In the continuing fight against COVID-19, all libraries in P.E.I. were closed to the public in the latest circuit breaker restrictions. As always, library staffers are doing their best to provide books, DVDs and other materials while keeping everyone as safe as possible. This includes curbside service. Anyone who has items on hold can contact their local library to arrange a pick-up time, and staff will have items checked out and waiting in a safe, convenient spot.
In Charlottetown, the pickup spot is just inside the first set of doors, and pickups are scheduled every 15 minutes. For folks with mobility issues, there is designated parking on Richmond Street and staff will place the books in the trunk of the car. Outdoor book drops are still open for returns without coming inside.
Follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (P.E.I. Public Library Service) for the latest updates on reopening Also, please keep in mind that if there are future closures, the curbside model will continue.
Just a reminder that the public libraries in P.E.I. have gone fine-free, so don’t worry about being a bit late returning items.
Be sure to check out the library catalogue at www.catalogue.library.pe.ca to search for materials, place holds, check accounts and renew items. For additional help, call 902-368-4642.
The e-book and e-audiobook service is always available for 24-7 access from home at peipls.overdrive.com. Overdrive is also available on atablet or phone with the free Libby app.
Zoom Storytimes for the little ones have become a reality! Every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. read, rhyme and rock along with the Astounding Ashley or the Heartwarming Hazel. Pre-registration is required each week by email – [email protected] – for a Zoom invite.
For ages nine to 12, the library is offering a virtual Hackmatack Club. This exciting program is a reading group for a book award where kids choose the winner (like Survivor only with fewer bugs and more reading). Join Krystal from Montague Rotary Library on Zoom for fun activities and book discussions. Registration is required at [email protected] for an invite.
There is a Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories during the holidays. To celebrate that tradition (and my personal love of scary stories) here’s a few suggestions.
- Great Canadian Ghost Stories by Barbara Smith, which claims to contain ghost stories from coast to coast (and yes, P.E.I. is covered,I checked).
- Tomes of Terror: Haunted Bookstores and Libraries by Mark Leslie, true stories of the supernatural in literary locales. I’m not sure if this book includes the library in Truro, N.S., but that location has been investigated by paranormal researchers.
- The Residence: A novel, by Andrew Pyper. This title will appeal to ghost fiction fans and tells the story of an 1853 haunting in the White House (history, politics and ghosts — a triple threat!).
- Royal City by Jeff Lemire. This is three-volume graphic novel series that is both a family drama and a ghost story. An entire family is haunted by both the ghost of a younger brother who drowned and by their own secrets.
Happy holidays from the Public Library Service. Best wishes for 2021. Stay safe, healthy and warm and take some time to curl up with a good book.
Beth Clinton is the regional librarian with the P.E.I. Provincial Library Service. Her column appears in The Guardian once a month. Anyone who would like more information on programs should call the library at 902-368-4642.
