Happy Canada Day!

Celebrate everything Canadian at your library this long weekend!

Here is a list of great Canadiana films created by one of our staff - ORL Watches - Film Canadiana

And some recommendations of great Canadian stories, set in and written in Canada from coast to coast - ORL Reads - Canadian Stories, Eh?

No Canada Day would be complete without watching this great video of Shane Koyczan performing We Are More - watch it now!

Books to read for National Aboriginal Day

National Aboriginal Day is this Friday, June 21st. BJ, our adult collections librarian, came up with some good suggestions:

 

1/ I have done two lists in BiblioCommons in the past… ‘Theytus Books – Celebrating 30 Years’  and ‘Okanagan First NationHistory, Stories & Legends’   

2/ “Speaking My Truth: reflections on reconciliation andresidential schools”  - selected by Shelagh Rogers (CBC) and series editors Mike DeGagné and Jonathan Dewar  (short memoirs and essays from a variety of perspectives) We have a book club kit for this title as well. 

3/  We have 2 interesting dvds donated  by Westbank First Nation “Stories from Westbank First Nation Women”  and  “MoreStories from Westbank First Nation Women”.

4/  Some FN storytellers and authors I’d recommend:  Harry Robinson (Okanagan), Jeannette Armstrong (Okanagan), Tomson Highway (Cree), Drew HaydenTaylor (Ojibway), Richard Wagamese (Ojibway), Richard Van Camp (Dogrib)

4/  Finally read “Three Day Road” by Joseph Boyden  -- held my interest (actually my eyes were glued to the book!) on a longish plane trip.   Loosely based on a real-life First Nations sharpshooter in WW One - fabulous storytelling, amazing writing. 

 

 

Zinio for Libraries Updates Coming

The Zinio for Libraries sign-in page will have a bit of a different look starting on Monday, June 10^th.

RBdigital, the company that provides the digital magazine service for the ORL will be making updates to how you sign in to the ORL’s Zinio for Libraries collection.

 What does this mean for you?

The landing page you see when you click on the Zinio for Libraries link from the ORL website will look different. On the new landing page, you will see options to

• Learn more about Zinio for Libraries, with embedded tutorials
• Or, you can go right in to explore the digital magazine collection.

There are a few other updates that are in the works that you may see on Monday, so stay tuned with news about these changes.

Reading your selected magazines on your www.zinio.com account or through the Zinio app will not be affected by the changes mentioned above.

Update, June 10th:

 

As a follow up to the post above, there have been a few minor changes to what had been announced regarding the updates to the Zinio for Libraries service:

 

• When you click on the Zinio for Libraries link on the ORL website, you will be taken right in to explore the digital magazines in the collection. Returning ORL customers will be asked to sign into their Zinio for Libraries account at the point when they are checking-out the magazine.  

 

• ORL customers that are new to Zinio for Libraries, will be asked to create their Zinio for Libraries account at the point at which they will be checking-out the magazine.   To “check-out” the magazine, click on the cover image, then follow the on-screen directions to complete the account set-up!

 

 

New Branch Head for Westbank Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library

On May 31st, the community came out to the Westbank Branch to bid adieu to long-time librarian Judy Hammond. Musical entertainment, cake and other refreshments made for a fun party and Judy was honored by the number of people that came by, especially the many children that Judy has gotten to know over her 18 years with the Okanagan Regional Library. It was also an opportunity for patrons to meet Sharon Hanna, who will begin in the new position of Branch Head starting June 3rd.

Judy hands a stack of books
to incoming librarian Sharon

Sharon is excited about the move to Westbank. “It will be really great to get involved with the community there – to build relationships, to carry on the good work that Judy has been doing and to instigate some of my own ideas,” says Sharon. “It is a more independent position that will be fun and challenging – managing people and getting to know the staff and library patrons.”

Sharon brings a wealth of knowledge and experience both from her time as Reference Librarian at the Kelowna Branch since 2009 and as a Branch Manager in the Vancouver Island Regional Library System before that.

Sharon has two cats, named Oreo and Ewok! When she is not working, Sharon likes music, drawing with pastels, writing and has started a walk-run program with a goal of doing a ten kilometer run next year.

Please stop in and welcome Sharon to the Westbank Branch. The branch is located in the Westridge Mall at 2484 Main Street and hours of opening are Mondays 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesdays 10 am to 6 pm, Wednesdays 10 am to 8 pm. Thursdays 10 am to 6 pm, Fridays 10 am to 6 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 5 pm.