Petawawa Launches First Book Tree in Renfrew County

On Wednesday May 29th at 11:00 a.m. Petawawa launched the first Book Tree in Renfrew County at the Petawawa Civic Centre Playground, directly across from the Petawawa Public Library.

The Book Tree is a free exchange place where you can take a book, share a book or leave a book. You are welcome to take a book home and bring it back, keep it or share it with friends and family. If you have a book at home that you no longer need you can also leave a book. You do not need to leave a book to take a book.

There will be four Book Trees going up in different communities across Renfrew County- Petawawa, Arnprior, Killaloe and Pembroke.

The Book Trees in Renfrew County were inspired by The Book Tree in Berlin. The Book Trees in our communities were made possible by a group of dedicated individuals and agencies who shared a vision that we need to make books more accessible to everyone in Renfrew Community.

Spring Programs, Festivals & Fundraisers

Do you enjoy meditation, cooking or would like to attend a career workshop? The Petawawa Public Library is offering a host of programs this Spring including wellness workshops, a cover letter and resume building workshop, a Crepes Suzette cooking class and more. 

All of these great programs we offer the community are free, and you do not need a library card to sign-up. Our Library has evolved from a place of books to a place where the community gathers. We offer a variety of programs throughout the year for all-ages, as well as festivals and fundraisers. Upcoming special events include Home Is Where the 'Art Is, an interactive outdoors art festival and the Great Big Book Sale in June. Go to the Petawawa Public Library's website and look on the home page for more information on our programs, festivals and fundraisers or call Erika Malins at (613) 687-2227 ext. 2207 for more information.

Winner Announced for People's Choice Award

OSPCA Renfrew County's Winning Tree

We are pleased to announce that this year we had 14 local schools, non-profits and community organizations participate in the Petawawa Public Library's annual Christmas Cheer Tree Festival. We asked the community to participate in the People's Choice Award and vote for their favourite tree. We would like to send our congratulations to the OSPCA (Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Renfrew County branch for winning the Christmas Cheer Tree Festival's People's Choice Award. They will receive a $100 donation towards their organization as a prize. We hope everyone had a chance to come in and enjoy our Christmas Cheer Tree Festival which ran throughout the month of December. 

We would like to give a special thank you to Kinder Connection Nursery School, St. George's Chapel Guild, Ontario Provincial Police, Ontario SPCA Renfrew County, Women's Sexual Assault Centre, Friends of the Library, Town of Petawawa Staff Association, Civic Centre, Canadian Military Family Magazine, Ducks Unlimited, Jeanne-Lajoie pavillon secondaire, Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre, our very own Library Storytime and the Petawawa Rotary Club who all dedicated their time by coming into the Library and decorating trees to raise awareness for their organizations, making the library look spectacular at the same time!

Christmas Cheer at the Petawawa Public Library

Join us at the Petawawa Public Library on December 15th from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. for a merry afternoon of live Christmas music by local musician Amy Clarke, free Christmas treats, hot cocoa, a Cookie Swap and Storytime by the fireplace with a surprise visit from a very special guest from the North Pole, Santa Claus!

 

The library is also hosting our annual Christmas Cheer Tree Festival throughout the month of December so stop by to view the beautifully decorated trees lining our hallway designed by local non-profits, community organizations and schools. The community can vote for their favourite tree, and the winner will receive a $100 prize towards their organization.

 

For more information, please contact Erika at (613) 687-2227 ext.30

or by email to erika.malins@gmail.com

STORYTIME TRAIL

Planning to enjoy the great outdoors at Centennial Park with your family this fall?  Why not combine your visit with a great family-fun storybook too? 

The Petawawa Public Library has teamed up with the Civic Centre to offer the new “Storytime Trail” to the public.  As you wander along the walking trail at Centennial Park, watch for the specially marked sign posts along the way and enjoy the first six pages of the selected story.

Wondering what happens next?  To finish the story, visit the library and follow the footprints to find and read the book on display, or watch and listen to it online by visiting our website at petawawapubliclibrary.ca.  Just click  the TumbleBooks icon on our main page and enter the book’s title in the search box.

We will update Storytime Trail a few times a year with a new story. If you and your family enjoy the TumbleBooks experience, check out some of the other storybooks, read alongs and games available on the site.

TumbleBooks



TumbleBookCloud



Older readers can give TumbleBookCloud a try for ebooks and read-along chapter books, graphic novels, educational videos, and audio books.  Enjoy!

Celebrate Ontario Public Library Week at the Petawawa Public Library (October 17-22)

October is Library Month and we are celebrating Public Library Week from October 17-22.  In keeping with the theme, Your Library: A Place Unbound, we invite you to explore all the resources available both inside and outside the library.  Special activities and events will take place throughout the week!

