By: Donna Clark-MacMurchy

The Library Link provides a service to our community that our two brick and mortar branches simply can’t. It does this by going out to the Coquitlam Community and bringing the Library to those who don’t have the ability or time to go to our two physical branches. It also links the community to the on-line branch. 

In the Summer the Link goes to local parks offering books and sharing information on services the Coquitlam Public Library and its partners provide. During the school year the Link goes to local primary schools that have Strong Start programs and augments the reading material for early learners.

Pre-pandemic, the Link held a library card blitz where it went to a number of the elementary schools and issued new library cards to children in the community, so they too could enjoy the services Coquitlam Public Library provides.

The Library Link is nearing the end of its lifespan. In the future, we want to continue to expand service in the community, bringing the Coquitlam Public Library everywhere it needs to be. It can be a first contact for newcomers, or it can provide that wonderful experience of checking out a book for the very first time to our youth.  

The Link also provides a hot spot for those needing free wifi, and as technology changes and improves, the Library Link will continue to adapt to the needs of our community. 

The Link can be seen at other special occasions in the community too, like at Canada Day, the Teddy Bear Picnic, Lights at Lafarge, Daisy Days, Neighbourhood Nights and more. 

  

By: Aleisha Smith

Hi, I’m the Library Link, also known as Mo the Library on the Go—check out my Instagram account! I’m sure you sit up at night wondering how I came to be at Coquitlam Public Library. Well, I’m here to tell you. Read the interview I did below to find out the history of bookmobiles, and well, me!

Q: When did bookmobiles originate?

Mo: They originated in 19^th century England! Back then, they were pulled by horses. Check out this picture of the Perambulating Library, one of the first recorded bookmobiles, in 1850s Warrington, England.

Q: What about in Canada?

Mo: In the 1920s, a British Columbia Public Library Commission created a plan to expand library service beyond Victoria. Even in these early meetings, there was talk of using book trucks, railway cars, and library boats to reach remote parts of the province.

On February 17, 1930, Fraser Valley received the first book truck in Canada. It was nicknamed “Parnassus on Wheels” after Christopher Morley’s 1917 book and serviced Hope to Ladner. There were no Fraser Valley branches at that time, but there was a central station in Chilliwack.¹ 


Q: Then how did they come to be in Coquitlam?

Mo: Well, I was not around back then, but from what I’ve read, the Coquitlam Public Library opened its doors in 1976. A quick look in the Coquitlam Archives shows bookmobiles were part of the Committee discussions about creating a public library in the 1960s. There were suggestions on where the “Bookmobile Stations” could be located.²

Fast forward around forty years, and you get the beginning of Coquitlam Public Library’s bookmobile service. It started as a special project in November of 2009 and ran for roughly three months. Regular service was introduced in July of 2010. The first vehicle, a 1992 Ford Ecoline van, was purchased from West Vancouver Memorial Library. It served the library well until it was sadly destroyed in an engine fire in May of 2014.

A permanent replacement, a Ford F-450 (that’s me!), was purchased from Sno-Isle Libraries near Seattle. I was outfitted with Wi-Fi and a sound system. Although I was a used vehicle, I was much more affordable than a new one. Fundraising and insurance paid for the new wheels, as well as a generous donation of $20,000 from Wesbild Holdings. The 2015 relaunch was thanks to my sponsors Wesbild, Industrial Alliance, Friends of Coquitlam Public Library, Rotary of Coquitlam, and community members.

Now I am happy to serve the communities of Burquitlam on Mondays, Maillardville on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Westwood Plateau on Wednesdays, Tri-City Family Place and Town Centre Park on Thursdays, Galloway Park and Burke Mountain on Fridays, Cottonwood Park on Saturday mornings, and Riley Park on Burke Mountain on Sunday Mornings. I love my job and meeting so many new friends. I still have a couple of good years left in me. Until then, I’ll just keep trekking along! See my schedule here.

