13 Literary Projects You Can Do At Home

If you’re a true bibliophile then the chances are that book storage is a problem for you! We all know there’s no such thing as not enough books, only not enough storage space, but actually if you’re a little bit inventive you can make book storage out of the simplest of things.
Whether it’s storing books or making use of deceased or out of date books, we hope our literary projects designed to be done at home give you some inspiration!

Old Ladder Bookshelf

Find one old ladder, add some wooden or glass shelves and create a brand new bookshelf anywhere in the house for free.

Another Old Ladder Bookshelf

Or just swing the ladder the other way to create wall storage in a smaller space. I really want to do this! Old wooden ladders are hard to find.

Some Concealed Bookshelves

Or if you really don’t trust your own DIY skills, these are kind of neat, more screw it in than do it yourself, but a very inventive storage solution nonetheless.

Build a Tardis Bookcase (for me)

Essential for reading addicts and Whovians alike is this Tardis Bookcase. I don’t have a source, sorry so no instructions, but if you made this, will you marry me?

Decoupage with Books

Decoupage is where out of date dictionaries go to die! Use PVA glue, a quality brush and some old books and you can create a whole new, interesting piece of furniture.

Turn an Old Wire Rack into a Bookshelf

A few fixings, and suddenly that old wire rack makes the perfect display for those tatty old paperbacks.

Make a Book Storage Coffee Table

If you can get your hands on an old cable reel they are perfect for turning into book storage coffee tables. Sand off the rough edges, give it a coat of paint, add some castors and spindles and you have brand new book storage!

Turn an Cupboard into a Library

Cupboards only accumulate junk. Get organised, sling out the junk and turn your built in cupboard into a beautiful mini-library.

Redecorate with Books

This would be perfect for a bathroom or small room, and out of date encyclopaedia seem to be the perfect candidate for the job! Who needs wallpaper when you’re a bibliophile?

Create a Book Nook

That space under the stairs where everyone throws their shoes? Turn it into the perfect Book Nook.

Make a Book Staircase

What a brilliant and creative way to brighten up any dull staircase. Pick your favourite books, buy some paints and recreate the spines!

Create Children’s Bookshelves from Gutters

Use plastic moulded gutters to create shelving for the kids room. All the books face forward and it’s perfect for little hands.

Like a Rock Star – A Little Free Library Goes on Tour

by Christyna Hunter on March 18, 2015  Public Libraries Online             
            

A couple of years ago the Little Free Libraries (LFL) craze began. As was noted in a previous Public Libraries Online blog post, LFL can be put up at any community location, such as a Homeowner’s Association clubhouse, a dog park, a playground, or even someone’s yard (with the owner’s permission). LFL fever has spread and now public libraries have put a new twist on it. Why not have a public library loan out a LFL as if it was a book or DVD?
Such was the question Melissa Baker asked herself and her library director at Montgomery County (TX) Memorial Library System. And the answer resulted in their newly created LFL loan program, which they hope to begin in the spring of this year. “I see this as a natural consequence, resulting from not being able to limit the project to just one area in our county. We have seven public libraries in our county, and we do reach a large number of library customers on a regular basis. But we are spread out and there are many great potential places where a Little Free Library would add value to the community,” says Baker.
Baker admits that there are a variety of ways to create the actual LFL, including partnering with local community groups or businesses. In this case, they ordered a kit from Gaylord and then customized it with their own logo. Montgomery County’s Friends of the Library group donated books to put in the LFL.
There are some things to consider if undertaking such a program. Who is going to install it at each location, the library staff or the borrower? Are release forms required depending on each location? How accessible should locations be? Should LFL be only at locations that have 24/7 patron access, like a public park, or are some limitations acceptable, such as at a mall or store? These questions are important but not insurmountable. A bit of thinking and planning can go a long way in implementing such a program at your public library.
This month, Baker has created an application and will begin the application process online. Only a few locations will be chosen every year. The announcement for the first location is expected during National Library Week in April. “We’ll list the ‘touring’ schedule of the library on our website so the little library will be kind of like a rock star, with upcoming dates in various parts of the county being announced on a regular basis,” says Baker.

8 Amazing British series on TV that You May Have Missed and Have to Watch

The Lincoln Public Library has all these great British TV series plus many more! See what we have to offer!

            

Brit TV

next play/pause pre 1/1

Brampton Guardian

 

There's a lot of bad TV, but there's also a lot of GREAT TV. You just have to know where to look – and across the pond to England is a good start. Murder, midwives, war and romance ... they've got it all.

 

 

1. Call the Midwife

A wonderful series about the lives of midwives in the hard scrabble streets of London's East End in the 1950s. Based on the real-life memoirs of midwife Jennifer Worth, it documents the adventures – sometimes funny, often tragic and always touching - of these young women and the nuns they work alongside.

 

 

2. Foyle's War

Set in Hastings, England during the Second World War, this intelligent series follows the career of one Detective Chief Superintendent Inspector Christopher Foyle, played with brilliant understatement by Michael Kitchen. He's aided in his crime-fighting work by his assistant and driver Samantha Stewart played by a delightful actress with the unlikely name Honeysuckle Weeks. From its cars to airplanes to clothes, the series recreates the war years with stunning accuracy.

 

 

3. Broadchurch

This brilliant series stars Scottish actor David Tennant – of Dr. Who fame – as the troubled, lead detective Alec Hardy in the fictional small, coastal town of Broadchurch, England. The first year's 10 episodes are absolutely riveting. The body of a 11-year-old boy is found one morning on the beach and his murder turns this town – and all its secrets - inside out. Olivia Colman is excellent as Hardy's partner, detective Ellie Miller. Dark, disturbing, but extremely compelling.

