Barbara Frum District Blog

Gardening Mastery

                                               
    

Join us at the Barbara Frum Branch

on Thursday, May 16th from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

for our Balcony and Terrace Gardening program,

presented by the Toronto Master Gardeners.

All are welcome, please call 416-395-5440 to register. 

 

Join us for a discussion of the importance and challenge of city gardens.  Presented by the Toronto Master Gardeners, topics will include repairing containers, maintenance issues and different types of containers.

Learn how to select plants such as annuals, perennials, herbs, bulbs, climbers, shrubs, trees, and roses.

 

  

Celebrate Asian Heritage

 

 

May is Asian Heritage Month

 

In May 2002, the Government of Canada signed an official declaration designating May as Asian Heritage Month.

 

Toronto Public Library joins in celebrating the richness and diversity of Asian culture throughout the month of May with many exciting programs and events. 

 

Check out some of these fiction titles available through the TPL catalogue for more information on Asian culture, and works by Asian authors:

 

 

The wandering falcon by Jamil Ahmad, The good muslim by Tahmima Anam, Dogs at the Perimeter by Madeleine Thien, and Red earth, pouring rain by Vikram Chandra.

 

 

The grammarian by Annapurna Potluri, The hope factory by Lavanya Sankaran, Dreams of joy by Lisa See, and The headmaster's wager by Vincent Lam.

 

There are thousands of non-fiction titles available as well, including many travel books.  If you are planning a trip to Asia sometime, or want to read more about these wonderful places, consider some of these titles:

 

India: a sacred geography by Diana L. Eck, Lonely Planet China by Damian Harper, South Korea by Elizabeth Raum, Japan by John Hart Benson. 

 

Southeast Asia handbook by Andrew Spooner, Silk Road: monks, warriors and merchants on the silk road by Luce Boulnois, Where China meets India: Burma and the new crossroads of Asia by Thant Myint-U, and To Cambodia with love: a travel guide for the connoisseur by Andy Brouwer and Tewfic El-Sawy.

 

Check out the TPL website and catalogue for these titles, and many more informative and enjoyable reads, or stop by and visit us.  Don't forget that we also have many titles available in electronic format, DVDs, CDs, newspapers and periodicals.

 

 

What's greener than a Green Book Sale?

In honour of Earth Day, come out the Green Book Sale at Barbara Frum Branch on Thursday, April 18, 2013, from 2:00-4:00 p.m.  There will be LOTS of books and other library materials for sale at a reduced cost.  This is a great way to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Also, if you have any trinkets lying around at home that you no longer want, bring it in on the day of the book sale and exchange it for something else.  After all, one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure!  Feel free to leave something behind as long as you take something else home.

Mark it in your calendar!  That’s the Green Book Sale, Thursday, April 18, 2013, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Barbara Frum Branch.

 

When it comes to making your life greener and your environment more eco-friendly, the possibilities are endless.  Every day can be Earth Day with a few simple changes to our habits and practices.  The TPL catalogue has many resources to help you get started.  Check out some of these titles:

 

Remake it clothes: the essential guide to resourceful fashion: with over 500 tricks, tips and inspirational designs by Henrietta Thompson, 2012

1000 ideas for creative reuse: remake, restyle, recycle, renew, by Garth Johnson.

Delicious gifts: edible creations to make and give, by Jess McCloskey

Composting inside and out: to fit your space and lifestyle, by Stephanie Davies

Junk genius: stylish ways to repurpose everyday objects, with over 80 projects and ideas, by Juliette Goggin

Gardening by cuisine: an organic-food lover's guide to sustainable living, by Patti Moreno  

 

We can all help to make the world a greener, cleaner place.  This Earth Day, how will you celebrate?

Working the dead beat - how did these people change Canada?

 

 

   In her book, “The Dead beat,”  Sandra Martin, a columnist for the “Globe & Mail”, has honoured the lives of Canada’s famous, infamous, and unsung heroes  in this collection of obituaries of the first decade of the twenty-first century.

    Please join us as Ms. Martin presents at the Barbara Frum Library on April 18, 2013, to talk about her book and the interesting people whose lives and deaths she has chronicled. 

