News Releases

January 31, 2012

2011 Annual Report

As Chair of the Milton Public Library Board, it gives me great pleasure to highlight the continued transformation of the MPL system. The ongoing success of Beaty Branch, and the immediate and continued response of the community to the Main Library are clear indicators that the many years of studies and planning (including Destiny Milton II: Library Master Plan) are helping to steer the library system in the right direction. The Board is confident that MPL is fulfilling a very real need in the community, and that tax dollars are being expended to the benefit of the Town and its citizens. Ken Jacobsen, Chair

Read full report .

January 13, 2012

Little Pim Language Learning for Young Children

Little Pim is wonderful new addition to the popular Mango Languages Online Learning service introduced last year.

Mango has created an interactive online version of the awarding winning Little Pim language learning series for young children. The series is available in ten languages:

• Arabic
• English
• French
• German
• Hebrew
• Italian
• Japanese
• Mandarin Chinese
• Russian
• Spanish

Children will be captivated by the lovable animated panda which 'stars' in the series. The series features native speakers, excellent pacing, varied activities and great concept groupings to make the language learning process fun and easy.

Start Little Pim

January 13, 2012

Milton's Top Ten Reads Announced

What were Milton's favourite reads of 2011? We've compiled a list of the top ten books read by Adults, Young Adults and Kids.

For the first time, your top ten eBooks and eAudiobooks are revealed.

• Print Books
• eBooks
• eAudiobooks

Also included this year are the top ten magazines accessed from Your Online Library.

View Milton's Top Ten.

January 10, 2012

Welcome Britannica to Your Online Library

Cut out the web clutter and find what you need now! Meet the newest additions to your Online Library!

Britannica Image Quest

No more painstaking web searches for the perfect image only to find out you don't have permission to use it or its poor quality! Now you can enjoy easy online access to an award winning digital collection of more than two million images from one convenient source. All images are rights-cleared for non-commercial, educational use. A fantastic resource for school projects and activities.

Access: In-library / Home use

Britannica Online

Find content for all ages, from elementary students to college students, from business professionals to curious seniors. Whether it's frogs or physics, gardening or geography, Britannica Online covers it all! Extensive and thorough yet intuitive and fast, this powerful collection delivers trustworthy information that you need, when you need it.

Younger patrons can switch to the Kid's edition. Cut out the web clutter and find reliable, age-appropriate material.

Access: In-library / Home use

December 28, 2011

Extended Evening Hours for Beaty

Effective January 10^th, Beaty Branch will be open until 9:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.

View all hours.

November 11, 2011

What You Like Best About Your Library

During Ontario Public Library Week we asked "What you like best about your Library" at Main Library and Beaty Branch. We had hundreds of responses about MPL, our collections, staff, services and programs.

There are too many to list here, but we do want to share some of what you told us:

• Everything
• Open. Bright. Kind Staff. Lots of choice.
• Ambiance. Assistance. Friendliness
• The new look is calming & soothing.
• I don't want to leave once I'm here. Love it.
• The growing collection and the beautiful windows/seating areas.
• Hold System rocks!
• Wi Fi
• Self check out
• Amazing staff!
• The layout and ease of finding what I am looking for. That is equal to the friendliness of the staff.

View more submitted comments .

November 10, 2011

Ewareness Winners!

Ewareness Month is celebrated each October to raise awareness of resources available online to Milton residents. Congratulations to all participants on being eWare!

