TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS AND VIEWS VOLUME 5 • NUMBER 5 • MAY 2005 Toronto Blue Jay Miguel Batista and Mayor David Miller Toronto celebrities record for Library’s A home away from Dial-a-Story home Ancient Greek story brought to life in eight languages Library staff member recounts mother’s immigration experience THE DIAL-A-STORY SERVICE story was recorded in all the eight by Magdalena Vander Kooy offered by the Toronto Public Library languages offered on Dial-a-Story continues to break records with respect and will be available for children and WITHIN A YEAR of our family’s to the number of calls, but have you families by summer 2005. immigration to Canada 50 years ago, my ever wondered whose dulcet voices tell Other celebrities recording Castor mother was admitted to hospital for the our tales in eight languages? Well, on and Pollux included OMNI news birth of her eleventh child. No one in the Wednesday April 27, 2005, Mayor David personalities Fernando Sousa (reading hospital spoke Dutch, and she spoke no Miller and Toronto Blue Jay, Miguel in Portuguese), Wei Lee (reading in English. In the Netherlands, she had given Batista and a host of other media Mandarin), Stanley So (reading in birth at home; in Canada, she was rendered personalities brought their voice talent Cantonese), Laura Albanese (reading in unconscious (routine at that time). She to Toronto Public Library’s Dial-a-Story! Italian) and Darek Barecki (reading in believes there were complications, but was Mayor David Miller and Toronto Polish). never able to learn more. Because she had Blue Jay Miguel Batista read the ancient forgotten a comb, her long hair, usually Greek story of Castor and Pollux. The tidied into a neat bun, was soon a mess. Continued on page 2 continued from page 1 She could only imagine what the medical Northern Elms Branch reopens staff thought. She saw herself through their New street presence designed to attract walk-by traffi c eyes as a slovenly, ignorant immigrant who didn’t know enough to stop having children. My mother’s story illuminates for me the many layers of the immigrant experience: the hardships of communication; confusion about one’s circumstances; the pain of fi nding previous successes deemed meaningless by an adopted society; the sorrowful feeling of not measuring up. Life hurtled on, not waiting for my mother to learn the language and gain confi dence before tossing her indelicately into the medical labyrinth. My immigrant background serves me well as Chair of the Library’s French and Multicultural Services Committee. The offi cial ribbon cutting ceremony featuring Branches Director Anne Bailey; Remembering my mother, I realize the District Manager Cheryl Skovronek; South/West Region Director Nancy Chavner; value of the Library’s collections and Branch Supervisor Mary Anne Kalt; community leader Marilyn Whibbs; City services for newcomers. I like to think that Councillor Suzan Hall; TPL Board Vice-Chair Bill Booth; City Councillor Rob Ford; we help make the adjustment a little easier, and community leader David Dunn. Councillor Hall’s granddaughter (in front) that we demonstrate respect for other supervises the ceremony. cultures. The Library has made a priority of AFTER ALMOST TWO years, a larger unit, upgrade the study and providing resources and services that help the Northern Elms Branch has lounge space, enhance the collection, newcomers develop language skills, fi nd now reopened to an appreciative add additional computers and ensure employment and stay connected to cultures community. Customers have remarked that the new branch had space for “back home” easing the alienation often that they fi nd the new branch programming.” experienced by new arrivals. Virtually all welcoming, well lit and very pretty The new Northern Elms Branch our services are free – very important to and that they appreciate the ample located at 123 B Rexdale Blvd, Unit 5 newcomers used to paying for such services. parking. The expanded collection is (Kipling at Rexdale) features: Some highlights include: highly valued to be sure, but most • Books, magazines, CDs, videos and gratifying for staff is that patrons are • Six high-speed Internet access DVDs in 40 languages. delighted to see all the same old staff terminals • English as a Second Language materials back in “their” library. • 4,000 brand new items (including in multiple formats for help with basic “We are thrilled to be back and books, magazines, CDs and DVDs) and advanced language skills. able to provide library service to the • Study space • The Multicultural Connections section Northern Elms community,” says City • Space for parents and children to of our website Librarian, Josephine Bryant. “We took read together (www.torontopubliclibrary.ca) advantage of the relocation to obtain • An adult reading lounge. has newcomer resources and links to settlement and related agencies. Our Newsconnect portal accesses with school-age children very quickly fi nd branches already offer fi ve language