The Huron County Library is participating in the Drive to End Period Poverty from March 3-10, 2024

The Huron County Library is participating in the Drive to End Period Poverty from March 3-10, 2024

by | Mar 1, 2024 | News

As a member of the Huron-Perth Period Poverty Taskforce, the Huron County Library will be participating in the Drive to End Period Poverty from March 3-10, 2024. During this time, residents are invited to help put an end to period poverty by dropping off new, unopened packages of commonly used period products to any Huron County Library branch during regular hours of operation.

Products in need include new and unopened:

  • Tampons, pads, and liners for a variety of menstrual flow needs
  • Menstrual cups and discs
  • Period underwear in a variety of sizes

For the convenience of donors, an Amazon shopping page has been created where shoppers can select and pay for products that will then be delivered by Amazon directly to the Huron-Perth Period Poverty Task Force.  Donors can find that purchasing option using this link:  https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/MN96B5WHMH8P?ref_=wl_share

“Period Poverty” is a term that refers to the lack of access to menstrual products due to cost or other barriers. Research indicates almost two thirds of people who menstruate in Canada have missed work or school because of lack of access to necessary hygiene products. Due to stigma surrounding menstruation, these issues are often not discussed.

Expanding on a pilot project that began October 2023, the Huron County Library will continue to offer FREE period products at each of their 12 branch locations.  In addition, they will launch a new education campaign designed to inform and remove stigma around the topic of menstruation.

“Providing affordable solutions to help people manage their periods comfortably and hygienically is absolutely necessary,” said Warden Glen McNeil. “I’m glad that the Huron-Perth Period Poverty Taskforce was successful in their pilot project and that this important work can continue in our communities.”

The Huron-Perth Period Poverty Taskforce includes representation from:

  • United Way Perth Huron;
  • Huron Women’s Shelter;
  • Optimism Place;
  • Perth County Information Network,
  • Stratford Public Library;
  • Huron County Library;
  • Avon Maitland District School Board;
  • The Emily Murphy Centre;
  • And others.

To learn more about the Huron-Perth Period Poverty Task Force and take the End Period Poverty survey, visit: www.connectedcountyofhuron.ca/period-poverty

Spring Craft Swap

Spring Craft Swap

by | Feb 15, 2024 | Uncategorized

Calling all crafters! Love crafting and seeing others enjoy what you make? Join the Huron County Library Spring Craft Swap where you will be partnered with another crafter in Huron County! Make your partner a custom craft while they do the same for you! All crafting mediums are welcome – knitting, crocheting, sewing, candle making, pottery, scrapbooking, needlefelting, etc. The sky is the limit!

AGES: This program is open to crafters of all ages! Adult crafters will be partnered with a fellow adult crafter, and children will be partnered with children.

GUIDELINES: We ask that you craft TWO small items or ONE medium sized item.

  • Medium = A scarf, a wallet, a set of notecards (4), a reusable shopping bag
  • Small = A piece of jewelry, a bookmark, a washcloth, a facemask, a small candle

Please note that a library staff person will be in touch with you March 23 to 27 to assign your partner. You will have the entire month of April to craft. Please drop your completed craft off to your local Huron County Library branch between April 25-May 2 (or earlier). You will receive a notification from library staff when the craft from your partner is ready for pickup at your local branch. Watch for email reminders along the way so you don’t miss any of the deadlines listed below. Please ensure that crafts do not exceed the size of a standard tote box (28” x 17” x 15″).

*Should a partner not complete a craft, an alternate partner will be arranged. Should multiple partners not complete a craft, individuals may be paired with one another. Pre-completed crafts will be used in reassignments (no need to make an entirely new craft!).

IMPORTANT DATES:

Registration: March 1-22
Partner Assigned: March 23-27
Crafting: March 27-April 24
Craft Due: April 25-May 2

REGISTRATION: Huron County Library Spring Craft Swap | Huron County Connects (connectedcountyofhuron.ca)

 

Tiny Art Show returns to Clinton Branch

Tiny Art Show returns to Clinton Branch

by | Feb 13, 2024 | Art, Crafts, Uncategorized

Calling all artists of ALL abilities! The Clinton Branch‘s Tiny Art Show returns this spring and we invite you to join in on the creative fun! Pick up a 5” X 5” board from the branch to create your tiny artwork. Use your own art supplies to decorate your board using any medium you choose (paint, draw, decoupage, collage, sew, etc.).