Winners this Year

Week One

Winner - Amna Usmani

Sansa Clip+ MP3 player

Week Two

Winner - Carol Taylor

Sansa Clip+ MP3 player

Week Three

Winner - Ted Pierrepoint

Sansa Clip+ MP3 player

Week Four

Winner - Michelle Farthing

Sansa Clip+ MP3 player

Grand Prize Draw

Winner - Shanzay Shakeel

Kobo Touch eReader

• By the way we have also been accessing the tumble books over the weekend since I entered the contest....My little ones LOVE them! They love books and the library and this has added another dimension to their literacy. We are also going to try the chapter books [TumbleReadables] for my older kids as a tool to help my son be a more comfortable reader! Sorry to go on just thought you might like to know the result of your contest for our family!
• What a great idea to help find out all the great things that are available through the library! Thanks.
• Excellent service. Thank You.
• New member, looking forward to downloading books.
• Love reading online.
• Great service.
• Librarian was very helpful.
• Great website.
• Great contest didn't know I could access books on the computer like that….amazing! [AudioBookCloud]
• This is a very cool service [AudioBookCloud]… Good job MPL!
• Great contest! A very cool way to learn all that the library offers
• Get a chance to win and learn something!
• I love all of your activities, thanks for all of them.
• Fantastic source for Consumer Reports!
• It's very helpful. Thank you! [LearningExpress]
• I'll try at home. Thanks. [LearningExpress]
• What a great resource I did not know about it till now! [Teen Health & Wellness]
• I have downloaded books from audio on the go for years now!
• The e-reader has been on my wishlist forever - awesome contest MPL! Keep up the great work!
• I use the online services regularly for information, book reviews and when I was teaching, curriculum and instructional information. It is a wonderful tool.

Discover Your Online Library today!

November 3, 2011

Connect with us Online!

Stay connected wherever you are! We'll keep you up to date! Discover upcoming events, suggested reads, timely articles, news and alerts.

Just returned a great book, dvd or game? Share it with us and our growing online community. Ask questions and share experiences!

October 3, 2011

October is Ewareness Month!

Ewareness Month is aimed at raising awareness of resources available online to Milton residents.

In it's seventh year, Miltonian's are encouraged to Get Caught Using their Online Library! If you live, work or go to school in Milton, you can enter the contest! Participate online or when you next visit the library during the month of October!

Enter weekly and increase your odds of winning the weekly and grand prize draws for a Sansa Clip+ MP3 player and a grand prize draw for a Kobo Touch eReader. Both prizes can be used with our downloadable audiobook and eBook service, Libraries on the Go.

Weekly Themes

Week One

Discover eLearning

Upgrade your skills, learn a language, develop reading skills, discover your ancestry, take career self-assessments, take practice tests, enjoy step by step do-it-yourself projects for home, hobbies and auto repair.

Week Two

Find eReads

Read or listen to popular adult, teen and children's books, including novels and non-fiction on your computer, or portable device.

Week Three

Find eArticles

Enjoy full-text Consumer Reports. Access millions of news, magazine and research articles on virtually any topic.

Week Four

School Project Help

Resources for fact checking, project ideas, articles, images and more, for all ages and reading abilities.

Get e-Ware and Discover Your Online Library today!

September 22, 2011

Laurier Milton Lecture Series III

Wilfrid Laurier University, Town of Milton and Milton Public Library are pleased to introduce its third series of lectures.

Series III will run on the second Wednesday of each month, October 2011 through May 2012 at the Milton Centre for the Arts.

Register online or by phone (905) 875-2665.

Upcoming Lectures

October 12,
2011

Environmental Labelling: Effective Marketing Tool?

by Dr. Mitali De

November 9,
2011

Digital Mentoring: Connecting Canadian and Haitian Educators for Change

by Dr. Steve Sider

December 14,
2011

Molecular "Lego": Using Organic Molecules as Building Blocks for Nanoscale Architectures

by Dr. Kenneth Maly

View all upcoming lectures...

September 21, 2011

Read with Gisèle Tour coming to Milton

The Read with Gisèle tour showcases Gisèle reading the book of the month from her Big Backyard Book Club at libraries across the province in an effort to inspire children and their families to read every day. Preschoolers can watch the Book Club on television, participate in the club online at tvokids.com, and now enjoy it in person as Gisèle reads accessible, easy-to-read-aloud books by Canadian authors.

TVOKids host Gisèle, star of TVO's early learning program block Gisèle's Big Backyard, will share the magic of reading with preschool children in Milton.

Read with Gisèle events are free and admission is on a first-come, first-served basis as seating is limited. Below are the details for the Milton reading:

Saturday, October 15
1:30 p.m.
Main Library

August 27, 2011

Summer Reading Clubs' Winners Announced

Summer reading clubs have many benefits including encouraging and strengthening the habit of reading for pleasure, creating life-long learners, increasing reading skills and reducing summer learning loss. Over 950 preschoolers through teens participated in the summer reading clubs this year earning ballots for the grand prize draws.

