All right, folks. It’s time to get back to celebrating some positive library news. Namely, the approach of our 125th birthday in 2020. Whoot whoot (Nope. Didn’t think we could pull that off. But there’s no shame in trying. Okay, maybe a little.). So let’s get to it with our regularly scheduled 125 Fun Fact countdown, already in progress.
Fun Fact #95:
Like most public libraries, Thorold is managed by a CEO, but governed by a library board. So, what would be the correct familial analogy for this? Perhaps something along the lines of two very generous and youthful best friend-like siblings, because, do you really think we’d be silly enough to insinuate anything else?
The library board is comprised of citizens that apply and get elected to serve a four-year term. To be eligible for consideration, persons must be at least 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, Thorold resident, and not employed by the public library or its municipality. Some of the library board’s most important roles include maintaining and adjusting library policy according to patron needs (from Internet use to material borrowing agreements) and overseeing the library director/chief. We sometimes like to make this our job too, but are told it is “not our place.”
Fun Fact #94:
Another library-adjacent group you may have heard of is the Friends of the Thorold Public Library. This group is also comprised of volunteers, but their main function is supporting library programs and services through ongoing fundraising efforts such as our Little Library Shop and Silent Auction. These efforts support additional programming/event costs or equipment unsupported in the library’s base funding.
The group determines need based on current and future library initiatives and collectively decides which events/programs/services to support each year. This year, they purchased our virtual reality system and several years back they unforgettably added the rhino and hippo combo to our children’s department’s seating. So if we’re going the family route again, we suppose this would be the extremely eccentric, albeit wildly supportive aunt.
Fun Fact #93:
Anyone ready for some super vague statements? As a general, nonspecific rule, most library systems maintain a local history collection of (this part will floor you) local history. And by that, we mean that while we have material on Niagara as a whole (and in parts), our real distinction is all things Thorold. No two collections are alike. But they are the same in the fact that their specialty is serving their immediate area. So, grass is green, sky is blue. What do we actually have? Well, we can’t divulge everything at once because that would tie up around 67 facts, but one of our favourites is a (sadly) incomplete collection of Thorold Secondary School yearbooks from 1968 to 2004. And yes, they’re as funny as you’d imagine.
Our coworker is actually in one from the year 19*cough* and looks absolutely exactly the same. We also carry rare books such as Jubilee History & Township of Thorold, as well as decades of back issues of Thorold News (see Fun Fact #109 and the above pic).
Fun Fact #92:
From approximately March 1989 to May 1993, Thorold News ran a column called New Books at Thorold Library. Without fail, the articles began with the sentence “The following are the new books available at Thorold Public Library, 14 Ormond St., North” and then, rather unexpectedly, launched into a list of our newest arrivals.
You got what you expected, news-wise, in those days. One standout was a book called Ventriloquism Made Easy: How to Talk to Your Hand Without Looking Stupid (basically everyone’s life goal). At which point we were like, “There’s no way we still have this title.” Oh, but we do*. One review suggested that, “Once you start, you’ll be talking to yourself for hours” (everyone’s other life goal).
*If you’re now super stoked about checking this baby out, but don’t have a professional puppet, don’t worry. It also offers tips for using “balloon animals and gym socks.” Yep.
Fun Fact #91:
In a TPL brochure from 1996, several craft classes (including a very intriguing braided-look rug workshop) were advertised for up to $20 a session! Now, we’re not inflation experts, but this is obviously somewhere around $17, 000 in now-money. We’re not saying it wasn’t worth it, but what we are saying is that current Adult Craft Night rates (at $10 per session) is pretty good value for your money – running the first Thursday of every month, registration required.
Now if we could only figure out how to make something appear braided, but not actually braid it. And then also make that look popular again.
