The Niagara Falls library is never far from wherever you are

Column written by Greg Janssen, Community Development & Programming Librarian, originally published in Niagara this Week on Thursday, July 21.

Summer in Canada usually amounts to a few short months in a long, cold year. That’s why, right around now, a lot of people take their reading outdoors — to the park, the patio, the beach, the cottage — and the library becomes a bit quieter than usual, even without us shushing anybody.

What a lot of people don’t realize, though, is that the library stretches far beyond the four bricks-and-mortar branches many of you know and love so well. Especially during the nicer weather, the library is, more often than not, wherever you are.

If you’re buying delicious local strawberries, farm-fresh eggs, and local honey at the Niagara Falls Farmers’ Market at the MacBain Community Centre on Saturday mornings, the library is there. We’re giving out free herb and vegetable seeds from our seed-to-seed library. We’re also telling kids and parents about the bead necklaces they could be building with our free TD Summer Reading Club.

If you’re cooling off at a local pool or kicking back beneath a shady tree at a local park, the library is there. Each day of the week, we visit a different park or pool across the city to offer programs and activities to engage people and keep them reading all summer long.

If you’re at home, at work or on holiday outside the city, the library is there. With a computer, smartphone or tablet, you can access all of our digital offerings from almost anywhere. These include eBooks and eAudiobooks through cloudLibrary; eBooks, eAudiobooks, comics and streaming music, movies and TV shows through hoopla; classics of world cinema through Kanopy; professional and life skills development video courses through LinkedIn Learning; and more. If you don’t have internet access, drop by the library and borrow a free WiFi hot spot to get connected.

The lesson here is that you don’t have to visit the library to use the library. If you’re out at a community event, look for us. If you’re at home by yourself, we’ll keep you company. If you do want to come visit us, the doors are open seven days a week. We’ve got air conditioning, free WiFi, bookable one-on-one Tech Help sessions, programs for kids and adults, plus books; lots and lots of books.

For more information on all the ways you can use your public library, visit my.nflibrary.ca, call us at 905-356-8080, drop by any location, or find us at the farmers’ market any Saturday. Also, consider subscribing to our MyNFPL Insider e-newsletter for reading recommendations and to stay up-to-date on everything happening at your public library.