’Tis the season — the holiday season!
It is the perfect time to drop by the library, learn something new, meet your neighbours — the more the merrier! — relax in a comfy chair, read a great book or audiobook, design a Christmas ornament and 3-D print it, or borrow some movies or a TV series box set for the weekend. The library can even help with your holiday shopping, for the booklover or movie fan on your gift list, with our annual Gift-a-Book fundraiser.
The regional library is thankful to be a community partner with the Spreading the Christmas Cheer in Pictou County campaign. Each library location in Pictou County has several boxes of blank Christmas cards, kindly donated to Adopt-a-Library Literacy Program by COLES Highland Square New Glasgow, just waiting to be filled out with warm holiday wishes. Or, if you are feeling particularly crafty, we also have a small stack of crafting supplies at our Arts tables, and you can make a unique holiday card to give, too.
Donations of completed cards are welcome at each of our library branches in Pictou County, to be dropped off into a big Christmas stocking that’s been hung with care. The completed Christmas cards will be picked up by the crew of helpful elves with the Christmas Cheer program by Dec. 6, and hand-delivered to residents of the local residential care homes in Pictou County. For more information about the Christmas Cheer campaign, visit their Facebook page Spreading Christmas Cheer in Pictou County!
The Stellarton Library is home to a Mitten Tree again this year. If you have spare warm mittens, hats and scarves at home, please consider decorating our holiday tree at the library. All the items collected, will be re-gifted to local community groups in need of such items.
Is the grey, gloomy weather getting you down? If so, then it is all the more reason to pop into the library — and enjoy a few minutes of “sunshine” light therapy with one of our Light Therapy Lamps. The library received a small grant from each of our local Community Health Boards in Pictou and Antigonish Counties, and support from two local pharmacies, Maclean and Poulain Pharmacy First in Stellarton, and MacKinnons Pharmasave in Antigonish. For more information about the light therapy lamps at the library, and how to use them safely, read the informational poster located next to each lamp in the library, and visit the informational webpage, www.parl.ns.ca/services/therapylamps.php .
As the year comes to a close, the library has lots of fun programs on the go, for all ages and abilities, for the young and young-at-heart. Most programs and special events are drop-in as you wish, with a few requiring pre-registration, due to limited materials or space. From Santa’s visits, to making reindeer food, scavenger hunts (for all ages) for Christmas elves and Santa’s missing reindeer, to LEGO Challenges, making Christmas cards, colouring contests and a Secret Santa Reading Challenge. For the full list of programs on the go, visit our PARLevents calendar at www.parl.ns.ca/events/index. php.
For more information on upcoming library programs, special events and services, drop by your local library branch, follow us on Twitter, find us on Facebook or visit us online at www.parl.ns.ca.
Trecia Schell is Community Services Librarian and Branch Librarian — Books-by-Mail, River John, Stellarton and Trenton public libraries.