Fun Fact: Traveling libraries exist all around the world such as Biblioburros (donkey libraries) in Colombia, two-wheeled carts in India, camel libraries in Kenya, elephant-drawn libraries in Thailand, and library ships in western Norway.<sup>3

Photo sources:
1. Wikimedia Commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WarringtonPerambulatingLibrary.jpg
2. Borrowers gathered at the Fraser Valley book van to make their selections in the 1930s. Bette Cannings in The Library Book: A History of Service to British Columbia by Dave Obee (2011)
3. “Participants in a Depression-era spring festival take time to celebrate the arrival of library service to the Fraser Valley.” Fraser Valley Regional Library in The Library Book by Dave Obee (2011)
4. Photo Source: Tri-City News http://www.tricitynews.com/news/258199161.html</sup>

1. Obee, D. (2011). The Library Book: A History of Service to British Columbia. British Columbia Library Association.
2. City of Coquitlam. Council and Office of the City Clerk (1891-). (February 8, 1962). Library Committee (Minutes 1962-63). Accessed through City of Coquitlam Archives Ref code: CA CCOQ F1-S07-32-2-32-2.5.
3. A History of the Bookmobile . POV. (2011). http://archive.pov.org/biblioburro/bookmobile/#:~:text=Inspired%20by%20reports%20of%20small,turn%20of%20the%2020th%20century.&text=She%20developed%20a%20horse%2Ddrawn,general%20stores%20and%20post%20offices.

By: Ann Johannes

We are so excited to introduce our Summer Reading Clubs for the summer of 2021! We’ve got 3 different clubs by age group:

BC Summer Reading Club for Kids

For kids aged 0 to 10, we’ve got “Crack the Case!”. There are 2 ways you can join:

1. You can join by picking up a booklet at City Centre branch, Poirier branch or on the Library Link.

• On every day you read, colour in a circle
• After colouring in 7 circles, give yourself a sticker
• Place all 7 stickers and earn a Summer Reading Club medal
• Return your booklet to the Library for an entry into the grand prize draw

2. Or you can participate online using the reading tracker. This will be available starting on June 14 using the BC Summer Reading Club Reading Tracker.

Just by participating, you'll be entered into our weekly giveaways and our Grand Prize Draw to win one of two Ozobot Evo's or a Tangiplay.

Middle Schoolers Summer Reading Club

We have a Summer Reading Club for Middle Schools which you can participate in a variety of ways. Just by participating, you'll be entered into our weekly giveaways and our Grand Prize Draw to win one of two gift baskets ($75.00 value).

You can also get prize draws by doing the following:

• Play Summer Reading Club Bingo
• Tell us what you’re reading

We’ve even got a couple of fun programs planned – a Write Now! Creative Writing for Tweens and Investigate It!

Teen and Adult Summer Reading Program

We have a Summer Reading Club for Adults and Teens which you can participate in a variety of ways. Just by participating, you'll be entered into our weekly giveaways and our Grand Prize Draw to win one of two gift baskets ($150.00 value).

You can also get prize draws by doing the following:

• Play Summer Reading Club Bingo
• Tell us what you’re reading

We’ve even got a couple of fun programs planned – a Write Now! Creative Writing for Teens and The Whodunit Murder Mystery Night.

For more details for all of these Summer Reading Clubs, check out our dedicated webpage for Summer Reading Clubs.

By: Melani Williams

Coquitlam Public Library has lots of ways to make your library experience a great one. Let us tell you how!

If you’re looking for something to read, watch, or listen to but not sure where to start, check out our Using the Library Catalogue brochure for help searching the catalogue and placing a hold. You can reserve (hold) almost any title and pick it up within one week of your hold notification. Some exceptions apply.

If you are really enjoying what you have borrowed but are not quite done yet, you can renew your items and extend the loan if you need more time. Some exceptions may apply.

If you know you’ll be away for a while and are worried about missing out on a hold, why not suspend your holds? You can re-activate them once you’re ready to pick them up! To learn more about managing your account, renewing your items and suspending your holds, check out our Patron Account brochure

If you plan to get away from it all but don’t want to worry about renewing (and may not have internet or reception where you are going), you can ask our friendly Help Desk staff for a Vacation Loan with an extended loan period of up to nine weeks! Some exceptions apply.

