Coming in at #42 on the Top 100 Things Our Patrons Say is, “I haven’t had a library card since I was a kid”. Lacks the desired enthusiasm of #41’s “The library is my favourite place to be!”, but much better than #43’s “I can get everything I want on the internet”. Regardless, the expression is usually fraught with the anticipation of judgment, expecting us to turn haughtily on our heel and scorn, “No library card in 20 years?! Never darken my door again”. In reality, we’re happy to issue a card at any age (or library user experience level). Really. And with September being Library Card Sign-up Month, it’s the perfect time to take us up on that offer.
Thorold Public Library cards are free to anyone in the Niagara Region. Yep. Free. No easy installment payments and no difficult hidden fees either. This includes access to all our books, magazines, comics, e-resources (which also include books, magazines, and comics), non-traditional lending items such as board games and nature kits, audiobooks, Music CDs, computer and Wi-Fi access, video game rentals, and a whole wall of DVD/Blu-ray selections. The latter of which may spark a slight twinge of Blockbuster nostalgia - but minus the intoxicating aroma bouquet of popcorn and fresh plastic. We’re working on it. Many are also surprised to note that, much like the video rental shops of yore, we also offer the latest movie releases and several popular series, not just war documentaries and 20-year-old exercise tapes (though we’ve got you covered there too).
If approximately 89,000 items aren’t enough for you (some people are like that), you can also use your Thorold Public Library card to borrow material from other cities in our Libraries in Niagara Cooperative consortium by selecting your desired location in the dropdown menu of our catalogue or performing a more general search through all of LiNC. Currently our consortium includes Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library, Fort Erie Public Library, Pelham Public Library, Lincoln Public Library, and Niagara College libraries – but expect to see new areas pop up in the coming months. Patrons can request items from any library and pick them up here in Thorold – or vice versa. You can also use your TPL card to borrow items directly should you visit any of these other locations. This allows patrons to enjoy the resources from several Niagara area libraries as if multiple branches of one larger system. Which we are actually not. As a standalone, we often get patrons incorrectly referencing our “other branches” and have to explain how library systems work. That said, they sometimes don’t want to get it, so we just make sure they realize we’re the flagship location.
If somewhere in the ballpark of half a million items still doesn’t do it for you (some people are like that too), you can use your library card to request titles from outside Niagara via the Southern Ontario Library Service Interlibrary Loan program. Patrons can submit their desired titles at our information desk or register for a self serve account (also at info) and then later make their own remote requests. We’re often able to track down rare, out of print, or otherwise elusive copies of titles you just have to get your freshly washed hands on.
In addition to what sometimes feels like our little book borrowing side project, we also run over 800 programs a year. While you don’t have to have a library card to attend our events, you may as well go for the all-inclusive library experience. Currently we are in the midst of our six month of virtual programming through our Facebook groups, but come October we will be slowly introducing in-person programming with social distancing and all necessary safety precautions in place. We will first bring back our book clubs and adult craft night as well as multiple baby time sessions to allow for smaller groupings. Details will be posted on our website, social media channels, and monthly programming newsletter.
You can register for a Thorold Public Library card online (www.thoroldpubliclibrary.ca) or in-person. All you need to present is a piece of identification with your current address. Starting this week, we have our doors open again, so there is no need to make an appointment.
We ask that you follow the designated safety precautions and if you’re interested in using our computers, you my want to consider scheduling ahead as we are operating with a reduced number of internet stations to allow for required distancing.
Call to book: 905-227-2581.
