Summertime is a Great Time for Kids at the Library

By Isolde Ardies, Summer Student at the Trent Hills Libraries in Campbellford, Hastings and Warkworth

Geoffrey Lessard. The mural will be made by a group of local community members who have been learning how to cut, shape and solder stained glass at weekly lessons held by Heather Watt at Twindmills Markets in Colborne. We have had a great time learning new skills together and we’re excited to showcase our group effort in our mural that will highlight the Seven Hills of Warkworth, our lilac trail and maple syrup traditions. Stay tuned for the grand unveiling, happening later this season.

We also have a great community of knitters and crochet enthusiasts that meet at the library each week. These ladies enjoy sharing their projects, swapping patterns and have a great time chatting and laughing together. Their energy and joy enrich the library and we are so happy that they have found a home for their clubs at the library.

The Warkworth Library is also home to weekly yoga sessions and a chess club. Yoga at the library is led by instructor Melissa Ross, who provides lowcost yoga experiences and the chess club is led by enthusiast Steve Holt every Tuesday evening. There is room for more participants in both of these groups – just contact Patrick at the library for more information.

Another group that meets monthly at the library is the Warkworth Library Book Club. This community of readers discusses the themes and ideas found in a wide range of novels and the occasional non-fiction book. Our discussions are lively and the connections members make to the texts and to each other are often inspiring. The library provides books for two other book clubs, and we are always open to helping you start up your own book club and support your reading with book sets and recommendations.

Finally, the Warkworth Library itself has joined the community of Main Street Businesses in Warkworth by participating in and planning for a number of community events. As the Branch Supervisor, it has been a joy to get to know our local small business owners and work with them on projects like Pebbles’ Gotcha Day, WBA events like Magic Under the Stars and the recent successful Pride Street Party. The dedication, enthusiasm and joy that our local business owners demonstrate in every endeavour really makes our community a vibrant and fulfilling place to live and work, and the Library is so happy to be a part of everything Main Street has to offer! We have also enjoyed being a part of the Warkworth Maple Syrup Festival, our annual Warkworth Lilac Festival and the Percy Agricultural Society’s Fall Fair and look forward to maintaining a presence at these important community events!

If you would like to join one of our library communities, or have ideas to foster new ones, reach out to us and let’s see what we can do together!

The Trent Hills Public Library invites all kids, 2-12 to come to the library for summer programming! Programming will include story time, songs, and crafts, and will be running throughout the summer at Campbellford Public Library, Hastings Public Library, and Warkworth Public Library. Summer at the library aims to engage local youth and foster a love of books and reading in a fun and welcoming environment. Summer reading - of any kind- has been found to prevent “brain drain”, the process by which students lose academic skills over the summer. Summer reading also stimulates brain development, and improves attention span. However, summer at the library is not just books and reading! Kids can enjoy bonding with their peers and engaging with their creative side through crafts. For ages 2-6, programming will involve a themed story reading each week, alongside a mélange of songs and other activities. For ages 7-12, programming will include service-based and skills-based crafts, so kids can learn about and engage with their community and the world around them, all while having heaps of fun. Programming runs at the Hastings Library on Tuesdays, beginning July 4th, at 10:30am for ages 2-6, and at 1pm for ages 7-12. At the Warkworth Library, programming runs on Wednesdays and begins July 5th, with ages 2-6 beginning at 2pm, and ages 7-12 beginning at 3pm. Programming begins on July 10th at the Campbellford Library and runs on Mondays, with ages 2-6 beginning at 1pm, and ages 7-12 beginning at 3pm. Even if you cannot make it to the library for the summer, there are plenty of ways for your children to engage with stories over the summer! Try seeing how many different places you can read in, from by the lake to the forest. Or, on a long summer road trip, turn on an audiobook the whole family will love. If you are stuck on what books to read, head to the TD Summer Reading Club webpage, which has some phenomenal recommendations! kk

To register for summer programming, email iecardies@gmail.com