If you’re not finding what you’re looking for, why not tell us what you want? You can recommend items for our collection by filling out a Suggest a Purchase form. If the item you want is more than two years old, we recommend you request an Interlibrary Loan. We may not have what you want, but another library might. Let us help! Click here for more information about our Interlibrary Loan service.

If the problem is that you have too many things to read, watch, or listen to, why not keep a list? You can create a booklist or bookshelf that you can save or share. To find out more, watch our tutorial. Or to see lots of examples of staff and customer booklists, go to our What to Read page! You can also create a saved title list through your account and save your reading history to keep track of all your favourites. To learn how to do this, log in to your account and go to the Help option at the bottom of the screen. From the drop-down menu, select Saving Results with Title List and then scroll to find Save a Title List in your Library Account.

For more information on how to maximize your library experience, please ask at the Help Desk or email our Ask team!

My name is Gordana and I’ve had the privilege of joining Coquitlam Public Library team last month.

I received my undergraduate degree in Education and Linguistics from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, and Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of British Columbia. I have over 20 years of experience working in academic and public libraries in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

I have an amazing 21-year-old son for whom I hope to model tolerance and a love of learning. He is teaching me as much as I’m teaching him every day. I’m a firm believer in lifelong learning, social development, cultural understanding, and the transformational power that education has on individuals, communities, and nations.

My research interests include design thinking, information literacy, and information-seeking behavior. In my free time, I like to hike, cook, read, travel and entertain.

Get in touch with me using the convenient contact form on the Library's website.

By Jila F., Program Assistant and library user

Did you know we have a cool feature on our website called Booklists? What are booklists and what do you do with them? These are very good questions. Let’s explore.

Booklists are a way to share your favorite titles with other people. You can create them based on theme, genre, type of material (e.g. books, movies, audiobooks) and the list goes on and on. In addition to adding titles to your booklist, you also can add URLs for webpages or electronic resources. Once you’ve made a booklist, you can share it with other people or you can download it as a PDF and share it by email or even print it out.

Ok, but how do I make one?

There are two ways you can create a booklist:

1. From the Catalogue page, on the top right corner, go to Booklist or Profile.

It will ask you to login to your account. After logging in with your barcode and your PIN, you can start creating your booklist.

The cool thing is that you can even target your audiences for different age categories, so it’s easier to find it. Fascinating, right?

Once you have created a booklist, there is an option to retrieve its URL and share it on social media like Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. When people click on the URL, it takes them to your booklist, but not to your account!  Your viewers can add your items to their own booklists or send it to others, creating a huge circle of networking. Wow!

2. The other way to create a booklist is by searching any item in the catalogue. Once you find your item you can click on the “Add to booklist” button and either add it to your existing booklist or “Create a booklist” from scratch.

What I have found out about booklists is that they are so handy if I am looking for a specific title or a specific theme. I do lots of story times in the library online, so if, for example, I am looking for any books on an Indigenous people, I can use a booklist instead of searching in the catalogue. I can use someone else’s work and save time! What do they say? Work smart, not hard!

There is a tutorial on our website that shows all the steps, so please try it out and let me know what you think.

Have a good “Booklist” day!

Jila

By: Sharon Asuncion

Being stuck at home during the pandemic with your young ones means that you have to be creative in trying to seek ways to ease their boredom. I stumbled across Tumble Book Library when I was trying to find homeschool resources for my nephew.  I just wish I had known about this website when my kids were younger.

Tumble Book Library is a curated database of children’s eBooks, available by subscription to elementary schools and public libraries around the world. It is a digital collection created by adding animation, sound, music and narration to existing picture books. This means that kids can read on their own or follow along, while being read to.

