Celebrate Stieg Larsson this June @ BPL

This month we're celebrating Stieg Larsson, the international bestselling author of the Millennium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest). Join us this month for:

* Millennium: the story
Saturday June 18, 2:00pm to 4:00pm

The Millennium trilogy by Swedish author Stieg Larsson is THE literary phenomenon of the last decade, with 15 million books sold worldwide, 25 translations in over 40 countries, and a movie that is blasting box-office records in Scandinavia and several European countries. And the Millennium saga has only just begun. This portrait of Stieg Larsson reveals the story of an outstanding success – a worldwide phenomenon who at the age of 50, died from a sudden heart attack before his first novel was even published. This planetary triumph is analyzed by close friends and relatives of Stieg Larsson; by his publisher, his journalist colleagues and by various professionals who have worked on the Swedish film versions of the series.

*Definitely Not Plato Book Club
Wednesday June 22, 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Join us as we discuss this month’s books - The Millennium Trilogy: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson.

* Go Online
Follow us on our Facebook page ,Twitter feed, and MySpace page. We'll have daily trivia and questions about author Stieg Larsson and his books all month long.

* Read the Books
Check out the eBooks from Library to Go, or come on down to the Brooks Public Library and check out the books today.

Virtual Ink!

Coming up on Saturday April 2nd at 11:00am is our great new videoconference series for all you aspiring writers out there. Join our hosts at the Canmore Public Library for the launch of Virtual Ink! In the first session entitled ‘Warmup’, Writer in Residence J. Jill Robinson will read samples of her work, talk about her approach to working with writers, and give participants an opportunity to try out a writing exercise or two. An overview of upcoming workshops and how to submit your manuscripts for a private session with the author will be provided. This virtual workshop is a free event and everyone is welcome to attend.

Check out all the workshops in the Virtual Ink! Series:

Saturday April 2 @ 11:00am: Warmup

Saturday April 9 @ 11:00am: To Begin to Begin

Saturday April 30 @ 11:00am: Whose Story Is It

Saturday May 7 @ 11:00am: Writing Your Family

Saturday May 14 @ 11:00am: The Nuts and Bolts of Writing

Pruning Trees and Shrubs

Spring is just around the corner! For all you weekend warriors who have been stuck inside during this long winter, we’ve got a treat for you. Our new Home and Garden series begins this month and will feature speakers who are experts at home repairs, gardening, and general home maintenance. Join us for our first session, Pruning Trees and Shrubs on Tuesday March 29th at 12:00 Noon. Our guest speaker, Nigel Seymour, will discuss basic pruning procedures for trees and shrubs in the home landscape. This is a free session and everyone is welcome to attend.

Facebook for Non-Profits

Every volunteer organization faces the same problem – how do we effectively advertise our message to the public? Facebook for Non-Profits runs Monday March 28th at 12:00 Noon and will show you how to advertise to a new audience. With over 500 million users on Facebook, your organization can connect with people in your community who you may not otherwise be able to reach. Topics covered in this session will include: creating a Facebook Page, engaging your audience, and tips for spreading your message. This is a free session and everyone is welcome to attend.

Building a Better Board

Are you on a board for a non-profit organization? Learn how to “Build a Better Board” at the library on Thursday January 20th at 12:00noon with a fantastic session via videoconference. An effective board, committed to a common vision and strategic leadership is perhaps the greatest asset of a non-profit organization. While dedicated, talented staff is critical, their time and energy is wasted without focus and policy direction. Recruiting, developing and retaining individuals to serve in board roles can be difficult and time consuming, but healthy organizations are willing to make a major investment of time and effort in these activities to build a strong organization. This session will include information on evaluating leadership needs, recruiting board members with necessary qualities and experience, developing board members to become effective leaders, and sustaining interest and commitment. This program is free and everyone is welcome to attend, so come learn how to create your board member dream team!

This videoconference brought to us from the Medicine Hat Public Library. The Brooks Public Library is a proud member of the RISE Network.

Young Adult Fiction to DIE For!

Lots of aspiring authors come into the Library asking how they can get thier writing published. We are always happy to help show people everything we've got from the latest edition of The Canadian Writer's Market to monthly magazines like the Writer. But sometimes published authors are the best source for teaching you how to get your stories into bookstores.

On Saturday January 8 @ 1pm YA author Judith Graves will be joining us live via videoconference for a look at the dynamic world of young adult fiction, steps to publication and the life of a YA author. Residing in a northern Alberta community, similar to the fictional town of Redgrave, where Under My Skin, her debut novel, is set – Judith unhappily endures snow in the winter, and runs away from bees in the summer. A firm believer that Canadian teen fiction can be sexy, action packed and snarky as hell – Judith writes paranormal stories with attitude. If you’re writing fiction and want more information about the publishing industry, query process, etc…this is the session for you.

This is a free videoconference program and everyone is welcome to attend. the Brooks Public Library is a proud member of the RISE Network.