The Battle of the Borrowed Books will be held during the month of October between the Public Libraries of Niagara-on-the-Lake & Niagara Falls, Ontario versus Youngstown, Lewiston & Niagara Falls, New York. These five public libraries along the Niagara River have issued a call to arms to encourage the public to borrow more library books during October in a contest between American and Canadian readers!

Arm yourself with a library book and help your country achieve victory in the "Battle of Borrowed Books" to see which side of the Niagara River can produce the higher percentage increase in borrowing during the month of October 2007 compared to October 2006. In October 2006 34,559 books, magazines and audio visual materials were borrowed from the American libraries and 63,060 were borrowed from the Canadian libraries. Which side will see the higher percentage increase?

Don't let your side down. March to your local library and take aim at a great selection of books on many interesting...

Alex Herlovitch who completed the Great Wall of China Marathon a few months ago will show photographs of his remarkable visit to China in a powerpoint presentation on Sept. 26 at 7pm in the LaMarsh Room of the Victoria Avenue Library.

Chinese music will be played as the public views displays about China by the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sarira Stupa Temple at 4303 River Rd., Niagara Falls, by the Niagara Parks Commission with oriental plants and by others.Residents of all ages will find this free program interesting and educational.

The Great Wall of China Marathon is considered one of the toughest 42.2 km races in the world. The course is considered extreme due to the high temperature and the steepness of the Wall, including 3700 stairs to climb.

Alex dedicated his marathon to our Library and encouraged the public to donate to the Library to support summer reading programs for children. We estimated Alex took about 181,440 steps to complete the marathon and hoped that...

Registration continues for the Fall children's programs which start soon. A new family storytime program for parents and children of all ages will be held on various Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30pm at the Victoria Avenue Library.

Resuming the week of Sept. 24 at all four libraries will be Bouncin' Baby Time for parents and children four to eleven months; Baby Time for 12 to 23 months; Toddler Time for two year olds; Preschool Story Time for 3 to 6 year olds and Cocoa Club for those eight years and older. A variety of Saturday morning and afternoon craft programs for children of all ages resume Sept. 29. Register early to avoid disappointment because these popular programs have a maximum capacity.

Jack Gibbons of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance will discuss "What you can do to reduce air pollution" on Sept. 22 at 2pm at the Victoria Avenue Library. Borrow the book "My...

Four upcoming library programs will appeal to a variety of ages and interests.

Computer classes have resumed at the Victoria Avenue Library with an introduction to basic computers, word processing, email, internet, excel and Windows XP. Call 905-356-8080 to make an appointment for a two hour instruction with a small class for $10, or a one-on-one two hour session with an instructor for $30.

The third Teen Night will be held on Sept. 21 from 7pm to 10pm at the Victoria Avenue Library with the rock group "Consumer Alert" performing at 7pm and "RSM" at 9pm. An "Open Mic" will be held at 8pm where anyone is invited to read a poem or a story, play an instrument (as long as no setup is required), juggle, sing, do a comedy routine or anything similar. To perform at Open Mic, please contact in advance Andrew Porteus at 905-356-8080. Tickets are $2 in advance at any of the four libraries in Niagara Falls or $4 at the door with a limited number of tickets on a first come basis.

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"Understanding Alzheimer's Disease" will be the topic of a free discussion led by Jo O'Brien, Registered Nurse of the Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region, on Sept. 5 from 2pm to 3pm at the Victoria Avenue Library. This is the second in our series of presentations to better understand the relationship between our brain and how we interact with our environment. Last month nineteen people attended the first presentation.

The third program in this series will be held Oct. 4 from 2pm to 3pm with the subject "Communication Skills For People With Alzheimer's". You can attend any program even if you missed an earlier one.

Many rely on a variety of library materials to learn more about this disease. Recent novels offer remarkable insights into emotional stories that relate to real life situations. Borrow"The prince of Nantucket" by Jan Goldstein, "Mother's boy"...