The collection makes learning so much fun as it has different categories and comes in a wide range of subjects, styles, and reading levels. Categories include the following:

• Storybooks: Alphabet and Reading, Early Readers, Friends and Family, Robert Munsch, School, TV Friends, Animal Friends, Fables and Fairy Tales, Sports and Health, Art Class, Adventure, Imagination, Playtime, Humor
• Read-Alongs: Early Readers, Chapter Books, Advanced Readers, Children’s Classics
• eBooks: full-length chapter books for kids from grades 2-6
• Graphic Novels: Comics favorites like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Smurfs, Lego Ninjago, Geronimo Stilton, and more
• Non-Fiction: Animals, History, Geography, Science, Biography, Ecology, Insects, Seasons
• Math Stories: Simple patterns and numbers, counting money
• National Geographic Videos: Animals and Nature, History, Space and Technology, Biology, Geography, Earth Science, Social Studies
• Language Learning: Spanish, French
• Playlists: Over 100 pre-made playlists by theme, reading level, and playing time
• Puzzles and Games: Memory games, crosswords, matching games

The TumbleSearch feature allows you to find just the right book by subject, length, and reading level. Hyperlinked headings also let you sort by Title, Author, Book Type, or Accelerated Reader.  A red speaker icon shows you if a title includes narration or not.

Access Tumble Book Library for free through Coquitlam Public Library. Visit their A-Z Databases page and then click on Tumble Book Library. Need help? Email us at ask@coqlibrary.ca.

On Wednesday, April 21^st, we are running the Reading Link Community Challenge (virtually this year!). If you don’t know what the Reading Link Challenge is, it’s a program that has been running for over 10 years where schools sign up teams to read 6 different books. These books are selected by a team of library staff from the participating libraries who look for a set of books that includes wide gender appeal, varied read­ing level, positive reviews in library journals, multicultural themes, and Canadian/BC authors.

We start the process in September where we reach out to all the schools to see who is interested in participating. We order the books and deliver them to each of the schools who have signed up. In November, we visit with each of the schools to introduce the books and then we have a school-based challenge in March.

The students, all from grades 4 and 5, read 6 books. They spend so much time getting to know those books so well and the questions that are asked are tough! There are short answer, multiple choice, true & false and fill in the blank questions.

All the teams in a school compete by answering 30 questions. The team with the highest score goes on to the Community Challenge where they compete against the other schools in Coquitlam.

The schools that are participating from Coquitlam this year are:

1. Baker Drive
2. Cape Horn
3. Our Lady of Fatima
4. Parkland
5. Pinetree Way
6. Queen of All Saints
7. Ranch Park
8. RC MacDonald
9. Smiling Creek

The winner of the Community Challenge gets a big trophy which they get to keep for a year! They also receive medals in the Community Challenge for 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd place. But, all the teams are winners in our hearts because these are kids that put themselves out there and work so hard!

The top 2 teams from the Community Challenge goes on to the Grand Challenge. There, they will compete against students from North Vancouver, Fraser Valley, New Westminster and Surrey! There’s some tough competition out there! Please join us in wishing the best of luck to these teams!

Photo: 2019 Reading Link Champions, Porter Elementary

Having trouble finding your next read? Feeling a bit bored? If you’ve been reading the same authors over and over again, and starting to find that you’re losing interest, not to worry. We’ve got you covered. Here at Coquitlam Public Library, we have many ways to help reignite your interest in reading. Here are some options:

Watch our weekly virtual book talk
Every Wednesday at 11:30 am, our staff go live on Facebook to present to you book or movie picks. They’re recorded too, so visit our archive of videos to watch your fill of recommendations.

Check out our New and Notable lists
Did you know that every week, the Library receives new materials? We also put them into handy booklists so that you can easily browse and place holds. Check out our lists for:

• Adult and Large Print
• Adult Non-Fiction
• Kid’s Books
• Teen Books
• Movies and TV

Sign in to our catalogue to create and share your own booklists too!

Join the CoqLibrary Virtual Book Club
Once a month, our virtual book club meets on Zoom to discuss books! The book club is held on Facebook where comments are posted regularly leading up to a virtual meeting. Participate every month or only select months that spark your interest. Each month, we’ll pick a book and a genre. You choose what to read.

Explore the NoveList database
Get free access to this database and find reviews, reading recommendations, discussion guides, read-a-likes and more. You can also search for books by genre, age group, pace or writing style. Then, use their convenient ‘check the library catalogue’ link to see if we own the book.