The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 15, 2024. The Tiny Art Show opening will be held on March 23, 1 p.m. Artwork will be displayed in the library from March 23 to April 20, 2024. Tiny refreshments will be served.

Download an entry form and return to the Clinton Branch along with your piece by March 15. Entry forms are also available from the branch.

Art Show Rules:

  • One board per person or group. Available while supplies last.
  • No candles or electrical devices, including battery operated.
  • Objects, paper, and materials of any kind, except food, may be glued to the canvas, but artwork must remain 5” X 5” and must be able to hang flat against the wall.
  • Please write your name on the back of the canvas and include an arrow to show which way is the top.
  • Fill out the entire Tiny Art Show entry form and bring with you when you submit your art.
  • After the show opening on March 23, artwork will be displayed until April 20. Art must be picked up at the Circulation Desk by April 30. Please note, any artwork not picked up will become library property for use as we deem fit.
  • The Huron County Library reserves the right to refuse any work considered unsuitable and/or does not meet these guidelines. Or if it cannot be accommodated safely or comfortably within the library space.
  • By participating in the Clinton Branch Tiny Art Show, you agree to allow Huron County Library to publicly display and photograph your art for promotion and engagement.
The Huron County Library is participating in the Drive to End Period Poverty from March 3-10, 2024

The Huron-Perth Period Poverty Taskforce is planning a FREE menstrual product pilot project at local libraries this Fall

by | Oct 7, 2023 | News

The Huron-Perth Period Poverty Taskforce is hosting a pilot project designed to address Period Poverty in the Huron-Perth region beginning Oct. 16, 2023. During this pilot project, select locations, including all library locations in Huron and Perth Counties, will offer menstrual products to all students, visitors, and patrons for FREE.

“Providing affordable solutions to help people manage their periods comfortably and hygienically is absolutely necessary,” said Beth Rumble, Director of Cultural Services and County Librarian for the County of Huron. “This pilot project will not only fill a gap and ease a financial burden for many families, it also addresses the subject of menstruation head on and without stigma.”

“Period Poverty” is a term that refers to the lack of access to menstrual products due to cost or other barriers. Research indicates almost two-thirds of people who menstruate in Canada have missed work or school because of lack of access to necessary hygiene products. Due to stigma surrounding menstruation, these issues are often not discussed.  

It is the goal of the Task Force to ensure equitable access to quality menstrual supplies for all who need them. This pilot project represents one of the initiatives currently being undertaken by the Task Force. The group will also engage in a range of activities, from resource-sharing to improving access to current supply, to advocating for broader, more systemic long-term solutions for Huron and Perth.

The Huron-Perth Period Poverty Taskforce includes representation from:

  • United Way Perth Huron;
  • Huron Women’s Shelter;
  • Optimism Place;
  • Perth County Information Network;
  • Huron County Library;
  • Avon Maitland District School Board; and
  • more 

To learn more about the Huron-Perth Period Poverty Task Force and the upcoming pilot project, please visit the End Period Poverty page on Huron County Connects: www.connectedcountyofhuron.ca/period-poverty

 

National Indigenous History Month

National Indigenous History Month

by | Jun 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

June is National Indigenous History Month and staff have compiled a great list of recent releases by First Nations, Inuit and Métis authors from across North America that highlight the diversity of experiences and the common need for continued acts of reconciliation.

For more recommendations check out the list curated by Library staff here or ask us in the branches for more ideas.

Cover image of True North Rising

Memoir – True North Rising: My 50-year Journey with the Inuit and Dene Leaders who Transformed Canada’s North by Whit Fraser

In this captivating memoir, Whit Fraser weaves scenes from more than fifty years of reporting and living in the North with fascinating portraits of the Dene and Inuit activists who successfully overturned the colonial order and politically reshaped Canada—including his wife, Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General.

Place a hold online…

 

Cover image of Truth Telling

Non-Fiction – Truth Telling: Seven Conversations About Indigenous Life in Canada by Michelle Good

A bold, provocative collection of essays exploring the historical and contemporary Indigenous experience in Canada that reveals facts about Indigenous life that are both devastating and enlightening. Essential reading for those looking to acknowledge the past and understand the way forward.

Place a hold online…

 

Cover image of Unbroken

Non-Fiction – Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Sterritt

A remarkable work of memoir and investigative journalism focusing on missing and murdered Indigenous women, written by an award-winning Gitxsan journalist who survived life on the streets against all odds.