On Monday morning, at 10:00 am, a representative from the Town Council will open the Library to officially kick off the week.  There will be refreshments and interactive displays about our services for families, businesses and community members.

Got fines? During Public Library Week, we will forgive fines you have accumulated in exchange for non-perishable food items as follows:
1 item = 25 cent fine for a book-type material
1 item = 50 cent fine for a CD or CD-ROM type material
1 item = $1.00 for a movie

Do you have an eReader?  Do you download audiobooks?  On Wednesday from 10:30 – 4:00 and Thursday from 4:00 – 7:30, use one of our training computers to find out about our ebooks and audiobooks.  Find out how to access them from our website and learn where to find help specific to your eReader or listening device. 

Discover tips and tricks to streamline your search and ask questions about the different services we offer.

Love to read .. and talk about it?  On Wednesday at 7 pm, discover the Petawawa Page-Turners! Could this be the right book club for you?  This informal meeting will take place in the Fireplace Lounge of the Petawawa Public Library. 

Books, coffee and snacks…what more can you ask??
 

Play our version of Guess Who? Match the baby picture with the appropriate staff member.

Children are also invited to get creative and design a bookmark and drop it off at the front desk. The Children’s Department will collect the bookmarks and draw a winner whose creation will be reproduced and distributed at the library.  How cool is that?

 
Smile.  Enter the Catch a Reader Photo Contest Draw for Teens.  Capture an image of a friend or family member caught in the act of reading.  Bring in the finished product and fill out a ballot with your name and the name of the person in the photo and you can both win a prize!

Throughout the week, Library Board members and Town Councillors have been invited to help out around the library and interact with visitors. Stop by and say "Hello!"  We are also holding a Stacks of Stuff Sale. A variety of books and items will be available to purchase.  You can also take home special library themed colouring pages and activity sheets.  But before you leave, don't forget to add your "Vision of the Library" to our display. We’d love to know what you think our library could be.

Updates will be available at:
http://petawawapubliclibrary.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Petawawa-Public-Library/102474823136454
http://twitter.com/#!/Petawawalibrary

SOME ONLINE OPTIONS FOR STUDYING FOR GED TESTS AND ENTRANCE EXAMS

OK, so you need access to sample questions for GED preparation or college assessements and all the "good" books at the Petawawa Public Library are already checked out.  Or perhaps you just can’t make it in to the library to see what we have in the way of study guides.  Give these online options a try:

INDEPENDENT LEARNING CENTRE (website)

By taking and passing the General Educational Development (GED) Test in Ontario, you will earn your Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate.  The Independent Learning Centre  (ILC) website provides complete information on registering and preparing for the GED test.  It also provides access to sample questions.  Scroll to Hints and Sample Questions and select Language Arts – Reading, Language Arts – Writing, Mathematics, Science or Social Studies.

ALGONQUIN COLLEGE TEST CENTRE (part of the Algonquin College website)

Some college programs require applicants to prove a certain level of proficiency in basic academic skills.  The Test Centre section of the Algonquin College website provides information on the types of assessments necessary for gaining admittance and includes some sample test questions for English and Math. 

E-BOOKS ON EBSCOHOST (Petawawa Public Library Online Database)

Just because we don’t have a book on our shelves doesn’t mean you can’t read it.  Many books are now available electronically!  eBooks on EBSCOhost (formerly known as NetLibrary) is a service that allows you to read an eBook on your computer at home.   A recent search of the eBooks on EBSCOhost database revealed 2 useful titles:

Curvebreakers. McGraw-Hill's LSAT. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2005. eBook Collection. EBSCO. Web. 18 Aug. 2011.  Click here.

Hasik, James, Stacey Rudnick, and Ryan Hackney. McGraw-Hill's GMAT : Graduate Management Admission Test. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2009. eBook Collection. EBSCO. Web. 18 Aug. 2011.  Click here.

Just log into eBooks on EBSCOhost using your library card number and then create a folder in order to read the eBook on your computer.

PETAWAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY CATALOGUE (for those who really like the idea of a “real” book and don’t mind waiting for books to be returned or replaced)

Try one of the following searches in our Online Catalogue:

Subject Search:  “General educational development tests—Study.”
Subject Search:  “High school equivalency examinations Study guides.”
Words or Phrase Search:  “Study guides.”

Then use your library card number and PIN to place a hold one of the books at the library and we’ll let you know when it’s available!  (Don’t have a PIN?  Ask us for one the next time you visit the library.)

Remember, "the sooner the better" when it comes to test prep.  Hopefully these resources will help you get off to a good start.  Good luck with your studies!