Albert Campbell District Blog

Immigrant Diversity Week: Information for Newcomers on Employment Success and More

Immigrant Diversity Week is on now and continues until Friday May 3.

Free events, put together by the Employment, Education, and Training Action Group of the Toronto East Quadrant Local Immigration Partnership, are happening throughout the east end of the city, and many are taking place at library branches in the Scarborough community.

If you are new to Canada, drop in to your local library branch to find out what resources are available to you!

Photo of TTC subway tile by Marc Falardeau via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.

On Tuesday April 30, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., visit the McGregor Park Branch to get information from local agencies such as the ASCA Newcomers' Centre, which has been providing services for newcomers such as translation, interpretation, counseling, and employment-related services in the community for over 35 years.

On Wednesday May 1 join us for job-related workshops at Albert Campbell Branch. Find out about Canadian workplace culture and the essential communication skills you need to succeed in a diverse and competitive workplace from an employment counsellor from Goodwill Employment Services. Participants will learn about they key aspects of culture and communication, including non-verbal forms of communication, the expectations and assumptions of Canadian colleagues, and more. Or get information about resumes from an expert from Centennial College Job Connect, who will offer instruction on how to create effective resumes and cover letters. If you already have a resume or cover letter, bring it with you to receive feedback and tips for improvement. Useful handouts and skills lists will be distributed. Please call 416-396-8890 to register for one of these free workshops. Both workshops take place from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Visit the Kennedy/Eglinton Branch on Wednesday May 1, from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m., to get information about services for immigrants from the Catholic Crosscultural Services, which provides settlement and immigration services for all newcomers regardless of religion. 

On Thursday May 2, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Catholic Cross Cultural Services will be back at the Kennedy/Eglinton Branch to present a free resource information workshop for newcomers on immigration and refugee issues, settlement plans, and more. Register by phone, 416-396-8924, or drop in!

If you would like to practice your English communication skills, come to the Albert Campbell Branch on Thursday May 2nd at 3:00 p.m. for our English Conversation Circle. Learn about Canadian culture and improve your spoken English in an encouraging and supportive environment with other newcomers. To register, call Lakhbir Dhillon at 416-757-7010 ext. 212 or email ldhillon@cathcrosscultural.org, or just drop in!

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Can't make it to an Immigrant Diversity Week event? Don't worry - resources for newcomers are available at the library all year long. For more information, check out our webpage Find Your Way if You're New to Canada.

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Are you a newcomer looking for work? Here is a selection of books on how to achieve employment success, especially for job-seekers who are new to Canada (click on the picture for more information about the book and to place a hold):



Staff Pick

Room: a novel by Emma Donoghue        

Imagine being born and raised in an 11 X 11 foot converted shed where you spend every minute of every day.  Imagine not knowing what fresh air feels like.  That is reality for five-year-old Jack who has spent his entire life in a small enclosed space consisting of a tiny kitchen, bathtub, toilet, bed, wardrobe, and television.  This is all Jack knows of the world.  To him everything he sees on TV is fantasy, and the only people who exist in the “real” world are himself, Ma, and Old Nick.  In Jack’s universe food appears magically during the night, “Sundaytreat” is the highlight of the week, and gym class consists of running around a coffee table.

What Jack doesn’t know is that Ma has another name and was once a young college student with her whole life ahead of her.  Then one day she is abducted and held captive for seven years in an outdoor bunker.  After learning that Old Nick has been unemployed for months and experiencing his extreme cruelty in cutting off the electricity to the shed and not bringing food for days, Ma decides that immediate action must be taken to escape their horrific situation.  Waiting for Jack to get older and stronger is no longer an option.  She devises an elaborate plan to escape Old Nick, but is not prepared for how difficult life is in the outside world for her and especially for Jack, whose life is turned upside down by all the change.

Room by Emma Donoghue is both disturbing and inspiring, and will leave readers with a new appreciation for the everyday freedoms we take for granted.   The book is written from the perspective of Jack.  His childish innocence makes the book all the more heartbreaking for readers.  Listening to Jack describe hiding in the wardrobe while Old Nick visits his Ma at night and having to “count till he makes that gaspy sound and stops,” is extremely difficult as a reader.  Despite the sadness inherent to the narrative, Donoghue is somehow able to balance the horrifying aspects of the story with uplifting moments.  Jack’s triumph is saving himself and his Ma, and his determination to try to understand the outside world makes this book a memorable and emotionally-satisfying read. 

Staff Picks

 

The Race by Clive Cussler  

The race is an exciting novel which takes place at the turn of the century. Isaac Bell is one of the top agents for the Van Dorn Detective Agency which has been hired by newspaper publisher Preston Whiteway to protect Josephine Frost from her husband while she flies in a fifty day race across America. The year is 1910 and aviation is in its infancy and with a first prize of $50,000 for the winner. A number of aviators enter the race along with Josephine, who happens to be the only woman in the race, as well as Preston’s love interest.

Frost, Josephine’s violent-tempered husband, has murdered her lover and has tried but failed to kill her as well. This time he has vowed to finish the job. Along with hired thugs, murderers, thieves in every city along the way, and planes that are being sabotaged, the race is fraught with danger. Isaac likes driving fast cars and now has to learn how to fly an airplane in a few weeks without lessons in order to protect Josephine from sabotage during the race.

Isaac had tangled with Frost when he was just a young agent and lost to this giant of a man and has vowed not to lose again. Frost will stop at nothing to kill Josephine and anyone close to her as revenge for her betrayal with her murdered lover. Clive Cussler delivers a fun-filled adventure in his fourth novel featuring Isaac Bell and his fellow agents at the Van Dorn Detective Agency. This novel is thoroughly enjoyable, and will appeal to readers who like suspense, drama, and interesting characters.   

Welcome to the Albert Campbell District Blog!

Welcome! 

It is our pleasure to unveil this new blog for the Albert Campbell District.  Now you may be asking yourself, “What is the Albert Campbell District?”  This district is a group of four Toronto Public Library branches located in close proximity to one another and it includes the Albert Campbell, Eglinton Square, McGregor Park, and Kennedy/ Eglinton branches.  More information including the addresses and hours of operation for each branch can be found on the Toronto Public Library’s website.

What is this blog about? 

The Albert Campbell District blog will feature information on new books and resources in the branches, staff favourites and recommendations for good reading materials, special programs and events happening in the district and anything else we think may be of interest to you.  It is a place where you can keep up-to-date and involved with what is happening in your library.  We encourage you to help us make the blog an interactive space by sharing your thoughts and replying or posting comments on the blog.

We look forward to hearing from you!