Librarians are a Resourceful Bunch!

Librarians are a Resourceful Bunch! - theHumm October 2019

By Karen DeLuca

What happens when a group of librarians from local rural branches get together to lament the lack of resources available to smaller libraries? Give it two months of planning and you have a full blown conference attracting well over 100 bookworms from all over Eastern Ontario!

The Little Branches, Rural Roots Library Conference came to fruition in just this way, and will be held at the Arnprior Public Library on October 4 and 5.

It started as a few calls to publishers, vendors and book industry folks, primarily based in Toronto. They jumped at the chance to be part of something innovative and new in Eastern Ontario. By mid-July there was a corporate sponsorship, donations stacked high and a website with online registration opening on August 1. The steering committee, comprised of library CEOs from Barry’s Bay, Killaloe, Renfrew and Arnprior, sat back to see what the uptake would be.

By the end of registration, the inaugural LBRR Library Conference was just shy of its maximum capacity.

There will be a plethora of incredible presenters, awesome give-aways and the potential for attendees to walk away with a wealth of knowledge and new contacts. All of this while managing to keep costs low for those without big conference and training budgets. The Arnprior Public Library Board has lent its support by closing the facility to the public for the two-day conference, allowing all staff to participate in the training, workshops and networking with peers.

Local authors Kerry-Lynn Sparrow (Arnprior), Amanda West Lewis (Perth) and Luke Murphy (Shawville) will share the stage for an author plenary focussing on how libraries can assist in the creative process. The second plenary is an important conversation about mental health and stigma.

Other sessions include starting a T’ween Knitting program for community engagement, learning how to podcast, best practices in cataloguing, finding free (or nearly free) online resources, and so much more!

The LBRR Steering Committee is thrilled that all of this information can be shared with peers coming from as far away as Millbrook, Muskoka Lakes and Cobourg. And no gathering of librarians would be complete without some fantastic social activities, including guided walking tours of Arnprior’s historic downtown, a Trivia Challenge, a closing concert featuring Sean McCann and a Make Your Own Sundae Bar to send everyone off in style!

The Steering Committee is excited at the prospect of delegates bringing knowledge and some fantastic giveaways back to their respective libraries, and helping each of these communities grow their resources, programs and collections!

Jean Morrow —theHumm Came Out to Morrow - theHumm October 2019

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

It was time to check out the artistic chops of another member of the amazing Almonte art scene. A relative newcomer to the community, Jean Morrow has opened her solo art gallery as part of her stunning Thoburn Mill condo overlooking the Mississippi River. Her art also brightens the walls and nicely complements Deborah Arnold’s supremely appropriate stone sculptures in the main corridor of this remarkable building. After several iterations of renovation since the historical......

Librarians are a Resourceful Bunch! - theHumm October 2019