Agassiz Library is a very newsy place! And since it is our mission to “To connect people to the world of information and ideas” I hope you expect no less than regular good news!
The big news this past week, is about a first of firsts. Every year elementary schools in the Fraser Valley participate in something called The Reading Link Challenge. Hundreds of grade 4 & 5 students read the same books and in local competitions, answers questions to compete for top spot in this sport of reading. This year, I am bust-up proud to announce that one of the teams entered by Sts’ailes Community School won top spot in the Upper Fraser Valley against other Agassiz and Hope teams to move forward to the Fraser Valley Challenge in Fort Langley this week. Gold stars to the students, teachers and parents for this big win and bigger effort!
In other breaking news, the annual Agassiz Friends of the Library Trivia Quiz Night is coming up fast. One of the best events of the Agassiz-Harrison social season, this fund-raiser/fun night always fills up, so come get your tickets right now. The funds raised stay here in our home towns to support summer programming for kids, and our friendly volunteers always like to do up something special. This year a show from Science World is coming to town. I wonder if there will be explosions? They are also bringing the crew of beasts and their human friends from Urban Safari Rescue (formerly Cinemazoo) to give locals an up close and personal experience with some wild creatures. Participating in the Quiz Night is a guaranteed good time as you will share some time with friends new and old, have some refreshments, possible become an official Know-It-All and provide support to your local library. Doesn’t get much better. News on the antics to follow!
This past month we have been getting freestyling at our Preschool storytimes. Reading old favourites, finding new ones and doing lots of laughing. Recently, we had a special guest reader, from our very own community newspaper. Editor of the Observer, Lorene Keitch read some of her funny family favourite picture books to our littlest citizens who come every Friday to their library to hear stories and sing songs. This is one of the things that parents can do to start their children begin their wonderful journey into being readers and learners. The kids just think they are at storytime for the fun of it, and that’s how we grown-ups like it. It was great to have Lorene share with future newspaper readers and to talk about the Adventure Club in which The Observer with the help of A & W, Agassiz Library and Petro’s Pizza Plus celebrates the birthdays of local kids. Every week in the paper, there is a great little book suggestion and your child’s name when it is your birthday month. The gifts to your child are cool eats and a book! Our kids can never get too many happy birthday wishes, so join the Adventure club, just go say hi at the Observer office.
I want to report as well that two new programs we tried out this past winter were great successes. The Lego Club and The Scrabble Club will definitely see return engagements in the Fall. Thanks parents for the help at Lego Club, thanks Friends for buying more Lego and to the adults who enjoyed afternoon Scrabble, we hope you will be back!
And since this is a library column, the final bit of news I want to share, is of course, the book at the top of my reading pile at the moment. I am trapped in a fantastic read called, “The Secret History of Wonder Woman” by Jill Lepore. This is turning out to be one of the most fascinating non-fiction reads I have enjoyed in many years. Yes, it is about the comic book character Wonder Woman but her origin has so much more to it. She was not just a drawing of an Amazon warrior princess and a super hero storyline. Her originator, Dr. William Marston was a staunch supporter of women’s rights in the suffragist years and also the inventor of the polygraph machine (lie detector). His quirkiness, his family, friends and enemies, plus the time he inhabits informs much of this ‘secret history’. Fascinating and full of “I never knew” moments, I am so glad my shirt-tail relative Tiffany lent me her copy and said, “You have to read this!”. I am, and you can lasso a copy for yourself at your library. It won’t matter if you are a comic lover, a history lover, a secret super hero or you just love an engrossing book, this read is time well spent.
That’s all the news that’s fit to print today, and as is fitting for such a super place as your public library, I quote Wonder Woman and say … ”A new journey to be started. A new promise to be fulfilled. A new page to be written.” Happening every day at your library.
Be sure to buy tickets at the Agassiz Library for the Annual Know - It - All Trivia Quiz Night at Agassiz Library. Fun and Fundraising in one night. Sponsored by the Agassiz Library Society: Friends of the Library. Takes place Friday, May 1, doors open at 6:30. All proceeds support your Agassiz Library children's summer programs.