Lego in Motion

As we continue to encourage creativity in the library, the Cedarbrae Branch has found success in incorporating the use of iPads into our programs. For our final Lego Club of 2014, kids made wonderful stop-motion films using Lego, and the National Film Board of Canada's stop-motion app. Check out a creation made by one of our participants!

 

Check out some books that the Toronto Public Library carries for inspiration on making movies at home!

  

New Year's at Noon

Remember when you were younger and weren't able to stay up until midnight to ring in the new year? Maybe your parents wouldn't let your bedtime slide that far, or maybe you just couldn't keep your eyes open, no matter how hard you tried.

If you've got little ones just begging to stay up late this New Year's Eve, we've got the perfect solution: why not celebrate a little early when the clock strikes 12...PM?

 

New Year’s Beagle courtesy of Cutie Pie Company on a CC license.

Gather the kids in your life and join us for a craft session where we'll create party hats and noisemakers and share stories and songs. We can't bring out the bubbly, but you can bring a snack or juice box to toast to the (almost) new year as we count down! There's no need to register; just drop by.

New Year's at Noon
December 31, 2014
11 AM - 12 PM
Cedarbrae Branch, 416-396-8850

I’d love to say we came up with this great idea, but the librarians over at the Fort York Branch shared their plans for a midday celebration with us. If you’re in that area on December 31st, be sure to check out their new year's event for children!

If you can’t make it out with the kids that day, here are some children’s stories to read together instead:

New Year’s Eve Thieves by Ron Roy

Who Stole New Year’s Eve? by Martha Freeman

Happy New Year, Mallory! by Laura Friedman

Just in Time for New Year’s! by Karen Gray Ruelle

Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport

 

Wherever you are when the countdown begins – whether cozy in your bed or celebrating with loved ones – have a safe night.

Happy 2015!

Find Volunteering Resources Online.

We get asked about volunteering opportunities all the time. It can be a little overwhelming trying to navigate all the options and find the best fit for you.

Photo courtesy of CollegeDegrees360 on a CC license.

If you're a teen between 14 and 19 looking to volunteer, you're not alone. With the highschool volunteering requirement, many youth are looking to rack up their 40 hours as efficiently as possible.

Although the library has a number of volunteer positions, there are many, many organizations and agencies looking for volunteers all across Toronto. There are even some ways to still squeeze in some volunteering this holiday season!

On Monday January 19, at 6 PM, come and join us for a session exploring all the ways to discover volunteering opportunities online. We will look at the different ways you can search for positions, how to contact various organizations, and figure out what best works for you. Also, a volunteer from SickKids Hospital will come and talk about what she does in her role and how she got there. Give us a call to register or to find out more: 416-396-8850.

 

Everything you can imagine is real: Young Voices at Cedarbrae

You may have noticed a new art display at the Cedarbrae Branch if you've walked in recently...

We're the lucky branch that will be displaying the Young Voices art exhibit for the month of December. 

These panels highlight some of the artwork that was submitted by Toronto teens to Young Voices, the library's magazine of written and visual art.

These talented young artists were selected by a small group that looked for high-quality original work that would be representative of and relevant to Toronto's diverse youth. Although only visual art is displayed in this exhibit, there are many more selections of prose and poetry in the Young Voices magazine. You can pick up a copy in your local branch, or check out an online copy of Young Voices right here on our website.

We are currently looking for submissions for the 2015 edition of Young Voices.
If you (or a talented teen you know!) are interested, be sure to check out the submission requirements and submit online. You can also print out a PDF submission form, if you'd prefer, and then simply attach it to your piece and deliver it to a staff member at your local branch.

The deadline for Young Voices 2015 is Tuesday April 7, 2015 so start thinking about your potential selection now! Remember, as Pablo Picasso said:  "Everything you can imagine is real."

For inspiration, check out some examples of different styles from all over the world:

         

Mystery gifts at the Cedarbrae Branch

Do you like presents? If so, Cedarbrae's got some surprise 'gifts' waiting to be checked out! If you've been to the Cedarbrae Branch this week, you might have seen our newest seasonal display. Each colourful package is a book waiting to be borrowed. It could be one of this year's hottest reads or a genre you've never read before, the only way to find out is to take it home and unwrap it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scarborough Repair Cafe: a HUGE success!

As you may remember from one of my last posts, we recently hosted Repair Cafe Toronto at the Cedarbrae Branch.

From 12 - 4 on Saturday, October 18, our already bustling library turned into an amazing hub of activity. It began with Repair Cafe volunteers transforming our space with colourful signage, then a spread of all kinds of tools, from tiny beading accessories to heavy duty pliers.

Photo courtesy of Repair Cafe Toronto

We had just under a hundred people come from all over Toronto to have their broken items looked at. Some of the things I noticed included a coffee maker, computer and car speaker. In addition to fixing small appliances, there were also tables for clothing repair and even book binding and paper repairs! The bookbinding table also doubled as a fun spot for kids trying out origami patterns and other simple paper crafts. Kids and adults alike were also invited to take a look at some of our bright book and DVD displays about recycling and repair that can be easily done. 

The volunteers worked hard to get most items up and running again. Nearby, those with repaired items could pose for a photo, proudly holding up a cute "Fixed!" sign to celebrate their participation at Scarborough's first Repair Cafe. The 'Fixed!" sign did face a little mishap of its own...

