Above: Helen Chipman, a resident of Forest Dale Home. Her father taught her to read before she was sent to the Mohawk Residential School in Brantford, Ontario, where she completed Grade 8. She moved to Riverside in 1973 with her husband Earl who travelled with the carnival. By Kimberly McKinley
The joy of reading is an inherited and comforting pastime passed down from my mother, Ramona. Reading was strongly encouraged by my past teachers while attending Alma Consolidated and Caledonia Regional High School. The Alma School library was a space to get excited about ‒ pulling a book off the shelf to explore its contents made life a little more interesting and helped me connect to a world bigger than the nearby lullaby shores of Waterside Beach.
The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series had many gaps in their section as everyone was scrambling to see what Frank and Joe Hardy's next adventure would entail, or if Nancy would solve the mystery as a skillful sleuth. There would be an occasional eye-roll from your peers if you remained in the Apple Paperback series beyond age thirteen. It was time to move on to Stephen King’s IT, perhaps Alice Walker’s The Color Purple and, one of my favourites as a young adult, The Diary of Anne Frank, written by the young girl hidden behind the bookcase, Anne Frank herself.
The joy of reading is an inherited and comforting pastime passed down from my mother, Ramona. Reading was strongly encouraged by my past teachers while attending Alma Consolidated and Caledonia Regional High School. The Alma School library was a space to get excited about ‒ pulling a book off the shelf to explore its contents made life a little more interesting and helped me connect to a world bigger than the nearby lullaby shores of Waterside Beach.
The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series had many gaps in their section as everyone was scrambling to see what Frank and Joe Hardy's next adventure would entail, or if Nancy would solve the mystery as a skillful sleuth. There would be an occasional eye-roll from your peers if you remained in the Apple Paperback series beyond age thirteen. It was time to move on to Stephen King’s IT, perhaps Alice Walker’s The Color Purple and, one of my favourites as a young adult, The Diary of Anne Frank, written by the young girl hidden behind the bookcase, Anne Frank herself.
Library spaces have evolved since the '80s and there have been sizable changes to the services since the cancellation of the bookmobile in 2015. A second roll of the dice to provide reading material for residents in our area, Books by Mail,* has proved beneficial and for that we are grateful. Currently, a handful of Forest Dale Home residents participate in this program.
Books by Mail has made it possible for residents to continue their love of reading at no expense. Even those with poor vision or a physical limitation can enjoy a talking book by mail (equipment is supplied, depending on availability, via the Talking Books by Mail service).
Most residents involved enjoy a good mystery read, one or two are Debbie Macomber fans, but all feel a sense of accomplishment when finishing their stack of novels. Their joy of reading probably came from their past influences as well.
The Hillsborough Public Library provides reading/ auditory material and is a valuable service to our residents. Images of characters and stories help distract people from their everyday concerns. The library is inviting youth to participate in a summer reading club, but for the residents of Forest Dale Home, reading is part of our wellness activities, an endless joy that has no season.
Kimberly McKinley is the Activity Director/ Volunteer Co-ordinator at Forest Dale Home Inc.
*If you place holds through the library catalogue, simply select ‘Mail to Me’ as the pick-up location for books you want delivered to the address on your account. You can also contact any public library in New Brunswick and the staff will be happy to help. For information on Books by Mail and Talking Books by Mail, visit www.gnb.ca/publiclibraries → Accessible Services.
Books by Mail has made it possible for residents to continue their love of reading at no expense. Even those with poor vision or a physical limitation can enjoy a talking book by mail (equipment is supplied, depending on availability, via the Talking Books by Mail service).
Most residents involved enjoy a good mystery read, one or two are Debbie Macomber fans, but all feel a sense of accomplishment when finishing their stack of novels. Their joy of reading probably came from their past influences as well.
The Hillsborough Public Library provides reading/ auditory material and is a valuable service to our residents. Images of characters and stories help distract people from their everyday concerns. The library is inviting youth to participate in a summer reading club, but for the residents of Forest Dale Home, reading is part of our wellness activities, an endless joy that has no season.
Kimberly McKinley is the Activity Director/ Volunteer Co-ordinator at Forest Dale Home Inc.
*If you place holds through the library catalogue, simply select ‘Mail to Me’ as the pick-up location for books you want delivered to the address on your account. You can also contact any public library in New Brunswick and the staff will be happy to help. For information on Books by Mail and Talking Books by Mail, visit www.gnb.ca/publiclibraries → Accessible Services.
RSS Feed