Teens -Express Yourself-

98 Teens collectively read 180,515 minutes this summer! More than double the program goal!

Congratulations to Rachel Carvalho the winner of the grand prize draw, a $250 Best Buy Gift Card.

Splash!

Over 666 kids, ages 6 to 12, collectively read 440,990 pages this summer for nearly 4,500 eligible ballots in the grand prize draws!

Congratulations to our winners...

• 1st Prize: Xbox Kinnect gaming system: Ramona Mahabir
• 2nd Prize $100 Gift card Best Buy: Azeem Hussain
• 3rd Prize $50 Chapters Gift Card: Ethan Sukardaja

Lil' Surfers

194 children, ages 3 to 5, participated with their families in this read-aloud summer reading club.

The Betta fish at each location enjoyed visits all summer long and two Lil' Surfer's participants were selected by ballot to take them home when the program concluded.

Joshua Urrasio won the prize draw to bring Edward Fishington, the Betta fish, at Beaty home. Deana Hall won the prize draw to bring Poseidon, the Betta fish, at Main home.

View photos of the winners accepting their prizes.

August 17, 2011

2011 Put Pen to Paper Contest Winners

On Monday evening a reception was held for all our teen short story contest participants. With their families, they enjoyed an engaging presentation by author Robert Paul Weston as he read and performed from his book Zorgamazoo.

Winning Stories:

• Grade 6 - 8 Winners:
  • 1^st: Captured Dreams by Mena Fouda
  • 2^nd: Hidden within the Pages by Grace Z.
  • 3^rd: Monkeys: The World's Smartest Animals by Bertina Lou
• Grade 9 - 12 Winners:
  • 1^st: There's Really No Way to Reach Me by Manchari Paranthahan
  • 2^nd: Black, White, & Red Masks by Celina Sanchez
  • 3^rd: Blue by Kiryl Rusetski

View photos from the reception.

A special thank you to our judges who volunteered their time to read and enjoy all the submissions.

• Leslie Fitch, CEO / Chief Librarian, MPL
• Jan Mowbry, Board Member, MPL
• Mary Zadow, Retired Employee, MPL

July 27, 2011

Amendments to Library Fines and Fees

Effective September 1, 2011

Adult material fines to increase to 25 cents per day to a maximum of $10.00 per item.

Children's material fines to increase to 25 cents per day to a maximum of $5.00 per item.

Fines remain at $1.00 per day to a maximum of $10 per item for DVD's, Games, and Frequent Flyers.

Genealogy and Local History search requests will be charged at: $10 for the first citation and $5 for each subsequent citation up to five requests.

July 25, 2011

Stuffie Sleepover Fun

Several cherished stuffed animals spent the night at the Beaty Branch and Main Library on Thursday, July 21^st.

The stuffies had a lot of fun with various activities, exploring the collection and even roasting marshmallows! On Friday, they went home with their families.

Enjoy a visual snapshot of their adventures at the library!

• Beaty branch adventures
• Main library adventures

July 4, 2011

French Canadian launches in Mango Languages

In celebration of Canada Day this year Mango Languages has launched French Canadian!

The differences between Canadian and standard European French are analogous to the differences between American and British English or the Swedish of Sweden and the Swedish of Finland. They are mutually intelligible, but there are some interesting differences, especially in vocabulary. Mango makes it easier for you: they now offer both.

Here is a brief timeline of the French influence in present day Canada: New France in Canada, the St. Lawrence Valley, was the historic homeland of the French Canadian people in the time of New France. It corresponds to the southern part of modern Quebec excluding the Eastern Township. Later it had various names: the Province of Quebec (1763), Lower Canada (1791), Canada East (1840), and finally the Province of Quebec (1867) again.

There are nearly 6 million French Canadian speakers living throughout Canada and North America, with the majority of that population residing in the province of Quebec. With a little help from Mango's new French Canadian language course, we can soak up the general joie de vivre in Montreal, touring the many historic points of interest scattered throughout Quebec City, or reconnect with one's Québécois heritage.