 

 

4. Doc Martin

On a much lighter note, meet Dr Martin Ellingham (played Martin Clunes), a gruff, humourless and socially awkward doctor plunked down into the quiet Cornish village of Portwenn. Ellingham is a brilliant London vascular surgeon who is waylaid by a sudden onset of haemophobia - a fear of blood. He has to give up his surgical duties and opt for being a family doctor, a calling to which he is wholly unsuited. The villagers - an eccentric bunch - call him a "wanker." It's laugh-out-loud funny and often touching.

 

 

5. Inspector George Gently

Similar to Foyle's War but set in England in the late 1950s and early 60s, We follow inspector George Gently, played by the excellent Martin Shaw accompanied by the younger less experienced John Bacchus (Lee Ingelby). They work against the backdrop of England as it undergoes huge social change in morals, politics, race, and rock and roll. It's smart and moving. And you will love the music, the clothes and the cars.

 

 

6. Luther

You might recognize Idris Elba from The Wire (another great series). He's Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, but now we're in present-day London and Luther is nothing like Foyle or Gently. He's obsessive, volatile and sometimes violent. The police procedural is at times almost over the top in its stories and violence, but it's great stuff and Elba is fantastic in the lead role.

 

 

7. Inspector Lewis

Okay, the Brits seem to have a magic formula for this stuff. This time it's modern day England and the beautiful university town of Oxford. DCI Robert Lewis (Kevin Whately) and his tall, hyper- intelligent and quirky partner DS James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) find themselves on campus solving the strangest murders. It's Smart, funny and beautifully filmed. You can't help but like these guys.

 

 

8. MI-5 (Also known as Spooks)

This is a crime drama on adrenaline. Forget the green fields, quiet towns and seaside resorts. MI-5 is set in urban London where terrorists are around every corner and the agents of Britain's secret service have to disarm bombs and free hostages. It's a changing ensemble cast and the production values are high and the action is fierce. Not for everyone, but a real thrill ride.

 

 

                                               

                                                    

Libraries in Canada are reading between the lines and lending a lot more than books and DVDs

Libraries aren't just books anymore! 


Fitness tracking: The Ottawa Public Library has more than 500 pedometers available for people to borrow and track their steps towards better fitness. Even more high-tech? The Santa Clara City Library in California lets patrons borrow FitBit trackers.
Parks and arts: The Vancouver library lets patrons borrow a free pass to go mini-golfing, and Calgary’s library offers free live theatre tickets to low-income families. At the Ottawa Library, you can borrow passes to almost every museum, as well as Gatineau Park’s ski trails.
Watt-ever you need: Libraries in Ottawa and Calgary let patrons borrow “Kill-A-Watt” machines that can track how much energy is used by household appliances.
Fun and games: Carleton University’s library has an extensive collection of borrow-able board games, including classics like Monopoly and new and unusual titles like Blokus and Zombicide.
Gamer heaven: Once thought the antithesis of books, the Ottawa library now has over a thousand different video game titles in hot demand. There’s only a few copies of each and some, like How to Train Your Dragon 2 for Wii, have over 50 people waiting.
The cutting edge of tech: Ottawa library allows patrons access to 3D printing and video gear. In Toronto, you can use a “Print-on-Demand” machine for DIY bookbinding. The University of South Florida is seeking federal approval to lend out thousand-dollar drones to students.




The Lincoln Public Library has pedometers and watt metres to check out and board games to play in the library.  Check us out!

You have to see these libraries!

 

Books may be under siege, but these odd, charming libraries are taking them to the Earth’s farthest corners

Brian Bethune, Macleans

March 17, 2015

                    

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This book tank spreads literature, not war

What a cool bookmobile!

Thursday, March 5, 2015 | CBC Books 

Usually when one sees a tank rolling through your town's streets, it's not good news. But Argentinian artist and literature lover Raul Lemesoff has built a tank that spreads knowledge, not destruction. Lemesoff has become a global sensation for his "book tank," which is really a 1979 Ford Falcon that the charismatic activist converted into a militarized-looking library on wheels. He's taken his drivable sculpture -- which he calls his "weapon of mass instruction" -- around Argentina to hand out free books. The tank carries hundreds of books of all different kinds, from novels to poetry, which end up in the hands of random citizens. This tank is able to carry around 900 books at once. His primary target is to reach children.


Lemesoff, who partnered with soft drink 7UP to carry out the project, said it's a tongue-in-cheek way of promoting peace through literature. "I attack people in a nice and very fun way," he said in a video documenting his adventures. The book tank has been pretty active recently, as people around the globe celebrate World Book Day (March 5).

Synergies = Awareness

Last June, the new Beamsville Branch opened in a multi-use facility with an arena, meeting space and a walking track.  Our circulation has increased 31% and daily visits are regularly 400 or more.  We can certainly determine that some of the increase is due to the interest in a new library facility.


However, the new community centre is now becoming the place to be for seniors who use the walking track and visit the library, families who come for a hockey game and visit the library, teens who buy a coffee at the café and visit the library and people going to exercise class and visit the library.


Certainly the synergies of being in a community centre has made the Fleming Branch a community hub. But what do we make of the increase in circulation at our other branch in Vineland? The high profile of the new community centre has increased the library's profile for its patrons in the eastern part of the Town.


We are pleased with the warm reception we have received from the community in our new facility.  We are also pleased that we have been able to reconnect with our residents and promote all the wonderful services, collections and programs we have.


A little good publicity goes a long way to great community awareness.