#waterloo-public-library — Public Fediverse posts

BORROWING BEYOND BOOKS AT THE LOCAL LIBRARIES

While they might be mostly known for books, both the Kitchener Public Library (KPL) and Waterloo Public Library (WPL) carry far more. Not only have they greatly increased their digital offerings with e-books and audio books via various services, they also offer many things to take home.   

MOVIES & TV 

Perhaps the second most visible collection in any library is their offering of movies and TV shows. The vast majority are on DVD and Blu-ray. Both libraries’ collections include DVDs in over 25 languages with their most populous being French, Mandarin and Spanish.   

By consistently adding new titles every year, the library has built a vast resource of some of the most popular and underappreciated independent films of the century. Library visitors can check out hot titles from 2025 such as Sinners and One Battle After Another and independently released films from the same year like Eephus and The Shrouds from Toronto’s own David Cronenberg. In addition to newer films, the library also receives remastered editions of classics from boutique labels such as the Criterion Collection. This includes a new edition of 1973 revisionist western Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid as well as a combo pack of Shaft and Shaft’s Big Score!  

Library cards also give access to both Kanopy and Hoopla, streaming services where members can digitally check out hundreds of movies and TV series to watch at home.   

VIDEO GAMES 

Over the last couple of years, video game prices skyrocketed. A new video game can cost as much as $100. Luckily, the KPL boasts a healthy collection of video games for all modern video game consoles.   

Library card holders with access to PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo systems will have the opportunity to experience classics from the past 15 years as well as the newest big studio releases. The library’s catalogue stretches as far back as Dark Souls II on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 while even featuring pre-holds for upcoming games such as Pragmata and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, both set to be released this year.   

The only limiting factor on this fun can be the three-week loan period. If someone else has a hold on the title you’ve checked out, you may have to rush through some very long games.   

For a shorter, easier experience, check out Stray on PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch. For a longer, more complicated experience with a compelling narrative, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a journey worth the walk to the library.   

STUDIO SPACE 

The KPL’s Central branch and WPL’s Eastside branch both boast fully equipped studio spaces that can be booked by library cardholders. The resources are invaluable for any creatives looking to record music or other audio projects who don’t want to pay for costly studio space elsewhere.   

The Heffner Studio at the KPL Central branch features four different recording studios with various capacities ranging from solo rooms to larger spaces that can accommodate up to five musicians along with up-to-date recording hardware and software. Additionally, the Heffner Studio contains several Mac workstations that can be booked for folks to work on various multimedia productions.   

The Digispace at the WPL Eastside branch features a sound-proof recording booth and a production control room that allows groups to record in either space. Both recording studios are also stocked with various instruments that can be used by customers as part of their recording process.   

OTHER FUN ITEMS 

Along with their large collection of media, the library houses a host of other items which can be checked out to have some fun or learn at home or elsewhere.   

Both the KPL and WPL have Nintendo Switch kits that can be borrowed along with games for the system. Many computer stations are available for use at library locations, you can also check out a Chromebook for a week at a time.   

For those looking to learn something new, both libraries have passes for Region of Waterloo museums as well as THEMUSEUM. Additionally, they also have Grand River Parks and Ontario Parks day passes. Finally, there is a plethora of sports equipment, toys and games to enjoy.   

The list of everything the library offers is far too exhaustive to outline in any article. Needless to say, if you are looking for something, check the library first.  

WANDERING WATERLOO REGION THROUGH BOOKS

After a busy and potentially expensive holiday season, the last activity one tends to think about is travel.  

What if you broke that mould?  

But what if, from the comfort, ease, and coziness of your couch, you navigated local streets both familiar and unknown? Stick with me, for I am not suggesting the familiar armchair travel of 2020.  

I certainly won’t suggest more screen time. 

What if you made yourself a cuppa something delicious and warm, found a blanket, and cracked the spine of something new? 

 Waterloo Region’s unique demographics easily lend themselves to phenomenal and fantastical stories. The books below can be found at local bookstores such as Words Worth Books or Old Goat Books in Uptown Waterloo, and A Second Look Books in Downtown Kitchener. Alternatively, check out any branch of the Kitchener Public Library or Waterloo Public Library for these and other books about Waterloo Region or by the region’s own talented authors. 