Browse our ‘New Books’ section in-library
Both City Centre and Poirier branches have a ‘new books’ section where you can browse and borrow our latest titles. 7-day express loans can also be found in this section.

Sign up for eNews
Every month, we send out an eNewsletter that includes the latest library news and reading recommendations. You can pick our general eNewsletter or only what you want to read in your inbox. We have special issues specifically for newcomers, seniors, teens, kids, and eBook and audiobook readers.

If you have any questions about what to read, feel free to email us at ask@coqlibrary.ca.

We’re asking local experts for their need-to-know tips and tricks on a myriad of different topics. Every other Friday, our Life Hacks program is live on Facebook as guests share information and knowledge that can benefit our community.

Nicole from Yoga Generation first joined the Life Hacks program to lead us through a chair yoga routine. These gentle stretches and movements can be done using just the chair at your work desk, table, or anywhere in your home or at work. The routine doesn’t take long, only about 15 minutes, which is just enough time to take a break and add some movement into your work day.

On March 26, we switched gears and focused on self-care tips for parents. Kandace Dondona, a Life Coach and professional counselor, explained self-care as any daily activity that promotes health and well-being at a mental, physical or emotional level. She went on to list strategies such as slowing down and focusing on one task at a time, making a habit of getting fresh air every day, or writing down what’s going on in your day, which can help relieve stress.

You can watch both of those past programs on our Facebook page:
• Chair Yoga with Yoga Generation
• Self Care with Kandice Dondona

Don’t forget to tune in to future Life Hacks videos on Facebook Live. This month, we’ll be live at 1:00 pm on April 16 and 30.

For more information about this program, contact Rosanne at rhoekstra@coqlibrary.ca.

Hi! My name is Charlie and this past month, I’ve had the privilege of joining the Customer Experiences department at Coquitlam Public Library. The staff here have been incredibly welcoming and I’m learning a lot about all the functions of the Library.

Prior to this position, I worked in academic libraries across the mainland. These roles included working in areas such as: cataloguing, archives and institutional repositories. I enjoyed interacting with the staff, students and faculty and I will definitely miss the busy world of academia. However, I’m ready for all the new experiences that are sure to come from working in a public library. One of the reasons I wanted to join Coquitlam Public Library was to reach out and be more actively involved in communities - to get to know the people and be part of the services that shape the lives of patrons from all walks of life.

I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about the Library, or simply talk about what’s new this week. I’m still learning about all the amazing services that we provide but so far, my favourite one would have to be the digitization station. I may be biased because I’ve worked in an archives before but I think it’s pretty cool that you can bring old VHS, camcorders and other older technologies to the library and digitize them for your own records.

I look forward to the coming weeks as I continue to learn about the Library and its role in our community!

My name is Joyce and I am a Library Technician on the Marketing and Communications Team. 2020 was a challenging year for the Library. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we closed our doors in March and waited on an uncertain future.

During the closure, the Marketing Team continued working hard behind-the-scenes to stay connected with customers. We put up notices on social media and the Library website to ensure everyone would be up-to-date with the status of the closure, what to do with borrowed items and how to contact us.

While our physical doors were temporarily closed, our ‘Ask the Library’ service continued without interruption. During this time, we answered hundreds of questions including inquiries about how to get a library card (yes, people could still register for a membership) and how to access the Library’s digital services like eBooks, audiobooks, eLearning courses and streaming movies.

With our Library Board, Managers and Directors jumping into action immediately, a reopening plan was soon implemented at both City Centre and Poirier branches, and by April, we opened our doors for curbside pickup service.

We knew that many customers were eager to select a fresh batch of reads and movies, so we setup an easy and physically distanced procedure for that to happen. By mid-May, the popularity of curbside pickup resulted in us adding the service to the Library Link, our library on wheels that visits several different stops in the community.

Grab bags are another brand-new service we introduced during the pandemic. They are bags filled with 5 to 6 staff-selected books and movies on a specific theme. We have grab bags for all age groups and themes such as cozy mysteries, teen graphic novels, food lovers, dystopian and more. Customers simply place a hold and pickup at their preferred branch.

