Do you have a business idea?

If you're thinking about starting your own business, you might want to consider coming to hear Carla Langhorst, creator of the website Small Business Solver, speak at Cedarbrae Branch on Saturday Oct 12 from 2:00-3:30 pm.



Ms. Langhorst will help you answer the question "Will Your Small Business Idea Fly?" In other words, is it marketable, profitable, and does it make sense for you?

Her talk is a part of Small Business Month at the Library. Check out other programs happening around the city here.

You might also want to apply for the Business Inc. course offered jointly by the library, the city, and the Toronto Business Development Centre.

The library of course also has many items available to borrow on the topic of entrepreneurship.

Not to mention the help that our Recommended Websites and Databases can provide. Looking for up-to-date market info and cutting edge information? Check there.

 

Seniors' Discovery Fair in Scarborough!

This Thursday, September 26, come join us for our Seniors' Discovery Fair!

This free event is a great chance to learn more about what services are offered specifically for older adults, right here in Scarborough. Come talk to representatives from agencies like Toronto Public Health and The Canadian Hearing Society, just to name two. There will be refreshments and the chance to win great prizes, so come by and find out what is available in your community.

Older adults are a huge part of Toronto, and it's a group that is expected to grow dramatically in the next ten years. Whether you're a senior yourself, are caring for aging parents or grandparents, or work with older adults, it's always a good idea to know what services are available. This includes health care, housing, and social events too.

In addition to fairs like this, there are many aspects of senior living: Toronto has its own Seniors' Forum, comprised of active seniors from around the city (and they recruit volunteers -- a great idea for those interested!) 

Don't forget to check out what's new at the library itself too: We will have a table set up where we can introduce you to upcoming library programs and services. For example, you can check out how to access Zinio, a new online magazine database that allows you access to current magazine issues online, free of charge with an active library card. Zinio is a great service for users of all ages, but can be particularly helpful for seniors who would like to enjoy popular magazine titles at home, or be able to do specific things like enlarge print and zoom in for reading ease. 

The Seniors' Discovery Fair at the Cedarbrae Branch will run from 2 to 4:30 PM on Thursday September 26th in our Program Room, on the first floor. Everyone is welcome, so we hope to see you there!

 

Plug in your banana!

Have you heard of Maker Culture? If not, you should brush up. The movement is growing stronger everyday.

As this site's intro to Maker Culture puts it, in the 1970s products created by hobbyists in their garage launched the personal computer revolution and launched companies such as Apple and Microsoft. Similarly, Makers (also called tinkerers, amateur inventors, etc) have been on the margins for a long time, but are becoming mainstream. Many factors have contributed, from technological progress, to cheaper electronics, to even the economic recession spuring people to repair and re-purpose items. This is a community that celebrates learning, and freely shares ideas.

Makers started in small niche groups (computer groups, electronics groups, robotics groups, craft groups, sewing groups, etc). Naturally they discovered that there are more possibilities for invention if they work together. These groups needed physical places to meet, share ideas, and learn.

As a result Maker Labs, Spaces, Faires, and hacklabs are springing up around the world. As are a variety of websites and e-magazines.

 

Help us start to make Cedarbrae Branch into a maker space. Come on Thursday Oct 3 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm for a hands-on introduction to basic circuitry and human-computer interaction with MaKey MaKey. More info here.

 

What is MaKey MaKey, you ask?

MaKey MaKey is an invention out of MIT that "puts computer controllers at the tip of your fingers. Literally. No coding required." As their website says "ever played Mario on Play-Doh or Piano on Bananas? Alligator clip the Internet to your world and start inventing the future."

Mario on Play-Doh

 

Piano on Bananas