    Do you agree with the choices she has made for this book?  Are there other people who left us in the first decade of this century, whose lives and deaths you think should have been included?  Are there choices here that surprise you?

    One of the subject headings for her book is “heroes.”  Do you agree that some or all of these individuals would be considered to be heroes?  And how do you define what constitutes a hero?

 

Call 416-395-5440 to register for this event.

Kids Have Stress Too!

Did you know that children can suffer from stress just like adults?  We all complain of having too much stress in our lives, but we often don’t even consider the stress in our children's lives.  School and social situations can sometimes be overwhelming for children, and it is important for them to learn techniques to cope with stress.  Stress can affect a child's ability to learn, be happy, and can even negatively impact their health.  If you are interested in learning more, Barbara Frum Branch will be hosting a program entitled Kids Have Stress Too!, for parents who have children ages 4-9 years old, on Tuesday April 16. Facilitated by a Toronto Public Health Nurse, this program will cover what is "stress" for your children, how stress affects your children, and how to help your children cope with stress.  Please call 416-395-5440 to register.

For more information on kids and stress, check out some of the Toronto Public Library resources below:

       

Barbara Frum's next month's Book Club read for 2013 is ...

All are welcome to the 2013 Barbara Frum Book Club Tuesday meetings from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Room A on the third floor of the library.

 

Meeting dates for 2013 are as follows:

• January 22 - Major Pettigrew's last stand by Helen Simonson
• February 19 - Hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet by Jamie Ford and/or The tale-teller by Susan Glickman
• March 19 - We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver
• April 23 - Keep Toronto Reading One Book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• May 21 - The virgin Cure by Ami McKay
• June 18 - The free world by David Bezmozgis (2011 Governor General’s Literary Awards Finalist - Fiction and Shortlisted for the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize)
• September 24
• October 22
• November 19
• December 17

Visit this post again to click on the dates above for more information about the book we will be reading for that month. Join us and share your views on this featured book of the month.

For more information and to register, call 416-395-5440.

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot... and Dolly Beil

   Jewish people here in Toronto and all over the world are now in the midst of three very important holidays.  The first is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the first of the High Holy Days.  This two day celebration is believed to be the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve,  the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind’s role in God’s world*   This year, this was from sunset on September 16 to nightfall on September 18.

    This holiday is followed by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year for Jewish people.  This holy day is traditionally observed with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer.  This year, it is from sunset September 25 to nightfall on September 26*

    From October 1 through 8, Jewish people will celebrate the holiday of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.  It is a biblically mandated festival on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.  "Sukkot" is the plural of "sukkah," referring to the fragile dwellings the Israelites used during their 40 years of travel in the desert after fleeing from Egypt.*

     In Toronto, we should all be familiar with the sight of Jewish people walking to or from their local synagogues during these days.

     But what might it have been like to have grown up in another country?  The Barbara Frum Library is very pleased to be able to present Dolly Beil, author of

“Growing up Jewish in China” on Tuesday October 2, at 7 pm.   Dolly was born in 1927 and  grew up in Tsingtao, Mukden, Harbin and Tientsin. “ She and her family lived through the Japanese occupation of China, liberation by Americans at the end of World War II, civil war between Nationalist and Communist forces, and the flight of foreign nationals from an increasingly closed society.”  **   We expect her evening with us to be full of fascinating and entertaining stories, and urge people to preregister for this event.

     Dolly and her family were among many Jewish people who lived and continue to live in China.  Here are some other suggestions for reading on this topic:

 

  


* source: Wikipedia

** source: amazon.com

 

Relationships, what's right for you?

I wanted to blog this week about relationships. I’m not going to offer relationship advice but I will say that working with older adults has opened my eyes to the deep significance of meaningful relationships.  However, is it true that everyone in the world needs a close human companion? I can hear a member of the Nifty Frum Friends group yelling at me in amazement that I would even ask such a question. He always tells me that he loves to be around people so much that it keeps him alive.

