October is Canadian Library Month! All month long, libraries and library partners across Canada are raising awareness of the valuable role libraries play in Canadians’ lives.
More than just a place to find books, libraries promote cultural awareness, engage in the community, provide educational programs, support freedom of expression, and much more.
We have so much to celebrate at Whistler Public Library! It’s been exactly a year since we launched our Laptop Lending service (despite being in recovery mode from the municipal cyber breach!), allowing community members to borrow a fully-loaded laptop to use anywhere in the library. Technology-wise, we also added Kobo eReaders to our collection recently, allowing folks to try out the eBook experience before purchasing a device. And, we’re now lending not one, not two, but THREE different types of robots that help kids to learn about coding and problem-solving.
We’re also excited to share that in-person programs are back in full-force at the library! Our Summer Program Kick-Off Day was the busiest EVER, with over 300 kids and their grown-ups visiting the library. We also had 100 community members of all ages join us for our Magic Show with Leif David. All together, we had over 500 kids and over 300 adults attend summer programs – whew! We hope to see you at a library program soon.
By the way – when you visit the library for the aforementioned program, you’ll see that we’ve made a few of our spaces more comfortable with furniture upgrades. Check out our cozy seating in the Fireplace Lounge, and the new tables and benches on our patio overlooking Florence Petersen Park.
#LoveYourLibrary
Whistler folks are probably familiar with our annual fundraisers – the Spring Book Sale, the Tulip & Daffodil Bulb Sale, and the 50/50 Draw. These fundraisers allow us to offer some of our most popular programs, from film screenings to workshops to Reading Link Challenge, and we are so grateful to the Friends of the Library for organizing and to all of YOU for supporting these initiatives.
This October, our Board of Trustees would like to remind our community that you can donate to the library any day of the year! You can visit whistlerlibrary.ca/support-us/give to make a one-time donation of any amount, or schedule a monthly donation. You can even dedicate these donations to another library lover in your life. If you’re not ready to donate this minute, you can always visit our homepage and click on ♥GIVE in the top-left corner, right above our logo. Or, get started right now – click the green button to give!
More ways to show your love
If you’d rather donate your time, there are opportunities to volunteer at Whistler Public Library! The Friends of the Library are always looking for new members to help out with events and fundraisers. You can click here to learn more and get involved!
We’re also looking for volunteers in our Materials Management Department! Our volunteers are an integral part of the Whistler Public Library team, helping us each day to pull holds and keep our collections looking spectacular.
We are currently recruiting for volunteers (16 years of age and above) to assist in our back of house operations. The volunteer commitment is a 2-hour weekly shift and requires a Police Information Check. If you are interested in volunteering at the library, please email Maz Esnouf at mesnouf@whistlerlibrary.ca.
How do you #LoveYourLibrary? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram – if you post a photo featuring the library, make sure to tag us (@Whistler Public Library on Facebook, @whistlerlibrary on Instagram), and use the hashtags #LoveYourLibrary #WhistlerPublicLibrary #CanadianLibraryMonth.
