January is a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. But our best intentions can come back to bite us. How many of us have made grand plans in January, only to see them disappear by February? Change is hard – and personal habits are the hardest to change of
Continue readingTag: my writing
wmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: ’tis (almost) the season: your library can help
This holiday season, give a gift that entertains, educates, and informs – all for free. I am happy to announce – back by popular demand – another season of “Give Library”. Your favourite library branch has beautifully packaged library cards ready for you to pick up. Vancouver Island Regional Library
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: ’tis (almost) the season: your library can help
This holiday season, give a gift that entertains, educates, and informs – all for free. I am happy to announce – back by popular demand – another season of “Give Library“. Your favourite library branch has beautifully packaged library cards ready for you to pick up. Vancouver Island Regional Library
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: you can now borrow video games from your library
I am very pleased to announce that all Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) branches now offer video games! You can request and borrow games for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Video games are a great fit for the public library. You — our customers — want media. Whether
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: you can now borrow video games from your library
I am very pleased to announce that all Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) branches now offer video games! You can request and borrow games for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Video games are a great fit for the public library. You — our customers — want media. Whether
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: computer help in port alice, woss… and everywhere
These days, basic computer skills are as essential as knowing how to boil water. Whether it’s sending an email, using Skype to chat with a grandchild, or taking care of banking, computers have great potential to make our lives easier. Sometimes, computer use is a necessity. When the residents of
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: ahoy there, matey! you can learn how to talk like a pirate – plus lots of fun facts about real pirates – through free apps from your library
Can you talk like a pirate? September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a bit of fun invented by two friends in 1995 and spread around the globe via the internet. Typical “pirate-speak” are growly phrases like Arrr Matey, Avast Ye Landlubbers, and the ever-popular Shiver Me Timbers.
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: dreaming of streaming… at the library
If you have internet access at home, you are in for a treat. The Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) has several high-quality streamingservices. You can listen to audiobooks, watch movies and documentaries, learn skills – and learn about the world – by streaming or downloading on your own devices. And
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: come play and learn!
We’re celebrating Christmas early here at the Port Hardy Library – and Port McNeill, Port Alice, and Sointula Libraries, too. We’re so excited to unwrap wonderful new supplies for the community to enjoy in our libraries. For children, we have a new selection of wooden puzzles, showing animals, shapes, “things
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: did you know your library is steam-powered?
Your library is STEAM-powered. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. But STEAM is much more than those five subjects. It’s an approach to education and learning. STEAM is a way of looking at the world around us, discovering how things work, and working together to create. STEAM
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: summer reading club is back
Summer Reading Club is back! Register your child today. Can you believe it’s June already? The days are long, the kids are restless, and summer is in the air. Whether you’re cleaning out the camper, booking a cottage down island, or just wondering how you’re going to keep your children
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: jobs and careers: we’ve got you covered
Jobs and Careers: We’ve Got You Covered Recently I had the pleasure of attending a career fair hosted by the Kwakiutl First Nation. I wasn’t there to convince anyone to become a librarian – although it is an awesome profession! I was telling people about the resources our library has
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: life lessons are found in all kinds of stories
At Your Library: What Should Your Child Read? “All my son wants to read are comics!” “I don’t approve of those zombie or vampire books. Kids should read something more uplifting and educational.” “Do comic books count as reading?” “My daughter reads those ‘world record’ books. I want her to read
Continue readingwmtc: best of wmtc, 2018 edition
The “wmtc’s greatest hits” page is now updated to include 2018. Somehow Allan continues to find highlights.
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: is your child ready to read?
In our local paper. At Your Library: Is Your Child Ready to Read? Kindergarten is a child’s introduction to school – but your children’s education begins long before they ever set foot in a classroom. At The Library: Is Your Child Ready to Read? Teachers and librarians talk about something
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" in the north island eagle: column #1
I’m writing a library column for the local newspaper! I’m really excited about it. Everyone reads this free paper, so a column is an amazing opportunity to promote our services. It’s also a fun writing challenge, to strip away the library jargon, appeal to a wide audience, and quickly write
Continue readingScripturient: 2018 in review
As the year 2018 closes, it’s time for my customary review of what I wrote. It’s also time to thank every reader for participating, for reading my humble musings, for sharing my posts and sending me emails about them. I appreciate your presence and your comments. Twenty eighteen was another
Continue readingwmtc: what i liked, what i hated, and what i don’t understand: a list about my election campaign
I agreed to stand for election because it was an opportunity — an opportunity to bring a progressive perspective to a riding where those ideas are usually overlooked, and a personal opportunity to expand my own skills and experience. Overall, it was a positive experience — because it was so
Continue readingScripturient: A farewell to 2017
Twenty seventeen has a special significance for me, beyond merely another year in the ever-lengthening calendar of my life. I find it difficult, sometimes, to believe I am as old as I am – who, after all, lives this long? I used to think that. Back then, back in my
Continue readingwmtc: best of wmtc, 2016 edition
Even though I don’t blog very much anymore, my editor still manages to find some highlights. Best of wmtc, 2016 edition.
Continue reading