In May, we set up additional procedures that aligned with the province’s COVID-19 safety guidelines. With physically distanced shelving, self-checkout kiosks and computer stations, safety dividers at the Help Desk and greeters to help direct people, we were one of the first public libraries to reopen with limited capacities and modified services.

The pandemic helped us improve by forcing us to pivot our service model when the unexpected struck. For example, with all in-person events cancelled, we learned to host virtual programs and online story times. With social isolation rampant, especially among seniors in the community, we launched a check-in program where we phoned seniors. Last, but not least, the Library also went fines-free at the start of the pandemic and will remain so until Dec. 31, 2021.

For questions about the Library and our services, or to share your comments, email us at ask@coqlibrary.ca or message us on social media. Our handle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is @CoqLibrary. 

Did you know that in 2020, sales of graphic novels and comics increased an impressive 29 percent* from the year before? While comics and graphic novels have always been popular with children and teens, even grownups have been turning to this innovative artistic format in record numbers.

Here at Coquitlam Public Library, our print collection of graphic novels and comics has long been one of our most popular collections. This popularity is the reason we decided to expand our collection with a subscription to ComicsPlus, a collection of 20,000+ (and growing) graphic novels, manga and comics in digital format for children, teens and adults.

ComicsPlus covers a wide range of genres and topics, in fiction and nonfiction. Titles include Garfield, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Big Nate, Bone, Minecraft, Geronimo Stilton, George Martin’s The Game of Thrones, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Stranger Things, as well as critically acclaimed titles such as Sin City, Blacksad, March and They Called Us Enemy. With ComicsPlus, you can read your favorite titles and discover a wide range of new ones.  

Best of all—ComicsPlus titles have unlimited borrowing, meaning there is no waiting and no holds are necessary. Read them on a computer or download the LibraryPass app for Apple or Android devices. Access the collection with your library card and PIN.  

*Publisher’s Weekly (January 7, 2021)

I am very excited to be joining the Coquitlam Library Board this year.  I feel like a "long-time listener, first-time caller”: I've been a very active user and fan of the Coquitlam Public Library for years, but this is my first time stepping up to more actively support the Library by participating in its governance. I ultimately decided to join the Board because:

1) The magnetic pull of the Library's awesomeness.  My family and I are very active users of the library's programming, events, resources, and books, as we truly love all it has to offer.  The Coquitlam Public Library is really an amazing public resource, so much so that I wanted to be a part of it.

2) Knowledge and literacy.  The value of knowledge development and literacy (of all types) can not be emphasized enough.  Several years ago I planted a Little Free Library in my neighborhood (check out https://littlefreelibrary.org/ if you aren't yet familiar with Little Free Libraries).  However, I wanted to do more; I wanted to help foster knowledge and literacy beyond just the paper books in my Little Free Library.

3) Participating in my community.  If I want a strong, thriving community, I need to help make that happen.  I can't just sit back and always let others do the work.  Sometimes it's my time to step up and contribute to making my community a better place.

4) Books.  We all know the library is so much more than just books.  However, I'll be honest: I love talking about books.  And being surrounded by books.  And being around others who might feel the same way.  And not surprisingly, the topic of books does come up often at meetings.  I love it.

I look forward to getting to know more about the community the Library serves, what patrons and community members would like to see happen at the Library, and how the Library could better serve your needs and dreams!

Have you ever visited the Library and paused to admire a display case full of paintings, crafts, jewelry or pottery? The items you see in those cases are from local artists and organizations, and we welcome display applications from exhibitors in the Tri-Cities!

Last October, artists from Pottery Works displayed their work in celebration of Community Inclusion Month.

More recently, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Multicultural ECD Services staff Ada Sin and two parent volunteers, Cherry Y. and Adeline S., joined forces to create a display celebrating Lunar New Year. Included in the festive display are picture books, crafts made by their children, puppets, traditional clothing for kids and tidbits of information about Lunar New Year celebrations. The display will be up at the City Centre branch until March 2, so make sure to check it out next time you’re visiting the branch!

