Are you curious?

Do you know Curio.ca? The Beaconsfield Library has a subscription to Curio.ca which provides access to thousands of programs and documentaries from CBC and Radio-Canada. English and French-language content is included, updated weekly. Free access to all our members. Click on curio.ca on the Online database tab; then enter your card number and PIN number and listen to the program of your choice.  Welcome to a brand new season of News in Review as we dive into the dramatic events that have unfolded since last spring. 1. Syrian Refugees: Crisis in Germany (Duration: 15:56) NIR-15-12A Download GUIDES curio.ca/newsinreview The massive tsunami of refugees into Europe this past year has overwhelmed many countries. Some countries responded by closing their borders, but Germany said it would take whoever wanted to come. Now the country is reeling under the sheer numbers. Nahlah Ayed takes us to Hamburg where she discovers what it's like for the asylum seekers and meets those who are helping the newcomers resettle.   2. Global Warming: Canada's Melting Glaciers (Duration: 14:58) NIR-15-12B   The cause of climate change has long been debated by scientists, but the melting of the planet’s glaciers is an example that the heat is causing serious change. News In Review joins Chris Brown on a breathtaking journey into British Columbia where he witnesses first-hand the disappearing giants. Then meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe explains some of the effects of long term global warming.   3. Niqab Debate: A Canadian Election Firestorm (Duration: 16:27) NIR-15-12C   In 2011 Stephen Harper's Conservative government banned the wearing of the niqab during citizenship ceremonies because, they said, it was a symbol of oppression. One women, Zunera Ishaq, challenged the ban. This battle became a hotbed issue during the 2015 federal election. In the end the courts affirmed Ishaq's right to wear the niqab. Did it cost the Conservatives their re-election?   4. Voter Malaise: Is Politics Broken? (Duration: 16:30) NIR-15-12D   Despite a higher than expected turnout for the recent federal election, many Canadians are not engaging in the political process. This is particularly true of the younger generation. CBC's chief political correspondent Keith Boag tries to find out if politics is broken — and if it is, who's at fault? The politicians or the voters? Coming next month... 1. Paris Attacks: Terror in France 2. The Trump Card: Is Donald a Presidential Contender? 3. Mona Parsons: Canada's Nazi Resistance Fighter 4. al-Qaeda hostage: The Canadian Connection

Decorate the Library!

December started off with the first public Christmas activity held on December 1^st in the Library Discovery Room.  Local organizations were invited to register for the event to decorate a small potted Christmas Tree and showcase their organization to the public.  Registration was slow to start with but picked up quickly and we soon ran out of places.  

The eight organizations arrived with decorations and volunteers in tow to brighten up our library.  The result was eight outstanding beautiful little trees for all our patrons and staff to enjoy.  

Grateful thanks to the hard work and creativity of The West Island Women’s Centre, The Friends of the Beaconsfield Library, Beaconsfield Garden Club, Beaconsfield Quilters Guild, Beaconsfield Hooking Crafters, Beaconsfield Artists Association, Beaconsfield Newcomers Club and Beaconsfield Lawn Bowling Club celebrating their 36^th anniversary.






The live trees will be kept over winter and planted in the spring.  These photos show the works in progress and the finished results.  Come in and view the real thing, it will boost your holiday spirit!

We have many books to help you plan and enjoy the holidays, from cookbooks and decorating ideas to fiction to relax with on your time off (?).

Recommended by staff - Harvest Time

Wishing I had the time to put away more I have been making jam and freezing fruit and vegetables. We are fortunate to have access to wonderful locally produced food. Close by we have farmers' markets and our own Mac Market at McGill, MacDonald campus in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue not to mention gardens in our own back yards. Learn how to preserve food that is abundant now to enjoy during the winter months. Preservation Society Home preserves 100 Modern Recipes by Camilla Wynne has delectable and creative ways of preserving your favourite food. Or Brown Eggs and Jam Jars by Aimée Wimbush-Bourque  for recipes on seasonal cooking.

The Third Plate by Dan Barber, Executive chef of Blue Hill Restaurant in Manhattan's East Village offers the 'third' alternate way to make nutritious choices following the     natural rhythm of the seasons. Eat Local for Less:The Ultimate Guide to Opting Out of Our Broken Industrial Food System by Julie Castillo will help you navigate when you are food shopping.  In eBook format Edible DIY by Lucy Baker teaches you how to make your own gifts. And for a real eye opener check out Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook about what we are consuming with produce imported during winter months.

Audio Books, Talking Books

Members with low vision, making it difficult to read standard print, or members who find it hard to hold or handle a print book, or Individuals who have a reading disability can borrow Audio Books or Talking Books (Books on CD)



To access the Audio Books, click on the link and select a book with the ear plug sign

eMedia Audio Books 


To borrow a book on CD, choose from the list, or come tothe Library and browse.

Talking Books

Come one, come all!

Welcome to the new and improved blog of the team at the Beaconsfield Library.

 

You will find, among other things:

• Reading suggestions from members of our staff and patrons;
• Details about our services and programs;
• As well as news regarding the cultural and literary world.

 

Through this virtual meeting space, you will discover the areas of interest and specialties of the members of our great team.

 

They will share with you their favourite reads and will make recommendations about other resources of the library such as ebooks, movies and CDs.

 

We hope that lots of virtual conversations that started here will also continue at the library…

 

Thanks to Anne Bourel, our section head – public services, our old blog has gotten a much needed facelift. She has created this dynamic and a very user-friendly platform.

 

If you want to share with us one of your most recent reads, feel free to contact her. It will be a great pleasure to post your reading suggestions on our blog.

 

Happy reading!

 

We are looking forward to welcoming you on our virtual plaform, but most importantly, at our library!

 

Élizabeth Lemyre

Head Librarian – City of Beaconsfield

elizabeth.lemyre@beaconsfield.ca

514 428-4400, ext. 4474

Recommended by staff- Neuroplasticity

How wonderful and amazing we humans are!  We are just beginning to understand this in part thanks to talented authors in the scientific field of neuroplasticity that have written, not just for their peers, but for the general public. The science of neuroplasticity popularized by Norman Doidge is centered on our understanding of the brain, formerly thought to be a fixed and unregenerative organ, that if injured or diseased, was subject to only very limited recovery, is in fact capable of much more significant self-repair and healing.  If you are curious to learn more:  the first book to start with is by Canadian-born, medical doctor,  psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and author Norman Doidge entitled The Brain That Changes Itself: stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science c2007 

This book is a compilation of case histories that read like a story with scientific explanations. Doidge has been praised for his writing style.  This book has been translated into 18 languages and was the number one bestseller in both Canada and Australia in 2008.  Doidge has written for and appeared in documentaries demonstrating examples of neuroplasticity.  Some of this work was used as part of the narrative basis for the PBS special The Brain Fitness Program c2008  also in our DVD collection.

The logical second is the recently published

 The Brain's Way of Healing:remarkable discoveries and recoveries from the frontiers of neuroplasticity c2015  by Doidge.  This book focuses also on treating brain injury and illness through neuroplastic healing and discusses cases where patients recovered from conditions including long-term chronic pain, strokes, autism and other near-miracle recoveries.

To quote Doidge, "But truth be told, the real scientist begins not with a particular task but a sense of wonder at how the world works."