Director's Message

I hope this finds you well, enjoying the summer weather and a few good books. This is a summer to celebrate simple pleasures. Whether your plans involve road trips to visit family, camping adventures, or just some downtime in your backyard, I hope it is restful and refreshing.

On behalf of the library staff and board, I want to thank you for your gracious and generous understanding during this time of limited library services. We weren’t quite sure what to expect when we re-opened, particularly knowing that everyone’s stress levels are a bit higher than normal. We have been delighted (though not terribly surprised) to return to serving a community characterized by understanding, gratitude, and appreciation. Thank you for bearing with us as we sort out what library services can look like during a pandemic. Our staff feel safe and comfortable at work, and that is due in large part to your respectfulness and care.

We are making tentative plans for the autumn months at the library. While no decisions are firm yet, we do hope to resume room rentals and make more of the library available to the public in the coming months. Programming will likely not resume until October while we monitor the outcomes of students returning to classes. We will communicate all changes through our website, social media channels, and this email list.

I don’t know how you’re feeling, but I have been a bit overwhelmed by the news lately. It has been helpful and good for my soul to get lost in a good book once in awhile. Here are the latest titles I have enjoyed:

• A Sorrowful Sanctuary by Iona Whishaw – this is the just one book in the series that begins with A Killer in King’s Cove. These are lovely cozy murder mysteries that take place just outside of Nelson, BC in the late 1940s. They feature a wonderful cast of characters and a beautiful locale.
• The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman is a story about two families intertwined by heartbreaking secrets. I also enjoyed Wartime Sisters by the same author. Both stories are told by multiple narrators, and the short chapters make it easy to talk yourself into reading just one more until the wee hours.
• Elizabeth Strout is an author I really dove into during my maternity leave. Her storytelling is compelling, with very human characters who are rough around the edges. She writes them in a way that you just want them to find happiness. I have read a few of her short story collections, like Olive Kitteridge, but this month I read her novel Abide With Me about a grieving minister and the imperfect and sometimes meddling community he serves.
• My favourite book from the past month is A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende. I have recommended her books before, and I can’t speak highly enough of the exquisite storytelling and meticulous research that go into her books. This latest title follows characters through the Civil War in Spain to a new life in Chile.

One of the staff’s favourite parts of our modified service is that they have even more opportunity to suggest titles that you might enjoy. We have recommendations ready for you from different genres and read-alikes to your favourite authors. We even have a shelf full of my picks if you want a general fiction recommendation. The staff love to do this for all ages, so if you or your family members are at a loss for what to read next, let the staff make some selections for you.

We hope your summer plans include a visit to the library. Our staff have been so glad to reconnect with you and to see you again after so long. Take care.

Director's Picks - August

Abide with me : a novel

Strout, Elizabeth

A long petal of the sea

Allende, Isabel, author

A sorrowful sanctuary

Whishaw, Iona, 1948- author

The two-family house

Loigman, Lynda Cohen, author

See All Director's Picks - August