Library staff teamed up for a display at the Poirier branch, inspired by Creativebug’s art and craft tutorials. We crocheted, knitted, painted, carved, sewed and built all kinds of items, resulting in a colourful and creative display.

Keep your eyes peeled for more upcoming displays such as the BC Summer Games by Coquitlam Archives, a photo display by Dogwood Photo Group, and of course, a Summer Reading Club themed display from the Library.

If you’re interested in showing a display, visit our Display webpage to learn more and submit your application. A member of our Display Cases team will get in touch soon afterwards.

I’m Vanessa, the Information Services Librarian in the Customer Experiences Department. I provide Customer Experiences staff with the training and support that they need to assist customers. This includes reading, listening and viewing suggestions from the various download and stream services that you can use free with your library card number.

Just as the Library features regular themed book displays throughout the year, Hoopla Digital and Kanopy (two of our streaming services) also feature themed content. For all of February, Black History Month, Hoopla spotlights Black lives in eBooks, comics, movies and music.

Hoopla offers selections of great Black music artists such as Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Bob Marley, Mary J. Blige, Miles Davis, Prince, The Supremes and Tupac Shakur; more current artists include Lizzo and The Weeknd. Under the comics section, is the National Book Award winning March co-authored by the late civil rights activist and US congressman John Lewis. March tells Lewis’ life story up to and including the climactic voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama with flash forwards to the day of President Obama’s first inauguration in January 2009.

Count on Kanopy to carry some of the best films and TV documentaries. New and recently-added selections include the classic 1991 film Daughters of the Dust, the incendiary 2016 documentary I am Not Your Negro, the critically acclaimed PBS miniseries Jazz and the newly-added drama Night Catches Us.

Stream all of these and more during Black History Month on Hoopla and Kanopy, both available to residents of Coquitlam with library cards. For additional information about our streaming services, email ask@coqlibrary.ca.

Do you miss the in-person Baby Time at the Coquitlam Public Library? It was such a joyful time to play with your babies! Playing and singing with babies is the most precious part of my job at the library and I am so lucky that I still can see them and sing for them via Zoom!

Why do we sing to babies? Singing to babies is a time of bonding between the baby and the parents. It also is the first language lesson for them. Research shows that we as parents put such an emphasize on writing, reading, numbers and not enough on singing. Singing is one of the most important parts of their development. The babies who have been sung to face fewer language problems when they are growing up than the ones who have not.

Here at the Coquitlam Public Library, we host a Baby Story Time session on Zoom on Thursdays from 10:30 am to 11:00 am. Can’t make it? No worries. Below are two easy and common songs you can sing with your baby.

Here is the first song that I really liked. I have also included the YouTube video of the original tune, so you can sing it with your child. As you sing, please do the action with your baby's body parts. 

I Wake Up my Hands (tune: Buffalo Gals)

I wake up my hands with a clap, clap, clap
A clap, clap, clap,
A clap, clap, clap
I wake up my hands with a clap, clap, clap
And I wiggle my waggles away (hold arms out front and wiggle)

Feet (stomp)
Eyes (blink)
Head (nod)
Belly (beep)
Hips (shake)

And here is a rhyme that I love! Lots of hugs and kisses in this rhyme and also playing with words:

A Hippopotamus

A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus
Got on, got on, got on a city bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,
“You’re squishing us!” (hug baby)
A sheep, a sheep, a sheep got on the bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,
“Baaaack up!” (lean back)
A cow, a cow, a cow got on a bus
And all, and all, and all the people said,
“Mooooove over!” (lean to the side)

As you can see in this rhyme, you imitate animal sounds and do actions as well. Enjoy playing with your child and don’t forget that we have the Baby Story Time on Zoom every Thursday from 10:30 am to 11:00 am. Just register via our website and you’re in! Hope to see you there! 

For more information on Baby Story Time, please contact Jila Firouzmandi, Programming Assistant.