Get started with Mango Languages today! Learn French or 40 other guided language learning experiences including a variety of foreign languages and English as a Second Language courses. Available anywhere with your library card!

June 22, 2011

AfterHours @ the Library

The Dewey Divas did not disappoint a full house on June 20^th. They suggested a wide variety of books that they felt were perfect for book clubs. They also gave the crowd a sneak preview of some soon to be released titles.

Guests voted for their favourite titles based on the Dewey Divas presentations. The first place winner will be added to MPL's book club collection.

Good as Gold - 1^st place

by Louise Patton

Edie Quentance is the ugly duckling in a family of charming conformists....When Edie is pushed into joining the family bank, she finds the work very dull indeed. She passes the time trying to uncover the truth about her great-grandfather Kit. Kit Quentance was rumoured to have carried a fortune into the Titanic lifeboat with him. Edie's excavations in the family archive unearth some shocking and far more recent secrets. As she tries to right her family's wrong-doings, Edie's position becomes increasingly dangerous.... she no longer knows whom she can trust.

---

Midwife of Venice - 2^nd place

by Roberta Rich

A gripping historical page-turner, enthralling readers with its suspenseful action and vivid depiction of life in sixteenth-century Venice. Roberta Rich has created a wonderful heroine in Hannah Levi, a lioness who will fight for the survival of the man she loves, and the women and babies she is duty-bound to protect, carrying with her the best of humanity's compassion and courage.

---

The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise - 3^rd place

by Julia Stuart

Brimming with charm, sparkling prose and undeniably unique characters, this hilarious novel set in the Tower of London has the transportive qualities and delightful magic of the contemporary classics....Balthazar is tasked with setting up an elaborate menagerie within the Tower walls to house the many exotic animals gifted to the Queen. As he attempts to cope with this four-legged invasion and his marriage continues to crumble, Balthazar must confront the secret he has been harbouring about his son's death, if he wants to save his marriage and his sanity.

New this Fall!

BYOB (Bring your own Baby) Book Club

The Library is excited to be launching a whole new book club this fall for stay-at-home parents. Meet one Friday a month at Main Library. Meetings will be roughly one hour long and feature a very casual book discussion and depending on ages, some play time for the little ones.

Join our email group!

If you would like to be notified monthly about book club news, new releases and other information that may appeal to your book club, please sign up @ bookclubs@mpl.on.ca.

Discover more about Adult Book Clubs ....

June 17, 2011

Future Use Study: 45 Bruce Street, 407 Pine Street

The Town of Milton hosted a public input session on June 16^th, which presented an overview of feasibility study findings and consultant recommendations for the future use of the two facilities.... Read more...

June 8, 2011

Summer 2011 Newsletter Now Available

Splash into Summer with Milton Public Library.... Read more...

June 6, 2011 - Updated July 25, 2011

Main Library Service Announcements

Teen's Workstation - arriving soon!

Service Disruption - Teen Internet Workstations

Furniture for the Teen workstations has arrived. The Teen Workstations will be set up soon.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience during these disruptions.

June 3, 2011

Public Information Session

Future Use of Buildings: 45 Bruce St. and 407 Pine St.

Thursday, June 16, 2011
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

(Presentations begin at 3:00 and 7:00 p.m.)

Milton Seniors' Activity Centre
500 Childs Drive

The Town of Milton invites you learn more about:

• Pubic input received and overview of study findings
• The consultant's recommendations regarding future use of the two facilities

Media Contact: Town of Milton
www.milton.ca
905-878-7252, ext. 2185

May 31, 2011

Make your Way to Main@Main

April 28, 2011

Main Library Prepares for Move to Milton Centre for the Arts

The move of the Milton Public Library Main Library (at Bruce Street) to the Milton Centre for the Arts at the corner of Main and Thompson is fast approaching. Movers will be at the Bruce Street location on Monday, May 16, and so the Main Library will close at 5 pm on Saturday, May 14 in its current location. The move will take three weeks, and staff are looking forward to sharing photos each day of the moving process until the Main Library is scheduled to re-open on Tuesday, June 7. Check out the MPL homepage, FlickR and Facebook accounts to keep track of how the move is progressing.

