St. Thomas Public Library
153 Curtis St N5P 3Z7 Saint Thomas, ON, Canada

Throwback to 2006, when we captured this shot of one of our library friends deep in a book and deep in the stacks. Who remembers when our Children's Department was upstairs?

Register for tomorrow's Virtual Tech Talk on Zoom, where we answer your questions about techology! Whether you need specific tech help, or simply want to learn about the digital world in a learner-friendly environment, we hope you'll join us! Next session is tomorrow, Thursday, February 18 at 1 p.m. Register online here: https://stthomas.bibliocommons.com//5fcf9f434ad4962f004c2b

In a joyful voice ask your child how they are today. Tell them how you are, "I am happy today to see you!" Ask them again and go back and forth. "I am excited today because the sun is shining!" Keep taking turns! When your child hears about your feelings and thoughts and shares their own, they're learning the skill of thinking about the feelings and thoughts of others. This is an important skill in learning to understand and get along with others. Source: vroom.org

Out for delivery: kindness! We're delivering all your awesome words of encouragement to seniors residences in town in honour of Random Acts of Kindness Day today! Do something kind for someone today, whether it's paying for a cup of coffee for the person behind you, salting an icy walkway at a neighbour's home, or calling to let someone know you're thinking of them! We're all in this together!

Virtual Tech Talk happens every Thursday at 1 p.m. over Zoom! If you have questions about tech like phones, tablets, or computers, this class is for you! Register online: https://stthomas.bibliocommons.com//5fcf9f434ad4962f004c2b

We're thrilled to have Maggie of Alzheimer Society Elgin-St. Thomas joining us virtually for a special storytime this Friday over Zoom! You won't want to miss it! Maggie will talk to us about how our brains work and share ways we can connect with loved ones who are living with dementia. Register online here: https://stthomas.bibliocommons.com//5fcfa3d94ad4962f004c2c

Using a light or the sun shining on a wall or the ground, show your child how to hold up their hand and make shadows. Make different shadows together, like when you both hold your hands up, and talk about what you both see. This is really a science experiment: You and your child are exploring light and how shadows are created! More importantly, you're experimenting with cause and effectwhat causes what to happenand using critical thinking skills to figure out how change happens. Source: vroom.org

We are collaborating with our friends at Ignite Youth Centre every Tuesday to share resources just for teens! Today we have an app recommendation for you: Word of the Day. This daily vocabulary builder app will teach you a new word each day. Get ready to work your new words into conversations to impress all of your friends! Search for the Word of the Day app in your app store.

Thanks to our friends Ignite Youth Centre for sharing this great resource! Find more information on youthspace below

Find thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks to dive into this winter with cloudLibrary! All available totally free with your St. Thomas Public Library card. To get started, visit https://stthomaspubliclibrary.ca/ebooks/

We are so excited to virtually welcome the wonderful Sarah Granskou for a Zoom Author Visit on Friday, January 29! Sarah is an artist and storyteller, rooted in Norwegian tradition through music, story, poetry and puppetryfolk tales (with a modern twist)! Register online to take part in this special event, here: https://stthomas.bibliocommons.com//5fcfa5b717e1da2400cb5f

It's time for Drag Storytime! Put on your dancing shoes and join Miss Shaneen and Eve Hill, as they sing songs and read "There's a Dragon in Your Book" by Tom Fletcher and "If I Was the Sunshine" by Julie Fogliano! Drag Storytime is brought to you in partnership with Rainbow Optimist Club- Southwestern Ontario, Elgin County Library, Middlesex County Library, Oxford County Library, and Pride understanding!

Our friends at Ignite Youth Centre have a fun virtual art night coming up this Thursday, supplies provided! Take a look at the post below for full information and register!

Head's up! We're having some issues with public printing. Printing at the library is currently unavailable. We're working on a fix as quickly as we can! Photocopying is still available. We apologize for the inconvenience!