The Waterloo You Never Knew: Life on the Margins by Joanna Rickert-Hall

Joanna Rickert-Hall is a local author, social historian and recipient of the Jean Steckle Award for Excellence in heritage education. 

She writes about the scandals and overlooked yet fascinating tales and the tragedies of Waterloo Region. A delightful assortment of them appear in this book. 

Covering nineteenth and twentieth-century stories of both a sensational and sordid sort, this book shares local history that few locals have on their radar. 

Think body snatchers, cholera, rum running, and sorcery–to begin. Resident readers will be inspired, shocked, and gain new appreciation for the past and present of Waterloo Region. 

Flash from the Past : 140 photographs from the Waterloo Region Record by Chris Masterman and Jon Fear 

For the visually inclined, this collection of photographs from nineteenth and twentieth-century Waterloo Region will transport you through the decades of our collective stories. 

Chris Masterman, a former Waterloo Region Record librarian invited residents to share their memories associated with the archival photos she dug up from the archives. 

Jon Fear is a columnist for the Waterloo Region Record and kept the memory-gathering tradition alive. 

Kissing Bridge: The story of Ontario’s only covered bridge, and West Montrose, the quiet, charming village whose sides it connects by Del Gingrich 

Much as its name suggests, Kissing Bridge is whimsical, magical, and a little mischievous. Woolwich Township, known for its talented Mennonite farming community and calm green landscape, is not the setting you might associate with such a title. 

Yet it is, in fact, where this real-life story continues to take place today. Ontario’s last wooden covered bridge in use, it has a striking red façade, is the location of many an odd and delightful fact. 

Many such pieces of information are shared in the book, some of which include tales of the West Montrose Swifts and the Conestoga Wanderers (local hockey teams from 1915), the real alibi that allowed so many couples to conveniently take their time crossing the bridge, the peeping eyes that spied from the rafters. 

The Back Door by Coral Andrews 

Local author and broadcaster Coral Andrews dishes on Kitchener’s former underground music scene at The Back Door. Musicians, concertgoers and neighbours alike involved in Waterloo Region’s music scene, and perhaps more so those of a certain vintage, will appreciate the deep dive into Kitchener’s legendary punk history.

Should you prefer fiction, Waterloo Region’s creative writers have plenty to offer. From poetry to crime, consider the following titles for your January book list.  

Black Cherokee by Antonio Michael Downing is a coming-of-age story of a mixed-race Black girl growing up in a South Carolina Cherokee community that won’t recognize her identity.  

Nobody Cares: Essays is written by Anne T. Donahue. With humour, she explores friendship, failure, work and what life looks like as a twenty- or thirty-something in modern day. Award-winning local poet Chris Banks has several books.  

Midlife Action Figure: Poems has been described as a “rare book that is as exciting as it is provocative, showcasing both pathos and humor” by the ECW Press.  

Francie’s Got a Gun by Carrie Snyder is a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year and one of the CBC’s Best Canadian Fiction Books of 2022. The survival of a young girl in a small town will keep you on the edge of your seat.  

Former Waterloo Regional councillor, Jane Mitchell, has pivoted from serving her community to crafting murder mysteries with her new novel, Bad Council.  In it, a local councillor is killed when he tries to release information that will change his community forever.  

Set your schedule as “busy”—you’ve got a lot of reading to enjoy this month!

We're moving back to Waterloo next month 😂, so I've been looking for fedi accounts to follow. Searching for "Waterloo Mastodon" was a surprise though due to a large number of articles about mastodons roaming the area back the the day. 🐘

I've followed @WaterlooEvents , @ourwaterloopark , and @communityedition . Oh, and @cardamomaddict .

Any other interesting ones I should check out?

#UptownWaterloo #waterloo #waterloopubliclibrary #waterlooregion #kwawesome

I've pointed my (soon to be) local library at @kagihq 's new Kagi for Libraries program. Seems like an excellent opportunity to run a pilot of search without misleading ads and AI slop.

Hopefully they (the Waterloo Public Library) can get on fedi soon, too.

#waterloopubliclibrary #uptownwaterloo #wpl

Excited about this. Thanks to #waterloopubliclibrary, this cost me $0.60

#Gaslands #icecreamtruck #miniatures #3dprinting #library