Leading up to May 14, items borrowed from the Main Library will have extended loan periods: no item will be due back to the Main Library for the three weeks of the move. The return dates will vary, so patrons should check their receipts (or library record online) carefully for when items will be due. While the Bruce Street Book Drop will be locked at 5 pm on Saturday, May 14, the Book Drop at Beaty Branch (945 Fourth line, just south of Clark Boulevard) will be open. Beginning on Tuesday, May 17, the exterior Book Drop at the New Main (1010 Main Street East) will also be open. Check the MPL website (www.mpl.on.ca) for more information about how to find the book drops, and other information regarding the move.

"This is an exciting day in the history of Milton Public Library" noted Milton Public Library Board Chair Ken Jacobsen. "It is the outcome of years of planning, and to be able to welcome the people of Milton into a Main Library with the space, features, and resources appropriate to a community of this size is a notable accomplishment. The Milton Public Library Board and staff deeply appreciate the financial support of the Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments in bringing this project to fruition. The Milton Centre for the Arts is a beautiful facility, and we are looking forward to seeing you there".

Media Contact: Leslie Fitch
CEO / Chief Librarian
905-875-2665, ext. 3252

April 28, 2011

Our Website is Changing!

Our website looks different. In part due to our new logo and most importantly to implement some of the changes you requested in our latest survey!

The most notable change is our new masthead which incorporates the new logo for the Milton Public Library system and navigation changes to help you find content relevant to you faster! The masthead features...

• A cleaner, simpler and more accessible menu
• Catalogue quick search available site-wide
• One click access to Your Account
• Adults now have a dedicated space and place on the menu. Easily find programs, events and services relevant to you.
• Access to Teen Central and Kids Zone is now more conveniently placed in the menu bar.
• One-click access to our mobile site
• Quick access to Your Online Library from the menu. Download or stream eBooks, audiobooks, find eArticles, finish your homework research, or discover eLearning! Available anytime, anywhere with your library card. The sky is the limit!

There is more to come!

Our website will continue to evolve over time as we develop the site to make it easier to use, easier to access and as we add more features. Those changes that did not make it into the Phase II updates are being investigated for future updates.

April 18, 2011

2011 Milton Champions announced!

A round of applause to all the school teams that participated in Milton's Battle of the Books this year!

The 2011 Champions are Guardian Angels, winner of the junior title, and St. Anthony of Padua, winner of the senior title!

Wish both teams luck at the regional finals taking place in Oakville on May 12^th!

April 11, 2011

New logo unveiled for the Milton Public Library System

Milton Public Library has launched a new logo, which will be used on a variety of materials related to the system-wide branding, promoting, and marketing of MPL programs and services.

The Library worked with a consultant in the fall of 2010 to design the logo, along with other branding elements for the MPL system. In addition to the logo, the branding will include templates for other marketing materials, including ads, posters, and brochures. You will also soon be able to see the logo in use on the MPL website, www.mpl.on.ca.

Board members, Library staff, and Town staff were consulted in the re-development of branding for MPL, and the final logo reflects their feedback from early conceptual ideas through to the final design.

Logo Logic

The logo for the Milton Public Library not only pays tribute to the written word by depicting the letter "L" but, by suggesting an open book, a magazine, or a computer screen, also references the wide spectrum of multi-media opportunities at the Library. The shape is timeless in its perception as a traditional book but also as modern media, representing the past, present and future of lifelong learning. The open concept of the book invites those who are curious to explore the endless possibilities of the imagination in a friendly, welcoming environment.

The separate shapes convey multiplicity as it relates to branch facilities of the Library and the many facets of media at the ready. The upward slope introduces dynamic movement, signifying change, development and betterment of the mind, body and spirit. The lively blue and purple colours embody the energy, creativity and playfulness of each and every Library experience.

Media Contact: Leslie Fitch
CEO / Chief Librarian
905-875-2665, ext. 3252

Susan Mickalow
Deputy Chief Librarian
905-875-2665, ext. 3260