Kid’s Book Club: Summer 2010 opens this Saturday at all 4 Library locations. We have 3 reading clubs to keep your kids reading all summer and to maintain their literacy levels while enjoying some time off school. Ready to Read is for kids age 3-6. Our theme is “Sniff out a Good Book: Smells like Reading!” Play a game, take the books out and when you return the books, the kids can play a nose matching game and win wonderful prizes. We have a great party for finishers at the end of the summer with our entertainer “Music with Brian.” For ages 6-11, we have our Rockin’ Readers program entitled “Put Your Nose is a Good Book: PICK ME!” Choose your category from our giant nostrils! What will you get? Will you choose a funny book, adventure or scary? Lots of great prizes this summer and every child in both programs, gets to take home a FREE book of their choice when they finish the program. You just have to read 10 books! Finishers can join us for “Popcorn and a Movie” day at the end of the Rockin’ Readers program. Blow me away; both programs cost only $2.00 for an entire summer of nosy fun! For our Teen readers, age 12 and up, try our Slammin’ Readers Book Club. Just read, fill in the ballot and you can win prizes in our weekly draw donated from local attractions and businesses. Thanks again Niagara Square Shopping Mall for your great gift certificates! This program is free. We would also like to thank our other sponsors, McDonald’s and Zappi’s for their generous support of literacy in this community. A complete list of our wonderful sponsors is displayed at each of our 4 Libraries. Kids Book Club, Summer 2010, opens this Saturday, June 26th! ...

Already the first day of summer is upon us. Our libraries will be operating on a Summer Hours schedule for the 10 weeks beginning Monday June 28 through September 4 inclusive. The Victoria Avenue Library will be open until 8pm on Monday and Tuesday evenings, and The Community Centre Branch will be open only Wednesday and Thursday evenings until 8pm. On all other days, these locations are open at 9am and closing time is 5:30pm. Hours are unchanged at the Chippawa Branch, and Stamford Branch will be open daily 10am -5:30pm. Mark your calendars. Visit the Library website, www.nflibrary.ca 24 hours a day for current information on hours, books, programs. Summer Toddler Times and Preschool Story Times for the summer are open for registration for sessions beginning at the end of June. Toddler time is a 6 week program for 2 year olds, and begins the week of June 28th. There will be programs at Victoria Avenue and the Chippawa Branch Library. Story time for Preschoolers (3-6 years old) will be offered as 2 sessions, 4 weeks each beginning June 24th, for session 1 and July 26th for session 2. All Library locations are offering this program. Sign up your child now. There is a fee of $3.00 for these programs....

On Thursday June 17, the LaMarsh Room is the venue, once again for the Niagara Falls Horticultural Society’s 57th Annual Rose Show. The Judging takes place earlier in the day, and the doors are open to the Public from 4-8pm. All are welcome to enjoy this event, and admire all the entries along with the prize winning blooms. You will be amazed at the artistry and beauty of the displays put together for the judging by these local “gardeners”. Members are on hand to answer your questions. Admission is free.

Wednesday evening, June 16th, the Niagara Falls Writer’s Circle meets again in the Conference Room of the Victoria Avenue Library at 7pm. This is an open group of Niagara area writers, meeting to improve their writing skills for publication or personal enjoyment. The goal is to encourage all writers of different levels, skills and genres in the community to join to develop together through workshops and activities. There is no fee to join, no age limit or educational requirements.

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As of July 1st, the new HST kicks in for Ontario residents. On Wednesday June 9 , we will hosting two seminars on the Harmonized Sales Tax, in the LaMarsh Room at the Victoria Avenue Library. Join Brian Quinlan, CA, CFP, TEP, co-author of 78 Tax Tips for Canadians for Dummies and contributing editor of Canadian MoneySaver Magazine for an informative session on the HST and what it means for individuals ( beginning at 6 p.m.), followed by a session of the HST and what it means to small business owners (beginning at 7:30 p.m.). The Government of Ontario annually recognizes the contributions of community minded individuals , who donate their time to public organizations with Volunteer Service Awards . In June at the local ceremony several of our Board Members will be acknowledged ; Carman Dix, current Board Chair for 30 years...

Our traditional Kids’ Book Clubs will begin pre-registration at all 4 Library locations on Saturday, May 29th. The summer children’s book clubs consist of 3 levels: Ready to Read for ages 3-6, Rockin’ Readers for ages 6-12 and Slammin’ Readers for ages 12 and up. These programs are designed to keep your kids reading all summer long, maintaining their literacy levels through the long school break and having FUN with books and reading at their local Library. Our Ready to Read program, “Sniff out a Good Book! Smells like Reading!” has a nose matching game, great prizes, a fantastic selection of books that you read with your child and a fun party at the end of the summer. Rockin’ Readers, “Put Your Nose in Good Book: Pick me!” is also game based, with what category will you choose from our giant nostril? Reward prizes and coupons have been donated from generous local merchants, and we finish up with a free movie and popcorn party at the end of the summer. Our thanks to McDonald’s and Zappi’s Pizza for their generosity this year. So pick up a Wimpy Kid, choose to spend some time with Franny K. Stein, poke around a Dear Dumb Diary, select some 39 Clues or suck up a vampire book. ...