It is wonderful to see the province starting to open up – safely and carefully. It makes library staff even more eager to see the patrons we miss so much.
While we don’t have any details on timelines or what our reopening will look like, we will be sure to let you know as soon as we can. Follow us on Facebook (PEI Public Library Service) and Instagram for reopening updates, fun stuff and information on the services available now.
One thing that is going ahead is the 2020 P.E.I. Book Awards. The short list for this bi-annual event has just been announced, supplemented by videos of the shortlisted authors reading from their works on our Facebook page. Winners will be announced June 6 through an online awards gala. This event is held in conjunction with the P.E.I. Writers’ Guild, which will be announcing the winners of the Island Literary Awards. Check the Facebook page or the P.E.I. Writers’ Guild for details.
Still with Facebook, live at 10 a.m. every Friday, adult services librarian Ray MacLeod holds the Socially Distant Book Club. You don’t need to read a particular book, just come ready to let us know what you’re reading now.
For some suggestions for a new read, check out what the library has available for e-books through its Overdrive service (peipls.overdrive.com). Access Overdrive on a tablet or phone with the free Libby app.
Here are a few choices: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead; The Black Count by Tom Reiss; The Gunslinger by Stephen King; Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman and the first Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone). Non-fiction choices run the gamut from cook books to diet books to history to biography and all topics in-between. I highly recommend A Field Guide to Lies by neuroscientist Daniel Levin and Blood and Daring by John Boyko.
I am sticking to books that are available at the moment (still great books though). That doesn’t mean we don’t have new titles, it’s just that Overdrive works like the real library and you may have to wait for other folks to finish with a book. If you’re interested in some of the new best sellers like The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens or American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins we have them in both e-book and audio. So, log in to Overdrive/Libby and place a hold. You’ll get an email to let you know when your book is ready for you.
For more information, about services, message us via Facebook or email [email protected].
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.