If you want books for your little ones, but don't know where to start in a library full of choices, we're got you covered! Use our "Kids Pick" service and we'll select some books for you and put them on hold! Fill out the form here: https://stthomaspubliclibrary.ca/kids-picks/ You can also check out our website for staff-created booklists like this great Dinosaurs! themed list: https://stthomas.bibliocommons.com///1471754897/1770191899

Giving Tuesday is one week away! While you're shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, don't forget the spirit of giving on Giving Tuesday, December 3rd. To celebrate the giving spirit, we will share a tip or a story each day about giving back to the community in the week leading up to December 3rd! Join in the comments to let us know how you are giving back to the community. Remember, you can always support your library on Giving Tuesday or any day of the year! Donate once or join our monthly donor program, it can all be done easily online: https://stthomaspubliclibrary.ca/donate/ #GivingTuesdayCA

We spy a veeeeery familiar local library in this phenomenal video for the Impact Awards from St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce Tune in to the Impact Awards at 7 p.m. over on their Facebook page to celebrate and support our local business community and showcase our local talent!

Are you a browser? A researcher? Do you judge a book by its cover? We want to know...how do you choose what to read next?

There are several places in our community providing drop-in centres for warming up, food, mental health support, clothing, and more to those in need! Find more information in the image below.

There's still time before the holidays to book a 1-on-1 tech help session! Whether you're buying tech gifts or in need of some help setting up a Zoom account for virtual holiday celebrations with loved ones, we're here to help. We can connect with you over the phone or via video call to answer your questions! Call us at 519-631-6050 and press "3" or fill out the form linked below to get started. https://stthomaspubliclibrary.ca/1-on-1/

Question everything! Engage your child and sharpen their critical thinking skills by asking questions when you read a story! What do you think will happen next? What was your favourite part of the story? If you child is asking questions, answer them! This helps make the whole experience interactive and fun!

Calling all masterminds! Gather your friends and family (virtually) and join us for Zoom Trivia, Wednesday, Novembere 25 at 7 p.m.! Put your knowledge to the test in all sorts of categories like history, sports, random facts, music, science and popular culture. Register online here: https://stthomas.bibliocommons.com//5f9822145306ba47001d5b

We're welcoming back Miss Shaneen and Tobias for Drag Storytime! Today, we'll read "The Kindness Book" by Todd Parr, (Find it here: https://stthomas.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1228437155) and "Not a Stick" by Antoinette Portis (Find it here: https://stthomas.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1035955155!) Drag Storytime is brought to you in partnership with Rainbow Optimist Club- Southwestern Ontario, Elgin County Library, Middlesex County Library, Oxford County Library, and Pride understanding!

If you have an imaginative young writer in your life, they can enter the CBC First Page 2020 student writing challenge, for tweens and teens in grades 7 - 12! Participants write 300-400 words of a story set 150 years from now. Will they envision space travel, unbelievable technologies, or something entirely new? Full details for submission here: https://cbcliteraryprizes.submittable.com//the-first-page-

Today we're thinking back to Jingle Mingles past. We will miss seeing your lively faces this year, but we're just thankful that we could safely open to provide you with books and movies and a friendly "hello!". Here's a photo from our 2017 Jingle Mingle, when the Ukes of Hazzard blessed our ears with their particular brand of merry magic!

We're excited to bring you another storytime! Rhyme, sing, and read along with the wonderful Jess! Today, we'll read "One Red Sock" by Jennifer Sattler, with permission from The Sleeping Bear Press/Cherry Lake Publishing Group.

Another great resource from our friends at Ignite Youth Centre, the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre! Check out the details below:

Take a hike, buddy! Literally! That's right, it's Take a Hike Day, and we think everyone should get out and explore all the awesome nature trails in St. Thomas and Elgin County! (Yes, even in the snow!) You could check out the Whistlestop Trail (info here: https://www.railwaycitytourism.com/whistlestop-trail.html), Dalewood Conservation Area, or somewhere else. Where's your favourite local hiking spot?