By the time you read this it will be February 2021 and although life with COVID-19 is still very difficult, there is light at the end of this long tunnel. Vaccinations are on their way for all of us, the days are getting longer, and our amazing Alberta sunrises are inspiring us to hang on just a bit longer.
The library continues to be busy with curbside pick up as well as culling and purchasing LOTS of new books for readers of all ages and tastes. Ordering books is easier than ever with the NEW Tracpac App. Just visit your app store and download the FREE Tracpac App. Log in with your library card barcode # and pin. Browse for library materials and place holds. You will be notified when they are at the library and you can pick them up either on:
Tuesdays 9-12, Wednesdays 1:00-7:30.
And of course there is SO much more than books to explore. Log into marigold.ab.ca/eresources or search eResources on Tracpac. Once you are logged in you can learn how to use the most popular eResources with online tutorials from Niche Academy. Here are just a FEW of the many offerings:
Freegal: Music and music videos – download 5 songs per week (to keep) from a choice of millions of songs. Stream up to 5 hours a day – ad free!
TumbleBook Library: An animated collection of animated, talking picture books for kids.
Flipster: Current issues of popular magazines to stream or download.
PressReader: Over 7000 newspapers and magazines from 100+ countries in 60+ languages.
lynda.com: Online learning company that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals.
Auto Repair Source
Consumer Reports
Pronunciator: Language learning program offering self-directed lessons for adults and kids.
One of our new books is Outside the Margins (Lessons from Walking with Communities of the World) by Sharon Bieber. Sharon and her husband Dr. Bill Bieber, who hail from our neck of the woods, have spent all their working lives in parts of the Pacific, SE Asia, Africa, Nepal, Kosovo, India and the West Indies, helping families and communities flourish despite their difficult circumstances. Recently Sharon found all the letters she had written home to her parents throughout these years and these are the backbone and integrity of the book.
Thoughtfully divided into four sections, Integration, Collaboration, Demonstration and Multiplication, Sharon shares many stories from many communities, always recognizing the need to listen and learn. Each chapter is followed by discussion and reflection questions which help the reader focus on their lives and their communities. This book would make an excellent bookclub addition, promoting thoughtful listening and respectful understanding of the issues in our country and around the world.
Children’s Book Review From Jolene Friesen
Building our House by Jonathan Bean chronicles one family’s step-by-step process of constructing a home from the ground up. A young girl (who narrates the story) moves with her mother, father, and baby brother from the city to the country. When they arrive at their plot of land, there are no buildings in sight. The family lives in a trailer while they begin to build their forever home. Over the course of about eighteen months, the little family of four enlists the help of neighbours and relatives to make their dream home a reality. Setbacks occur (in the form of early frost and snow) and work happens at all hours, but the house still grows steadily (as does the mother’s pregnant belly). Finally, on an early spring day, the little family (of five, now that there is a newborn in the mix) officially moves into their from-scratch house, tired but completely content.
This story is special to our family as it very closely resembles the experience of my husband when he and his family moved out to bare land in Millarville over thirty years ago. They lived in a trailer while his dad (aka Grandpa Brian to my kids) built their home from the ground up. Each season of nature and the family and community’s growth is so beautifully represented through the pictures. This heartwarming book evokes feelings of being at home whether you find yourself in a busy city, or like us, home more than ever, nestled in the Foothills in the house that Grandpa built with love.
Thank you Jolene and finally a special shout out to all our Millarville families. Parents and their children have just got on with life with COVID-19, working from home, home schooling/not home schooling, no sports, no hanging with friends, etc. Throughout it all, parents and children have become ever more inventive. Here is a suggestion from our librarian and local mother, Natasha Grusedorf: www.thebestideasforkids.com/indoor-activities-for-kids
Hang in there everyone!