Photo courtesy of @RepairCafeTO on Twitter

As with all of Repair Cafe's events, this event was a success because of the combined efforts of both the volunteer Fixers and the interested partipants who came to learn. We had a great time seeing people working together, excitedly learning about how things work.

If you missed this Repair Cafe, not to worry: you can catch another one on Saturday November 22 from 10 AM to 2 PM at Skills For Change. This is going to be the last Repair Cafe for the year, so be sure to gather your items and head over this coming weekend!

A big thank to you all the kind folks over at Repair Cafe Toronto and, of course, all the library users who joined us to make this an amazing event last month!

Mondays at Cedarbrae

This September brought the return of school and what can be assumed to be a sigh of relief for many parents, but between tests and homework school can be a stressful time for most kids (and parents too). If parents or caregivers are looking for a fun and engaging afterschool activity for kids, look no further than at the Cedarbrae branch!

Cedarbrae recently launched its series of Monday programs for kids aged 7 to 12, every Monday at 4 p.m. The series consists of Maker Mondays, Library Club, and Lego and K'NEX Club. Through these programs we will encourage maker culture and hope to foster creativity in our young users. For our first maker session, participants used recycled materials to fashion musical instruments; shakers and drums could be heard throughout the branch!

    (Drums made at our inaugural Maker Monday)

The following Monday we revived our Library Club, which introduced young users to different aspects of the Cedarbrae library and even included a tour of the back room and our returns sorter. Through this ongoing program we are looking forward to showcasing different areas of the library’s collection in fun and exciting ways.

The third program in our Monday series is our Lego and K’NEX Club, which encourages participants to use their ingenuity and engineering skills. For our first session, kids were able to build what they liked, but can look forward to building challenges in the future.

 

(A mobile house made with Lego)

Every Monday at Cedarbrae we hope to support self-directed learning and independence, and help build confidence and creativity in our young patrons. For more information contact or visit the Cedarbrae library.

Mend Over Matter: Repair Cafe heads to Scarborough!

They say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But if it is? You head to the Repair Cafe! We will be hosting the Repair Cafe right here at the Cedarbrae Branch on Saturday October 18, starting at 12 Noon until 4 PM.

Repair Cafe Toronto is a not-for-profit organization founded by a small group of Torontonians who enthusiastically support the repair movement first started by the Repair Cafe Foundation in Amsterdam.

Image from Openclipart.org

Repair Cafe's mission is simple: reduce waste and make old things new again - all while teaching, learning and enjoying the art of the fix!

Think of the kinds of things you might have sitting around in your own home that may have fallen into disrepair. Are these items really broken beyond saving? Repair Cafe volunteer fixers can help you find out. These fixers work with a variety of things, from small appliances to clothing and books. As they put it,

"Repair Café teaches people to see their possessions in a new light. And, once again, to appreciate their value. Repair Café helps change people’s mindset. This is essential to kindle people’s enthusiasm for a sustainable society."

A recent article from University of Toronto's student newspaper, The Varsity, notes that "The Repair Café not only offered the opportunity to learn new skills but also the chance to connect with skilled people."

image courtesy of Repair Cafe Toronto

Whether you're interested in being a volunteer fixer yourself, just watching others repair items, or have something of your own you might want to try to get working again, be sure to drop by this event.

This Repair Cafe session requires no registration ahead - just bring an item that you'd like to get fixed and we'll help you get started! We're looking forward to a fun event with a wide variety of things to get fixed and skilled people to help you fix them.

For more information about the event on Saturday, October 18 (12-4 PM), give us a call at the Cedarbrae Branch at 416-396-8850.

Hope to see you there!

Open Mic Night @ Cedarbrae Branch

Calling all spoken word artists, poets and word performers: are you ready to shine?

Image courtesy of flickr user Grant on a CC license.

Join us for our first Open Mic Night tonight, October 9, 2014, beginning at 7 PM.

Our Artist in the Library, Dwayne Morgan, will be hosting this event and helping you get on stage and presenting to others. Dwayne is a well-known poet, performer and speaker who will be working with youth on all kinds projects this Fall and Winter on a one-on-one basis as well as organizing open mic nights like this.

Whether you've got a few performances under your belt, or are brand new to the scene, be sure to come by and see and share the talent Scarborough has to offer!

Registration is not required for this event and youth (13-19) are all welcome to attend.

Need more info? Give us a call at the Cedarbrae Branch: 416-396-8850. 

Scarborough Seniors' Discovery Fair is BACK!

Our last Seniors' Discovery Fair was a great success, and we're very excited to announce that we're bringing it back again this year!

Join us at the Cedarbrae Branch on Thursday September 25 from 2 - 4 PM to meet with a variety of organizations and service providers. There are a number of resources and services available to older adults in the community. This is useful not only if you're a senior yourself, but also if you're a caregiver or have older relatives or friends that may appreciate information about transportation, health care and more.

Image courtesy of MoodBoard on a Creative Commons License.

Here are some of the groups that will be represented at this year's Seniors' Discovery Fair:

• Alzheimer Society of Canada
• Canadian Hearing Society
• Catholic CrossCultural Services
• Community Care Access Centre
• Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities
• TransCare Community Support Services
• Toronto Hydro
• Toronto Public Health
• EMS - Emergency Medical Services
• Ontario Seniors' Secretariat and Minstry of Finance

If you - or someone you know - would be interested in learning more, this is a great chance to meet with people in your community, ask questions and get free information. No registration is required and don't forget that light refreshments and prize draws will also be part of this year's Fair!

Hope to see you there!