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Saturday, February 8, 2025
Library Week in NOTL focuses on young and old
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library's open house is set for Wednesday, Oct. 23. RICHARD WRIGHT

A common vision of a public library is one of quiet spaces full of paperbacks, periodicals and newspapers attached to sticks, but the new-age library is much more exciting and broad than that, say a pair of NOTL library officials.

As part of Ontario Public Library Week (Oct. 20-26), the NOTL Public Library hopes to highlight just how modern and inclusive a library can be, with an open house on Oct. 23.

“We’re going to be showing all the different ways that the library can enhance people’s everyday lives through programs and services and resources,” said community engagement coordinator Debbie Krause.

With a theme of Libraries for Life, Krause and acting CEO Laura Tait are hoping to expose the library to audiences both young and old.

“We are there for every stage of their life,” said Tait. 

“We have families who bring their babies into story time and toddler time. The teenagers are probably where we struggle the most to bring them into the library, but we’ve definitely seen an increase in that recently.”

The biggest demographic to visit the library, said Tait, is the senior population.

She hopes even more will take this time to come down and learn about the programs that can help them directly.

Many seniors in Niagara-on-the-Lake, she said, deal with loneliness and she believes the library is a great place to combat that.

“One of our most successful programs are the social connections,” said Tait.

“We have a Scrabble club and a baking group and we have seen people who had no friends in town form real friendships.”

Tait would also like to highlight a program called Makerspac, geared toward helping seniors navigate and feel comfortable in the new electronic world.

“One of the biggest elements (of Makerspace) is digital literacy, which is in huge demand by seniors in our community.”

“That’s another kind of social connection thing as well,” she added, referring to how the population is increasingly using social media platforms to connect.

The open house runs from 6 to 8 p.m.

wright@niagaranow.com

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