Smart Card transit passes now available to checkout with a Huron County Library card

Smart Card transit passes now available to checkout with a Huron County Library card

Set yourself FREE with Huron Shores Area Transit by checking out a Smart Card Library pass with a Huron County Library card!

The Library is very pleased to partner with Huron Shores Area Transit (HSAT) to make five Smart Card Library Passes available through the Object Library, giving patrons unlimited free rides during a one-week loan period.

According to a media release issued from HSAT, the new Smart Card Library program is designed to encourage residents who have not yet tried local public transit to experience convenient and affordable travel options and access various destinations and venues without worrying about transportation or parking costs. The program is planned to be in place for the full year and may be extended into 2025.

Passes can be borrowed from branches in communities with HSAT transit stops: Bayfield, Exeter, Goderich, Hensall, and Zurich. Of course, holds can be placed online and picked up from any Huron County Library branch. The pass is non-renewable, enabling as many cardholders as possible to borrow the pass and try out local public transit. 

“We are proud to partner with local libraries in offering Smart Card Library Passes,” said Susan Mills, Transit Coordinator from Huron Shores Area Transit. “This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to provide accessible transportation solutions and enhance community connectivity. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this initiative will have on residents.”

HSAT’s affordable, inter-community public transit links Lambton Shores, South Huron, North Middlesex, Bluewater and Kettle & Stony Point First Nation with each other and Sarnia, London, Goderich and Strathroy. The fully accessible service provides an important transit service for seniors, students, workers and youth for employment, education, health and wellness, and leisure.

For more information about routes, schedules, fares and Smart Cards, visit HuronShoresAreaTransit.ca. To speak with a live operator about times and schedules, call 1-888-465-0783 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.

Tiny Art Show returns to Clinton Branch

Tiny Art Show returns to Clinton Branch

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.
Most Anticipated Releases of 2024

Most Anticipated Releases of 2024

There are SO many great books coming out in 2024! The following are just a few of Huron County Library staff’s most anticipated upcoming titles across a variety of genres and reading levels.

A staff-created list with even more recommendations can be found on our online catalogue.

Book cover image of Closer Together

Non-fiction: Closer Together by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau invites readers on a deeply personal journey toward self-knowledge, acceptance, and empowerment, drawing on the expertise of top psychologists, psychiatrists, scientists, and thought leaders. Release: April 23

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Expiration Dates

Fiction: Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

Told with her signature warmth and insight into matters of the heart, Rebecca Serle’s newest book is a gripping, emotional, passionate, and (yes) heartbreaking novel about what it means to be single, what it means to find love, and ultimately how we define each of them for ourselves. Release: March 5

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Secret Keeper

Historical Fiction: The Secret Keeper by Genevieve Graham

From bestselling Canadian author Genevieve Graham comes a gripping World War II novel about two sisters who join the war effort—one as a codebreaker and the other as a pilot—and the secrets that threaten to tear them apart. Perfect for fans of The Rose Code and The Nightingale. Release: April 2

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of This Summer Will Be Different

Romance: This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

A nostalgic, moving second chance love story set on Prince Edward Island that is sure to be in everyone’s beach bag this summer! This is Carley Fortune at her best and one not to miss for romance lovers and fans of Emily Henry. Release: May 7

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of The Grey Wolf

Mystery: The Grey Wold by Louise Penny

The highly anticipated nineteenth book in the best-selling Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. Plot details themselves are still a mystery! Release: Oct. 29

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Murder Road

Horror/Suspense: Murder Road by Simone St. James

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel. Release: March 5

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Fantasy: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

The hugely anticipated sequel to the bestselling, The House in the Cerulean Sea, is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it. Release: Sept. 10

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Annie Bot

Science Fiction: Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

For fans of Never Let Me Go and My Dark Vanessa, a powerful, provocative novel about the relationship between a female robot and her human owner, exploring questions of intimacy, power, autonomy, and control. Release: March 19

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Ace and the Misfits

Young Adult: Ace and the Misfits by Eddie Kawooya

In his debut novel, Eddie Kawooya presents a fish-out-of-water story of immigration and the pains and joys of integration into a new and sometimes frightening environment. Arriving in Canada, Ace finds himself living in a basement apartment, having to integrate into a new community where he is the “African.” This book tackles self esteem and how it can be easily lost when one feels alone. At the core of this story is the isolation a child feels after his world is snatched from him, and the journey of self worth and self confidence he must undertake to rise above it. Release: Feb. 13

Place a hold online…

Book cover image of Tree. Table. Book.

Middle Grade Fiction: Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry

Eleven-year-old Sophia endeavors to prevent her increasingly forgetful 88-year-old neighbour and best friend Sophie from entering assisted living, and in the process, uncovers unexpected stories of war, loss, and hope. From two-time Newbery medalist Lois Lowry comes this warm and resonant story of an unlikely friendship, which unfolds as a revelation on how we hold on to – and pass on – what matters most. Release: April 23

Place a hold online…

Book cover image of There's No PLace Like Hope

Picture Book: There’s No Place Like Hope by Janet Lawler; Illustrated by Tamisha Anthony

This sweet, rhythmic picture book is a gentle yet powerful exploration of how hope makes us loving, courageous, and connected to one another. Release: Jan. 30

Place a hold online…

Passport to Discovery – Peace and Kindness

Passport to Discovery – Peace and Kindness

Calling all young explorers! Your next adventure starts today! Join us as we practice more peace and kindness!

Let’s get started:

  • Pick up a Take & Make Kit from your library branch to make a poppy or a peace dove.
  • Play Kindness Bingo.
  • Use our conversation prompts to have important discussions about conflict resolution.
  • Read one of these books from our collection that explore peace, kindness and friendship.
  • Download this month’s activity sheet if you prefer to get started from home.

Explorers are welcome to join the program at any time. Here’s how it works:

  • Pick up a passport from your local branch to begin a full year of learning, reading, doing, and having a whole lot of fun!
  • Visit your local branch each month to pick up a themed craft kit and activity sheet.
  • Complete at least one of the activities
  • Return to the branch to get your passport stamped and ballot entered into a grand prize draw for a tablet! The draw will take place at the end of the program in February 2024.
Summer Reading Week 6: Plants Aplenty

Summer Reading Week 6: Plants Aplenty

This week be prepared to take a look at how crazy and amazing plants actually are! We will learn that they do a lot more for their survival and our environment than we may have thought – they don’t just sit there!  What do plants eat? Bugs? Sunshine? Cheese sandwiches? Join us for week 6 and find out! This week’s theme is “Check this out! Plants Aplenty!

To have fun exploring this week’s theme from home, download our “plant-iful” colouring sheet and check out this week’s online reading list – we have “plant-y” of themed books there! (sorry for the puns, we couldn’t help it 🌱) And as always, we encourage you to head to your local library branch to find even more amazing books! We hope to see you there!

Enjoy the sunshine this week!

Nadine and Maya