Choosing Books for Preschoolers Part 1/2
March 6 2021One of the tricky parts of storytelling to younger children is making it through a whole book without losing their interest. The younger a child is, the shorter their attention span will be. The most effective way to help them stay focused is to find a way to make…
Resources on Bullying for Parents of Younger Children
March 1 2021On the last Wednesday in February, Canadians from coast to coast wear pink shirts to take a stand against bullying. Though the focus of Pink Shirt Day is on school-aged children, it's important that we remember that we adults have a part to play in the stand against…
The Little Book That Could
February 20 2021When you were a kid, did you ever come across one of those books that had a story on one side, and then when you got to the centerfold you flipped the book over and there was a second story on the other side? Those kinds of books have a special name: reversible books.…
Growing a Reader
February 13 2021Though there’s no 100% guaranteed way to turn a mini human into a reader, there are some strategies you can employ to greatly tip the scales in your favour. 1. Regularly read to your child This is by far one of the most effective ways to grow a reader. It’s hard…
A Book By Any Other Name: Part 1/?
February 6 2021What we have written on throughout history has been just as varied as the writing systems themselves. This new series will be looking at the wonderful variety of writing media used across the globe. We hope you enjoy! =-=-=-=-= Clay Tablets Origin: Uruk, Modern-Day…
Strategies for Storytelling
January 31 2021Holding the book – If you’re reading from a picture book, hold it in such a way where your child can see the picture and you can see the words at the same time. Try to avoid reading from the page and then holding the book up for your audience to see. This breaks…
Lesser-Known Gems in Our Catalogue: Ella Enchanted
January 22 2021Cursed as a baby with the “gift” of obedience by a misguided fairy, Ella is forced to always do as she is told. One day, she decides enough is enough, and sets out to find the fairy who cursed her to demand she fix her mistake. The book is a retelling of Cinderella…
So, Just How Rich Is Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy?
January 15 2021If you've ever read Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, you know that the famous Mr. Darcy is rich. But how rich is kind of vague from a modern reader's perspective. Being told that Mr. Darcy has an income of £10,000 a year doesn't help much in giving us an idea of his…
A (Very) Brief History of Spelling
January 9 2021When we think of written language, we think of spelling and grammar. It’d be kind of hard to communicate through writing if we didn’t agree on which combinations of symbols mean what, after all. And you’d be right – writing without an agreed-upon way of spelling…
Where Exactly In the North Pole Does Santa Live?
December 19 2020Everyone knows Santa lives “at the North Pole”. The thing is, the north pole is a pretty large place, encompassing several countries and 3 continents. This ambiguity about Santa’s address has led to a rather intense rivalry between countries with territory past…
Using (and Finding) Google’s Advanced Search Option
December 12 2020Did you know that Google has an advanced search option? And it’s really handy for narrowing your searches. There’s a common misconception that getting a lot of results is a good thing when you’re doing a search, but that’s not necessarily the case. What you…
Things Kids Say in Libraries: Storytime
December 4 2020Librarian: [makes meowing sounds because there's a cat in the story] Five-Year-Old: You know, that's not half bad! [Entire group of five-year-olds proceeds to attempt to imitate Librarian's meowing] =-=-=-=-= Eight-Year-Old: You know, this story's really good, actually.…
The Most Complete Ancient Library We Know Of
November 27 2020In 79 CE Pompeii wasn’t the only town buried by Vesuvius. The nearby town of Herculaneum, although saved from the initial destruction, also met its end that day. From a library standpoint, what makes Herculaneum more special than Pompeii is that one of the uncovered…
Welcome to Night Vale
November 21 2020What Is Welcome to Night Vale? Welcome to Night Vale is a podcast about a fictional sleepy desert town under a vague yet menacing totalitarian government rule. Though everyday life ranges from bizarre and ridiculous to ominous and horrifying by our standards, its citizens…
Getting to Know Us: Shannon Loehr
November 15 2020Position: Interlibrary Loans Clerk How long you have worked at Bon Accord Public Library: 4 years. Book you think everyone should read: The Space between Us by Thrity Umrigar, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.…
Librarians On Screen
November 2 2020People tend to think that librarianship is a rather sedate, calm, quiet kind of job (insert loud librarian laughter here). As such, it's not often that librarians are featured in adventure stories. So here is a mini celebration of adventurous librarians on screens…
Horror Movies for People Who Don't Like Horror Movies
October 27 2020Whether you’re trying to get someone who doesn’t like horror to get into the Halloween holiday spirit with you or you’re delving into the genre of your own volition, we have you covered. When helping someone find a good book to read, it’s useful to know what…
Getting to Know Us: Anita van der Leek
October 21 2020Have you ever wondered about who are the people that keep the library running so smoothly? Now is the time to have those questions answered. This is the second of a series of short Q & A interviews with the people that work hard to make your experience with the library…
Getting to Know Us: Joyce Curtis-Bonardi
October 14 2020Have you ever wondered about who are the people that keep the library running so smoothly? Now is the time to have those questions answered. This is the first of a series of short Q & A interviews with the people that work hard to make your experience with the library…
Some Libraries Are More Special Than Others
October 7 2020There are four main types of libraries: public, school, academic, and special. Special libraries are, by far, the most diverse of the four. If it can be collected, there may be a special library that collects it. We wanted to share with you a glimpse into the weird…