Does this sound at all familiar to Mary Shelly’s classic novel, Frankenstein? Oh yes, the exaggerated beast that was engineered so differently that he died from bitter lonesome. This classic novel of course was written well-before the blast of extreme diversity and today in our age, it’s unclear whether we all need that deeper interaction to survive.

At any rate, there are many people who continue to look for meaningful relationships in their lives.  Interestingly enough, the search for a significant other, whether a friend or lover, is not just an adult thing. In my experience with older adults, the need for companionship and intimacy is even more important.  

I do believe it's time for relationship seekers to read beyond the daily horscope and use some resources available at the library to make it happen.  Below are resource recommendations for older adults that want to build a significant relationship but need some help getting there.

By the way, Elaine Ruth Mitchell, will be available to share her deep knowledge about dating in the latter stages of her life.  Bring your questions, enjoy an afternoon of conversations and meet new people.  Further program details are available here.

Children's Summer Programs at Barbara Frum Library

 

With the school year winding down, it’s a great time to think about coming to the library for some of our wonderful programs. Here is a list of the programs we will be offering for children and tweens in July and August.

 

 

Pyjama Time: Stories, songs, rhymes and activities for children age five and under with their parents or caregivers. No registration required; drop-in. Mondays, 7:00 – 7:30 pm (July 9, 16, 30; August 13, 27)

 

 

Family Time: Stories, songs and rhymes for children age five and under with parents and caregivers. No registration required; drop-in. Fridays, 11:00-11:30 am (July 6 – August 10)

 

 

Chess Club: Interested in playing chess? Then join Barbara Frum’s Chess Club! Open to beginners and experienced players alike. Register on the 2^nd floor or by calling 416-395-5440 after June 25. For ages 7-18. Fridays, 2:00 – 4:00 pm (July 6 – August 10)

 

Terrific Tuesdays: Join us every Tuesday for fun games, entertainment, and other Summer Reading Club fun appropriate for ages 5 to 12. Tuesdays, 2:00 – 3:00 pm (July 3 – August 28)

 

 

Wacky Wednesdays: Bring your own popcorn and enjoy newly released movies on our large screen! Suitable for all ages. Day camps are welcome. No registration required. Wednesdays, 2:00 pm start time (July 4 – August 29). Special start time of 12:00 pm on August 29.

 

Tween Thursdays: Join us for a special program every second Thursday for tweens ages 9 to 18. Register on the 2^nd floor or by calling 416-395-5440 after June 25. Thursdays, 2:00 pm start time. Comic Art: July 12; Fantastic Fun Felt Crafts: July 26; Sock Monkeys: August 9; Afternoon Gaming: August 23.

 

 

TD Summer Reading Club: Sign up in the children’s department starting June 25 and get your free poster, bookmark and activity booklet. For every book you read starting July 3, you will get a sticker to put in your booklet. The stickers also contain a secret code that you can use to unlock surprises online!

 

If you have any questions about these programs, you can call the children's department at 416-395-5442.

And remember... you can check out our upcoming programs with detailed descriptions by visiting our website and following the links. Too much work? Click here instead!  

Fines can be Fine

                    
 
Oh yes, I totally get it – nobody likes spending more money than they need to;  I’ll be the first one to tell you that.  I know some of you are thinking, “touché and true-say to that brother.”   Sometimes though, fines can be a good thing that benefits everybody, including you!

In recent months, I’ve been getting calls from our members about library fines: some accepting the responsibility of being late, while others are troubled by the concept.  Let’s talk about it for a moment.

Envision a library without a fines collection program, what would it look like?  For starters, people would not have a reason to return borrowed materials on time.  Library materials would be held onto longer than they should be and it would be very difficult to predict when they would be returned to the library so the next person could benefit.  How does that affect you as a borrower?  The pool of published resources that Toronto values would be less accessible, disorganized, and outright inefficient... scary isn't it?

So the next time you incur fines, remember the bigger picture and keep in mind that fines collected ensure the integrity of YOUR library.  Above all, fines are reinvested to improve library services to better serve you.

If you still don't welcome the idea, be sure to return your library items on time... here are some tips on how to avoid fines and pay them if you get to that point.