News from New Brunswick / Nouvelles du Nouveau-Brunswick

 

The Albert-Westmorland-Kent Library Region will say farewell to its Regional Director of over 40 years, Claude Potvin on April 30^th. A celebration has been organized in his honor by the staff of the region to underline his legacy. All staff and board members, past and present, wish him a successful retirement, great health and happiness.

 

On May 1^st, Tina Bourgeois formally the Regional Director of the Chaleur Region will become Regional Director of the A-W-K Library Region, and Nadine Goguen, Public Services Librarian in A-W-K will become Acting Assistant Regional Director.

 

In the past months, the region has been in full transition mode, transferring years of knowledge to new brains and assigning librarian interns to the positions of Acting Public Services Librarian, Acting Technical Services Librarian, Acting Head of References Librarian and Reference Librarian at the Moncton Public Library. Respectively, we are pleased to welcome four librarians in these roles, Robin Illsley (DAL), Catherine Vienneau (DAL), Nathalie Brun (EBSI) and Pierre Goguen (McGill).

 

Plans are underway for the Cap-Pelé Public Library to be constructed in the Spring-Summer, with an opening planned for late Fall. The blueprints are unique as they evoke the shape of a boat.

 

The Riverview Public Library’s construction project is also advancing on schedule, with an opening planned in October-November. The reading room enhanced by a semi-circle of windows will be its distinctive appeal.

 

As well, since the demise of the A-W-K Bookmobile, after clocking more than 300,000 kilometers on the road, the region received a new library project proposal from the municipality of Rogersville, one of the bookmobile’s biggest stops. And in March, it became official: the Rogersville Public Library will open its doors in the Fall of 2009, after many years of lobbying for their very own public library.

 

In March, the Sackville Public Library celebrated its 25^th anniversary in their existing building, with a few authors in attendance, notably Budge Wilson and K.V. Johansen. (Interesting fact: the first story time in a library setting ever to be offered in Sackville dates back to the 1920s.) Music librarian at Mount Allison University and Board Member, Peter Higham, did a wonderful job as M.C.

 

The Moncton Public Library will celebrate its 20 years at its present-day address on Main Street in Moncton in April. Earlier public Library buildings were in existence since 1913.

 

Regional planning continues for the provincial Summer Reading Club 2009 launch which will be held at the Dieppe Public Library on June 4^th. The theme this year is Visual Arts. The slogan “Be Art-Rageous! @ your library / Soyez ARTistiques! @ votre bibliothèque.” The A-W-K region headed the project this year.

 

 

 

Leslye McVicar, director of the Kennebecasis Public Library reported that they have launched their slogan – Kennebecasis Public Library – Building the Next Chapter, and distributed “10 Reasons Why We Need a Larger Library” in the Kennebecasis Valley to both the local Valley Viewer, and the KVStyle à la David Letterman, as well as posting them on their website, and designing a bookmark with the 10 reasons. Staff and Board members continue to receive interesting comments from library users on the need for a larger facility.   Members of their marketing and fundraising committee met with Althea Arsenault of the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation, who offered great tips and suggestions.   Leslye also mentioned that Jenn Carson-Garnhum recently hosted a successful “Introduction to Book Making” program, with 14 participants. The attendants have asked for an encore program, which is scheduled later in the spring.

 

The Campobello Public Library received a $2,000.00 grant from Learning Unlimited in Charlotte County (L.U.C.C.) to purchase items/materials.   Manager Stephanie Milbury reports that new table and chairs, a Big Book Display stand, a mobile cart for holding craft supplies for the Children’s room as well as Young Adult fiction and non-fiction books have been purchased with the grant. A large exterior steel Library sign and directional arrow have also been purchased from these funds.

 

The Children’s Department in the Saint John Free Public Library in Market Square has begun to set up its new Big Cozy Book Furniture in the reading corner. The support of the Library Board in helping us to create an updated and inviting space is appreciated, as we work to meet operational goals, says Librarian Heather McKend.

 

 

 

Did you know that March is Child Life Month? In partnership with the Child Life Department at the Saint John Regional Hospital, the Children’s Department at the Saint John Free Public Library in Market Square developed a Family Drop-in table to promote the work of Child Life professionals, who support families preparing for such health-care events as vaccinations or a stay in hospital. Library and hospital staff members share an understanding that playing and reading help children learn about new experiences.    

