Groundhog Day is celebrated in Canada and the USA annually on February 2. and was inspired by an old Scottish couplet: "If Candlemass Day is bright and clear; There'll be two winters in the year." Candlemass Day, is observed midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and for the winter weary, is a marker as we look forward to spring, and in times past was observed with a candle procession, hence its name. Tradition is that one must observe a groundhog's burrow on this day. If the groundhog emerges and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end; however, if the groundhog sees its shadow because the weather is sunny & bright, it will run back into its hole, and the winter will continue for six more weeks. How groundhogs got a reputation for predicting weather patterns is a mystery, because they are not the least bit interested in their shadows or...

Computer classes for beginners are being offered again at the Victoria Avenue Library. These are geared mainly for adult beginners and class size is limited to 6 participants. The classes take place in our fully equipped Computer Training Lab and each participant will have their own work station. The cost is $10 (tax included) and payment must be made at registration. Currently the topics on offer are: Computer Basics & Windows; Word processing basics: Introduction to email; Introduction to Internet; Word processing 2; and Windows 2. Currently the two hour sessions are scheduled for Monday or Tuesday evenings. Please check the website for more details or call the library for registration information.

The Big Screen Tuesday...

The numbers are now in and in 2009 we surpassed previous Library circulation records with a grand total of 734,617 items borrowed by members over the year. That’s a 6% overall increase from 2008, and remarkably there has been a noticeable increase in the number of books or print items borrowed, especially from the Victoria Avenue Library. More than half the print items borrowed were from the Main library and the actual numbers indicate a 12% increase in use. Who says people don’t read anymore? The DVD collection is the next most popular with patrons. We had a look at the different categories and generated some “top 10 lists”. Believe it or not, the Non Fiction title which has been borrowed more than any other this year, is “The Official Driver’s Handbook”. In fact, we currently have sixteen copies in our collection and as I write...

If you have visited our website recently, you may have noticed the icon for Knowledge Ontario or “KO” on the left side panel. We have displayed this hoping that some of our membership will click on it and send a “postcard of support” for this current advocacy campaign. The goal is to attain stable, multi-year funding for future long term planning and sustainability. The Ministry of Culture is the funding leader on this initiative.

What does it mean to you? Knowledge Ontario was established to provide a core set of programs and resources as a foundation for digital literacy and e learning for all residents of Ontario, and to enable everyone to be engaged in the “knowledge economy” of the future. Libraries have a central role in this, acting as the community hubs, for access and delivery of the digital content and resources. Cultural heritage organizations and educational institutions are also part of the collaborative effort to make it easy to connect to the collections and information.

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The holidays are over and it’s a new year and a new decade. Already 10 years gone since the new Millennium, and Y2K! There have been many changes in our world, in our lives personally, and also at the Niagara Falls Public Library. Access to the Internet, wireless access (at the Victoria Avenue Library), DVD’s instead of VHS, and Playaways are all new at our library since the “turn of the century”. We have our brilliant new Community Centre branch in operation for 4 years already. The library still provides many of the traditional library services, including books and the reading and literacy based programming, especially for children. These are still as relevant and important today as ever, but – today’s public library is also more open and accessible to all residents. Our website and online database and reference resources offer 24/7 service, from home or wherever you are able to log in from. You may wonder if the traditional physical library is still needed in this digital age. Yes it...