TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS AND VIEWS VOLUME 5 • NUMBER 3 • MARCH 2005 James Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, visits Reference Library Stigma of mental illness and literacy among his key interests RECOUNTING STORIES, from his modest upbringing in small- town Port Carling to all-night chats with Fidel Castro, from his experiences as a member of Canada’s Mjnikaning First Nation to numerous adventures during more than 35 years in the Canadian foreign service, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario James K. Bartleman kept his audience captivated when he spoke in the Beeton Auditorium on Saturday, March 5. Black History Month, Freedom to “You may wonder why a Read Week events well-attended lieutenant governor HUNDREDS ACROSS the city were treated to special programs to is writing and celebrate Black History Month and Freedom to Read Week in February. York selling books,” he Woods Branch hosted radio personality Norman Otis Richmond (right) and said as he began colleague SPIN (left) for a lively discussion about rap and rap lyrics, as part of his talk, explaining, Freedom to Read Week celebrations. with the quiet humour that delighted listeners Home Library Service enriched throughout his Lieutenant Governor presentation, that James Bartleman. Generous donation to buy more talking books it was simply beyond his control. “My hand just THE CATHERINE and Maxwell Meighen Foundation has generously picked up the pen and started writing.” granted Toronto Public Library funds to purchase new talking books for the Proceeds from all three of his books, he Home Library Service. The funds will go a long way in purchasing high demand said, go to support charitable causes. materials such as bestsellers and new titles that have long waiting lists. Bartleman said that, during his The Home Library Service will also replace classic reading materials which tenure, he has chosen to focus on have worn out or been damaged. The talking books will give great pleasure helping remove the stigma associated to homebound users who may only be able to “read” and enjoy these unique with mental illness, fighting racism materials. and discrimination, and encouraging Since 1997, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation has given aboriginal youth, especially with continued and much appreciated support to the Home Library Service. Please see Bartleman visit, page 3… Introducing Friends’ Book Club Sets Bookstore, Book Resource for book clubs being Ends, clears half- piloted at five branches million dollar IN RESPONSE to the increasing popularity of book clubs, Toronto Public mark in sales Library is introducing Book Club Sets as Revenues support Leading to a pilot project. A Book Club Set consists Reading program of multiple copies of a book (usually 15), for use by book clubs and book ON FEBRUARY 25, the Pictured left to right, Marg Stott, Lois Robinson, discussion groups. Currently Book Club Friends of Toronto Public Library, Georgina Alfoldi, Judy McCabe and Ed McCabe Sets are available at: Albert Campbell, North Chapter surpassed their celebrate a new record at Book Ends. Barbara Frum, North York Central half million mark in sales at their – Languages, Literature & Fine Arts, bookstore, Book Ends, located at the North York Central Library. The Friends have Northern District, and Richview. Each been selling donated and discarded books at Book Ends since 1993. All revenues raised of these branches has a unique group of through this volunteer-run bookstore go to support the Leading to Reading program of Book Club Sets. the Toronto Public Library. • The list of titles available as a book club set is posted on the Toronto Public Library website at Poet Laureate www.torontopubliclibrary.ca, select Recommended Reading. Branch staff and Pier Giorgio Answerline 416-393-7131, can also help. Three book clubs have already Di Cicco taken advantage of this new service — introduced only a few weeks ago — the Kicks off three-year tenure with Mad Mommies, Cliffcrest Book Club and reading at Toronto Reference Library West Rouge Book Club. As word spreads, more are expected to borrow our RECENTLY APPOINTED as the “book clubs to go.” • City’s new poet laureate, Pier Giorgio Di Cicco is serving his three-year term in the Writer-in-Residence, Ken McGoogan. post. He will have an office at the Toronto Announcing new Reference Library for the duration of his published in Canada and U.K. this fall. tenure. As Toronto’s literary ambassador, Writer-in-Residence Aspiring writers are invited to Di Cicco will advocate for poetry, submit their literary non-fiction work language and the arts. at Reference Library for McGoogan’s input until May 30. Born in Arezzo, Italy and raised in Ken McGoogan, author and McGoogan will meet individually Montreal, Baltimore and Toronto, Di journalist, to offer constructive with each participant to discuss his Cicco was selected advice on manuscripts or her work. Submit a maximum of by a committee 15 consecutive typed, double-spaced drawn from Toronto’s EFFECTIVE APRIL 18 – June 17, pages and include a return address, literary community. 