 

 

On March 18^th Dr. Marguerite-Michaud Library, in conjunction with le Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne, hosted the official re-opening ceremony celebrating the recent renovations and expansion of the centre which included the library. In attendance was the Lieutenant-Governor Herménégilde Chiasson; the Honourable Hédard Albert, MLA for Caraquet, Minister of Wellness, Culture and Sport and Minister responsible for the Francophonie; the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency); the Deputy Mayor of Fredericton, Tony Whalen; the Chair of the District Education Council for School District 01, Ernest Thibodeau; and the Chair of the Board for le Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne, Pierre Cormier.

 

Another renovation project for the York Library Region was the installation of new flooring and an improved shelving layout at Médiathèque Père-Louis-Lamontagne. The library was temporarily closed during March to facilitate these improvements and staff report the end result was well worth the effort.

 

Libraries in York Region have been testing a new format in audio-books – Playaways. These pre-loaded digital audio players are about the size of a deck of cards. Each unit holds one audio-book title in a durable case. Because the actual medium is untouchable, the issues of damage or loss of individual CDs are non-existent, and patrons are raving about how easy these materials are to use. Their easy-to-use controls are especially well suited to seniors and the visually impaired. They have proven to be a great complement to our existing audio collections.

 

Throughout April, Fredericton Public Library will be hosting a series of speaker events to highlight the 2009 Fredericton Heritage Icons. Each year the public chooses images, locations or artifacts that reflect the rich past of the city and the Friends of the Library sponsor these informative evenings. This year’s icons are Fort Nashwaak, Royals Field, Maggie Muggins and the Coleman frog. 

 

We are also happy to announce that the Friends of the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation received a grant of $60,000 from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Atlantic. This grant allowed New Brunswick Public Library Service to purchase new material on breast cancer for each public library and bookmobile in NB.

 

These resources are available to all New Brunswickers who wish to learn about all aspects of breast cancer. For easy access to these resources, we have placed a pink ribbon link in the Health section of Find it Fast! in our online catalogue (http://vision.gnb.ca/).

 

 

Nous sommes également heureux d’annoncer que les Amis de la Fondation des bibliothèques publiques du Nouveau-Brunswick ont reçu une subvention de 60 000$ provenant de la région de l’Atlantique de la Fondation canadienne du cancer du sein. Cette subvention a permis au Service des bibliothèques publiques du Nouveau-Brunswick d’acquérir de la documentation récente sur le cancer du sein pour chaque bibliothèque et bibliobus du Nouveau-Brunswick.

 

Ces ressources sont disponibles pour tous les Néo-Brunswickois et Néo-Brunswickoises qui souhaitent en connaître davantage sur tous les aspects du cancer du sein. Pour faciliter l’accès à ces ressources, nous avons ajouté un lien représenté par un ruban rose dans la section Santé de Recherche rapide! dans notre catalogue (http://vision.gnb.ca/).

 

 

University of New Brunswick Libraries

Congratulations to John Teskey, Director of UNB Libraries in Fredericton, who is a 2009 recipient of the UNB President’s Medal. Medals are awarded for outstanding teaching, research and/or administrative
service over the span of a career. During the presentation held on March 23, President McLaughlin thanked John for his contributions to UNB and for his leadership and vision in charting the future of our
research libraries.

Stephen Sloan, a long-time librarian at UNB, played a key role in bringing about the publication by Goose Lane Editions much-anticipated Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Dictionary / Peskotomuhkati
Wolastoqewi Latuwewakon, edited by David A. Francis Sr., a Passamaquoddy elder, and Robert M. Leavitt, the retired Director of the Faculty of Education’s Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute at UNB. Further
information and the online version of the dictionary can be found at http://www.lib.unb.ca/Texts/Maliseet/dictionary/

UNB is playing host to the 29th annual STLHE (Society for Teaching & Learning in Higher Education) conference in Fredericton from June 17-20, 2009.  The theme for this year's conference is "Between the Tides" with further details available on the conference website: http://www.unb.ca/stlhe/index.php