Please read something other than To Kill a Mockingbird

Throughout the month of February we’ve been featuring books about black history, and books, movies and music created by black artists, on our website and on display in our library locations.

Our February Free Flicks included BlacKKKlansman, Sorry to Bother You, and In the Heat of the Night. And we hosted a dance workshop – thank you to our partners, the Afro-Tribal Dancers!

As the month draws to a close, we want to share some resources to support you in reading, listening to, and supporting black artists all year long, as well as a few books that may help further your thoughts and conversations about race and racism in this community and in this country.

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Holiday happiness

Happy Holidays! Our holiday hours begin this Saturday. Please check whether we’re open before heading to your local library any time from Saturday, Dec. 24 to Monday, Jan. 2.

While we’re open, stop in and stock up on books, movies, and music, or try out our new virtual reality experience. We’ve also got plenty of fun, fabulous, and (as always!) FREE activities for people of all ages.

Party in the Stacks

Andrea Bellemare of CBC-KW, Sam Allen from the band Run Coyote, and our amazing MC, Craig Norris of CBC-KW

This fall, we held a fundraising kick-off party for our new digital media studio, Studio Central, and we’re overwhelmed with the support we saw from this community. Party in the Stacks was a big success, thanks to so many of you. See the photos below.

Tell us your Best of 2015

Five of the most popular fiction picks for 2015. How many have you read? Photo courtesy of Daytime 20.

It’s that time of year: the Best of 2015 lists are coming out. Every newspaper, magazine and website is featuring the critics’s picks of 2015 – the best of fiction, non-fiction, YA, poetry, children’s books . . . the categories are endless.

These lists are a great way to pick up suggestions, track what you’re reading, watching, and listening to compared to the broader culture, and to find holiday gift ideas.

Sundays, fun days

Come and visit us on Sunday – we’re back to serving you seven days a week!

We’ve returned to regular hours, which means that starting this weekend, October 18, and running until December 13, Central Library is open on Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. 

Music to your ears

If you think the library is a really quiet place where you’ll be shushed, think again. The Music in the Lounge series at Central Library is just one of many ways we’re creating a lively, active space in your libraries.

“The music brings an added life and vibrancy to the library. This is what we mean when we talk about community connections – it’s a shared cultural experience that’s available to everyone, free of charge,”  says Sheila Bauman, events planner at Kitchener Public Library.

“We’ve had people come up and thank us, because they’ve been able to enjoy performances that they wouldn’t have been able to afford elsewhere. Or they’ve been exposed to something, like the KW Symphony or Ballet Jörgen, that they may not have sought out on their own.”