County residents, old and new, to explore all Bruce County Public Library offers. For more information visit library.brucecounty.on.ca.