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Brantford Public Library in the News, 2004

Letter to Brant County Residents

Dear County of Brant resident,

In December of this year the existing contract for service between the County of Brant Library System and the Brantford Public Library will expire. We realize that this will affect the many faithful patrons of the Brantford Public Library who reside in the County of Brant, and we want to provide you plenty of notice before the expiration date of December 31, 2004.

For decades Brantford Public Library has provided library services to the County of Brant. These services include inspiring children's programs, robust electronic resources, an extensive reference collection, over 15,000 individual CDs, DVDs and videos - and of course, over 200,000 books. Through our innovative award-winning partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford Public Library cardholders are also treated to an array of academic library resources.

We understand that losing these services will be frustrating to our customers. We are equally disappointed by the County of Brant Library Board's decision not to renew the contract. However, they have indicated that they would like to reinvest in their own library services, and we respect that. Without a contract for service in place Brant County residents will no longer be exempt from the non-resident user fee. Therefore, effective January 1, 2005, Brant County residents who wish to borrow materials will be charged a fee of $33.00 per card annually. This fee represents what each Brantford resident pays for library service through their municipal property taxes.

Brantford Public Library is, and will continue to be, a welcoming public space - our buildings are open and accessible to everyone regardless of where they live. All of our scheduled programs are free and open to everyone who walks through our doors.

It continues to be our distinct pleasure to serve you.

Sincerely,

B.A.R. Hodgson, Chair
Brantford Public Library Board

Celebrating Canada Book Day @your library

Brantford Public Library's Spring tradition continues to bloom as it holds its celebration of Canada Book Day on Saturday, April 24. The first 300 people to check out a book this Saturday at the Brantford Public Library will get more than some good reading.

On Saturday, in recognition of Canada Book Day, the Library will give out begonias with a small Canadian Flag to the first 300 customers to check out a book. The City Parks and Recreation Department and the office of the Hon. Jane Stewart assist the Library in this promotion.

And what better way to celebrate Canadian authors and books than with Silver Birch nominated fiction author, Michael McGowan. Mr. McGowan will be visiting the Main Library on Saturday the 24th of April at 10:00 a.m. to read from his debut novel, "Newton and the Giant", an impossibly funny story of a young, awkward, unathletic boy who desperately needs to escape from his sports-crazed quadruplet brothers.

"Canada Book Day is a special time to celebrate the awesome talent of our country's authors and we wanted to do something special for our users", said Rose Vespa, Chief Executive of the Library. "So many of our young readers have participated in the Silver Birch reading program this year. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet one of the nominated authors in person."

Michael McGowan is a multi-talented artist. Not only he is an author, he's also directed and created a kid's top animation show, Henry's World, which is now in its second season on the Family Channel and is seen in more than 50 countries around the world.

Michael has also adapted several literary projects for television, including Mordecai Richler's Jacob Two-Two series and Tim Wynne-Jones' Mischief City. In the fall of 2004, Alliance Atlantis will release the feature film, Saint Ralph, starring Gordon Pinsent and Jennifer Tilly, which he wrote and directed. Tickets for Michael McGowan are available at both the Main Library and the St. Paul Avenue Branch and will be entered into a draw for a "Giant Bag o' Books n' Stuff" immediately following the event.

Brantford Public Library serves the 87,000 residents of Brantford and, through a service contract, the County of Brant. Members of the community have come to rely on Brantford Public Library as a great place to find information on everything from auto repair to zoology. Last year, citizens made over 445,000 trips to the Brantford Public Library, accessed over 4.8 million Web pages and checked out more than 764,000 books, videos, and other resources. Internationally recognized for successfully combining traditional services with the latest technology, it also serves as a "virtual university library" for Brantford Campus students of Wilfrid Laurier University.

For more information contact:
Paula Thomlison, Manager
Marketing, Communications & Development
756-2220 extension 343
Email: pthomlison@brantford.library.on.ca

More to love at the St. Paul Avenue Branch Library on February 14, 2004

On February 14th at 2:00 p.m. the St. Paul Avenue Branch Library will welcome customers to its newly renovated facility. Mayor Mike Hancock and Board Chair, Bruce Hodgson will officially unveil the new CD, DVD and Red Hot Read collections. In addition to these exciting new resources, a redesigned floor plan allows space for a long-awaited book drop.

This beloved neighbourhood library first opened its doors on January 19, 1975. Located at 441 St. Paul Avenue, this is the first renovation to the building in 29 years. The branch now boasts new insulation, updated furnishings, new carpet, new shelving and a revamped community meeting room. "Thanks to the support of our City Council, the Branch has more resources and services to offer and is ready to serve this community for another 29 years," said Bruce Hodgson, Chair of the Brantford Public Library Board.

The reconfigured floor plan provides plenty of space for the new media resources at the Branch. The CD collection will appeal to a broad range of musical tastes and the DVD collection is an eclectic mix of classics, children's movies, action features and documentaries. 'Red Hot Reads' is a collection of current best sellers available for a 2-day loan period, perfect for people who want to get their hands on "hot" titles right away. The Book Drop, which is always open, can be used to drop off materials from either Brantford Public Library location. "Libraries are the cornerstones of our communities," said Brantford Public Library CEO, Rose Vespa. "Through the support of the community we're responding to the needs of our users by providing a place for education, access to technology, and leisure pursuits that contribute to a better quality of life."

The hours of opening at the newly renovated St. Paul Avenue Branch are: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Brantford Public Library serves the 87,000 residents of Brantford and, through a service contract, the County of Brant. Members of the community have come to rely on Brantford Public Library as a great place to find information on everything from auto repair to zoology. Last year, citizens made over 445,000 trips to the Brantford Public Library, accessed over 4.8 million Web pages and checked out more than 764,000 books, videos, and other resources. Internationally recognized for successfully combining traditional services with the latest technology, it also serves as a "virtual university library" for Brantford Campus students of Wilfrid Laurier University.

On February 14th there will be more to love @your library!

For more information contact:
Paula Thomlison, Manager
Marketing, Communications & Development
756-2220 extension 343
Email: pthomlison@brantford.library.on.ca