2005, Toronto Public Library is pleased to telephone number and email address Toronto Public announce our new Writer-in-Residence, (if available) on your manuscript. Library is a member Ken McGoogan. McGoogan is a fiction The library reserves the right to of the selection and non-fiction author, journalist, critic limit the number of manuscripts. committee. and teacher of writing at University of He has earned Toronto. His non-fiction titles include Deliver manuscripts to: numerous awards, Di Cicco Ancient Mariner and Fatal Passage, the Writer-in-Residence including five Canada latter of which won four awards and Main Reference Centre, Council Awards, six Ontario Arts Council was on the Canadian bestseller list for Information Desk, 2nd Floor Awards and the City of Toronto’s Arts 14 weeks. Ken McGoogan is completing Toronto Reference Library Award. Di Cicco will be doing a reading Lady Franklin’s Revenge, another work 789 Yonge Street, Toronto, at the Toronto Reference Library on of literary non-fiction, which will be Ontario M4W 2G8 • Thursday, April 21, 7:00 p.m. 2 Toronto Public Library Shelf Life • March 2005 Rap song penned for Library Board STAFF FROM Youth/Teen Services at Toronto Public Library, with the help of Albion Youth Advisory Group, found a novel way of getting their message across — in rap! They presented this song to the Board to much appreciation: Library, a new world for kids Lieutenant Governor John Bartleman signs a copy of his book for an admirer. a world full of sources for trainin wits a world that can easily save many lives readings from three of his published lives that are on the verge of survivin a knife Bartleman visit works: Out of Muskoka, On Six Continents continued from page 1… and Rollercoaster (just published). An friendly staff will alwayz help if needed enthusiastic group of over a hundred people some of them even like Horton’s donut; literacy initiatives. In 2004, he launched applauded the program, which was followed extra sweeted The Lieutenant Governor’s Book by a brief question and answer period and Program, and collected over 1.2 million book signing. The Lieutenant Governor the libraries scattered all over t dot used books, donated by generous also toured the Toronto Reference Library, the influence can be seen in every spot Ontarians to stock school libraries in including a visit to the Arthur Conan Doyle of our daily lives, remote First Nations communities. Room, Baldwin Room and the Consumer cause our lives are built on education Bartleman’s talk was augmented by Health Information Services area. TPL is helpin with every aspect across the nation i remember the days when teens joined Ease the pain of on the players, the teams and the games gangs and streets because there was which shaped the history of our national nowhere else for them to be hockey blues sport, as well as on the 1919 Stanley Cup championship cancellation (because of now tpl offers teens some programs as YAGs Hockey fans can borrow hockey the Spanish flu epidemic, the only other because of that i see less kids wearin rags books, games, videos and DVDs time the season was abandoned). Backcheck: A Hockey Retrospective uses even some of my homies visited YAG and joined CLOBBERED BY the cancellation English and French language newspaper after a while they realised it wasnt worth rolling of the NHL hockey season? Fans need articles, rare photos and manuscripts on the streets, not despair! The Library has a net-full on from Library and Archives Canada’s they thought they had nothing to do hockey. collections. There is also a parallel site now they opened a new life, What better way to pass those lonely Backcheck: Hockey for Kids, (www. life full of school Saturday nights than to read or reread collectionscanada.ca/hockey/kids/index- Canada’s quintessential hockey book, e.html), which features curriculum tie- now lemme switch the topic and tell u my story The Hockey Sweater, written by Canada’s ins and activities with a hockey theme. at one time life for me was dark and blurry former National Librarian, Roch until i met a librarian, she gave me an advice Carrier. We also have hockey games on about how to cope with problems, CD-ROM, hockey videos and DVDs, Did you know… how to live a betta life including the best of Don Cherry’s Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Hockey, and more. That virtual visits now rival in- it helped me a lot, Toronto Public Library is not the person visits to the Library? There and im sure i aint the only one only library trying to fill the void left were almost 20 million visits to our now my heart lights up by crabby hockey players.