choices international news sites in more than their way to schools, many of which have to customers; other technologies that 70 languages; Career Bookmarks offers settlement workers present, but when enhance the usefulness of public Internet specialized employment information. schools close during the summer, the stations will follow. • Homework clubs and research materials project relocates to libraries. The result Toronto Public Library’s services to for newcomer children; we encourage is a mutual referral program year-round. the multicultural community include a parents to read to their children in their Partnerships also help us understand the broad range of programs and collections. home language as any reading builds needs of newcomers better, and to position For new immigrants, they provide a reading skills in English. Our free Dial-a- our services accordingly. valuable bridge to link them to cherished Story telephone service in eight languages We work to increase the availability of experiences from their countries of origin. allows children to call in every day for a library information in translation and to In a very signifi cant way, the Library helps different story from ‘home.’ better exploit the language capabilities of to speed up the process of building healthy Partnering with other agencies serving electronic products. New technologies such communities by creating a true sense of newcomers makes good sense. Newcomers as automated checkout being piloted at two home in a new land. 2 Toronto Public Library Shelf Life • May 2005 ‘Word, Stress, Food & Wine’ author New to Special series at Toronto Reference Library Collections Series profi les food and wine writers to enthusiastic audience Stunning photographic art book, Antarctica, documents the region’s beauty THE LIBRARY’S SPECIAL “A GOOD MATCH of the wine and “if the chocolate’s not the best, don’t Collections play a unique and particular food can make the difference between a make a dessert with it.” Chatto and role in preserving Canada’s gems for good dinner and a great one,” said food Waverman’s book, A Matter of Taste, future generations. Refl ecting a wide and wine writers Lucy Waverman and has been nominated for a prestigious range of interests and information James Chatto at their recent speaking 2005 James Beard Foundation Awards in needs, our Collections build on the engagement at the Toronto Reference the Entertaining and Special Occasions Library’s tradition of acquiring materials Library. The event, held March 31st, was category. that might be judged in the future part of the Library’s winter author series A Matter of Taste is only one of as landmarks in the history of book entitled Word, Stress, Food & Wine and thousands of cookbooks available at production and publishing. One of was well attended by a diverse group of the Library. From vegetarian to ethnic, our newest acquisitions, a beautiful ‘foodies’ and bookworms. diabetic to weight loss, almost all can photographic art book entitled Antarctica, “Life’s too short and this book is be ordered online or from your local complements Toronto Reference Library’s about pleasure, not duty,” Chatto told branch. At Toronto Reference’s Main collection documenting the Arctic and the crowd. The two talked about their Reference Centre on the second fl oor, Antarctic and makes a splendid addition collaboration and answered many there is a huge collection of cookbooks to Special Collection Centre’s private questions, which ranged from where from around the world and a good press holdings. to buy organic to whether tefl on collection of books about wine and wine Authors Pat and Rosemarie Keough cooking utensils are safe. Tips for a making. Visit the website at are the fi rst Canadians to win the Royal great meal? Waverman stressed that it’s www.torontopubliclibrary.ca. Geographical Society’s Cherry Kearton important to use the best ingredients: Award for outstanding photography of the natural world. The images encompass exotic wildlife and striking VE Day at the landscapes, and offer examples of human involvement from the tragic Library whaling era to the present. The book’s geographic coverage includes the M AY 8 WA S the 60th anniversary of polar plateau of the interior and the VE Day (Victory in Europe) and the mountainous coast and islands and seas Library commemorated the day with surrounding the Southern Ocean. something for everyone. In addition to Antarctica is the fi rst in a pending our exhibit in the TD Gallery, the library series of exceptional photographic art website offers a virtual exhibit books from Nahanni Productions Inc. (www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/pro_ This small private press creates high trl_exhibits.jsp) and a booklist, videos, quality books promoting environmental DVDs – even movies produced in 1945! and social causes. All net proceeds Ask for Canada At War, the Library’s from this work are pledged to Birdlife booklist commemorating VE Day, at International’s Save the Albatross your local branch.