Place a hold online…

 

Cover image of The Berry Pickers

Fiction – The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

A stunning debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction, The Berry Pickers is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma and the persistence of love across time. This story follows one Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia that is haunted for decades after their youngest child mysteriously disappears one summer in 1962 when they’re visiting Maine to pick blueberries.

Place a hold online…

 

Cover image of Grandmother Begins the Story

Fiction – Grandmother Begins the Story written by Michelle Porter

Award-winning author Michelle Porter makes her fiction debut with an enchanting and original story of the unrivaled desire for healing and the power of familial bonds across five generations of Métis women and the land and bison that surround them.

Place a hold online…

 

Cover image of Funeral Songs for Dying Girls

Young Adult Fiction – Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline

After inadvertently starting rumors of a haunted cemetery, a teen befriends a ghost in this brand-new young adult novel exploring Indigenous identity from the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of The Marrow Thieves series.

Place a hold online…

 

Cover image of Indigenous Ingenuity

Juvenile Non-Fiction – Indigenous Ingenuity by Deidre Havrelock and Edward Kay; illustrated by Kalila Fuller

Spanning topics from transportation to civil engineering, hunting technologies, astronomy, brain surgery, architecture, and agriculture, Indigenous Ingenuity is a beautifully designed, interactive nonfiction work that celebrates North American Indigenous thinkers and inventions. Perfect for fans of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.  ​

Place a hold online…

 

Cover image of Rabbit Chase

Juvenile Graphic Novel – Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth LaPensée; illustrated by KC Oster

Anishinaabe culture and storytelling meet Alice in Wonderland in this coming-of-age graphic novel that explores Indigenous and gender issues through a fresh yet familiar looking glass. This tale tells the story of Aimée, a non-binary Anishinaabe middle-schooler, who helps Trickster Rabbit track down dark water spirits and save the land from the Evil Queen.

Place a hold online…

 

Cover image of Smile so Big

Picture Book – Smile so Big by Sunshine Quem Tenasco; illustrated by Chief Lady Bird

This special story, from award-winning Anishinabe activist Sunshine Quem Tenasco and artist Chief Lady Bird, introduces readers to concepts of self-acceptance, self-empowerment, and recognition of the unique beauty that comes from within as a magical mirror helps a young girl understand her true beauty.

Place a hold online…

Celebrating Pride Month

Celebrating Pride Month

by | Jun 9, 2023 | Uncategorized

The Huron County Library is celebrating Pride Month by sharing valuable resources, participating in community events, and hosting activities in our branches.

Here is a round-up of what’s happening throughout June:

Huron County Pride Outreach: The Huron County Library is popping up at Huron County’s first Pride Festival! Find us on the Square in downtown Goderich on Saturday, June 10, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and take in the amazing activities happening throughout the day!

LGBTQ2S+ Resources for young people and their families: Library staff have put together a valuable resource guide to support young people and their families. The guide features links to online resources, books from our collection, local supports, and more.

Book Raffle: The Library is raffling off 10 LGBTQ2S+ books for a variety of ages (picture books, junior fiction, young adult, adult fiction, and adult non-fiction). Find ballots throughout the month of June at all 12 branches or visit us at the Huron Pride Festival.

Pride Panel Discussion: Join us on Tuesday, June 27 from 7-8 p.m., for a virtual discussion on the growing censorship of LGBTQ2S+ books. Registration required. 

LGBTQ2S+ Youth Gab Sessions: This is an opportunity for youth ages 16-25 to meet in a safe space for youth to discuss their LGBTQ2S+ experiences. This event runs the last Thursday of each month from 5-6 p.m. at the Goderich Branch. Registration required.

Rainbow Wands @ Goderich Branch: Make a rainbow wand on Saturday, June 10, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. to help celebrate Huron Pride’s first Pride Festival! Registration required

Evening Experts @ Goderich Branch: In celebration of Pride Month, we welcome speakers from Huron County Pride on Wednesday, June 21 starting at 6:30 p.m.to speak about this grassroots LGBTQ2+ organization and more!

Origami Hearts @ Exeter Branch: Drop into the Exeter Branch through the month of June to help the library decorate the windows with origami hearts. Available during regular branch hours.

Blind Date with an LGBTQ2S+ Book @ Exeter Branch: The Exeter Branch is hosting Blind Date with an LGBTQ2S+ book throughout the month of June.