Hello, my name is Liana and I am a Library Technician who works in the Marketing and Communications Department. I only just started working with the Marketing Team last Fall. Before this, I worked on the Help Desk and shelved books and had hoped to join the Marketing team someday. They always looked like they were having a great time taking funny photos for our social media accounts or collaborating on various projects that helped to promote our Library’s services, events and materials.

Though I do a lot of different things in a work day, a large part of my day is taken up with running our social media accounts, which usually means that I’m taking photos for our Instagram account, chasing after staff members for photo ops, and deciding which social media trends we’re going to participate in (#bookfacefriday is my favourite!).

We have loved embracing social media as a way of connecting with our community. It brings us so much joy when you tag us in your own posts or share your experiences with our Library in our comments or direct messages. We’re always interested in seeing which books you’re reading, which movies you’re watching, and all the creative things you do with our lendable tech.

Social media has also allowed us to share the many events and programs that we run with our community. It offers them an easy way to register and link them to our website, as well as a way to ask us questions about the programs themselves. It’s also a great way to share photos of the events that we run and create excitement for future programs.

If you want to see for yourself what we do on social media, or if you want to show us what your experience with the Library has been, you can follow, tag and tweet at us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @CoqLibrary. See you there!

Pursuing one's dream job is interesting yet challenging. Many people have had their work hours cut or even have been laid off due to COVID-19 and the economic slowdown. The slowdown is especially intimidating for newcomers with limited local experience. To meet the community's needs, we are here to help you out during this challenging time.

This winter, in partnership with ISSofBC Job Quest, we are offering a series of workshops to support newcomers who are seeking employment or are entering the Canadian workforce. Topics are mainly focused on newcomers to Canada yet everyone is welcome to attend:

Understanding your Education and Training Options 
Tuesday, Feb. 9th, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

It is imperative to know what qualifications are most in demand by employers, and what options exist outside of traditional post-secondary institutions. Participants will learn about free or low-cost training options to upgrade skills and knowledge, as well as government-funded programs to help newcomers with credential evaluations and training loans. 

Self-Care and Mindfulness Practices to Manage Workplace and Life Stress 
Tuesday, Mar. 9th, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Use self-care and mindfulness to manage stress and build a healthier lifestyle. Mindfulness techniques involving stillness, action, creativity, spirituality and other methods will be discussed. 

Human Rights & Responding to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace 
Tuesday, Apr. 13th, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Learn about Human Rights Law including your rights as an employee and find out what sexual harassment in the workplace is and its various forms. Discover what to do when faced with harassment or unwanted attention of a sexual nature at work and learn to respond by using soft skills and assertive communication.

All sessions are free and everyone is welcome to join any or all of them. 

Don't forget to utilize Career Cruising, one of our digital resources, to assist you with researching careers and training options, matching your skills and finding job postings in the comfort of your home with your Coquitlam Public Library card.

For more information on these programs, please contact Shirley Chan.

Do you love to bake or does baking intimidate you? Are you stuck in a rut of using the same cookbooks over and over again, and looking for some inspiration? Look no further! The Coquitlam Public Library is excited to be hosting our first Cook Book, Book Club on Monday, February 8 at 5:00 pm.

We’ll be talking about our favourite baking cookbooks and other resources. We hope you'll join us and share your favourites too!  Maybe it’s a book of your Nana’s recipes or family recipes handed down from one generation to the next. Maybe it’s whatever strikes your fancy on Pinterest or from your go-to magazines. Or maybe you’re obsessed with the Great British Bake Off or you just love watching the shows, but are a reluctant baker! Share some of your ideas and favourite recipes with your fellow foodies!

Register now for our first virtual session. And if you’re more of a savoury lover, well, we’ve got you covered too. Join us for the International Cuisine session on March 8. We’ll be talking about cookbooks, recipes and cuisine from all around the world. Perhaps we can inspire you to create a theme-based dinner from a country you’d love to visit!

We love cookbooks that have beautiful photos of each recipe because cooking and baking are about inspiration – and it’s a lot easier to be inspired when you see a delicious meal! Do join us for one or both sessions and let’s get cooking!

For more details, contact our programmers, Aman or Ann.