Stratford Public Library offers full summer lineup for adults

Stratford Public Library (SPL) will continue to offer adult programming throughout the summer. Its wide range of activities is sure to attract anyone looking to get out and socialize during the warmer months.

Back this year is the popular Happy Hour event, held from 7 to 9 p.m. on the main floor. This after-hours celebration of community, creativity and connection invites attendees to sip, mingle and soak up the atmosphere with a cash bar, literary-inspired activities and a live musical performance. In July, Happy Hour will feature Kinnaris Women's Choir and Black Swan Brewing Company.

“There's a cash bar, there's snacks, there's activities and there's, of course, a performance of some kind for each night for people to enjoy,” said Melanie Kindrachuk, adult services librarian. “Then everyone is invited to hang around and talk to your fellow residents for a while in a really relaxed atmosphere.”

On July 16, the library will host a Zoom event titled “The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald: The Ship, the Storm, and the Song.” Attendees will join Steve Ackerman, emeritus professor of atmospheric and oceanic science at the University of Wisconsin, as he walks them through the tale of the ship, the storm and the song. As this is a Zoom event, registration is required.

“Dr. Steve Ackerman was a professor of climatology, so he does talk quite a bit about the conditions that caused the superstorm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald,” said Kindrachuk. “And then he ties it to the famous song. It's really going to be a fascinating session for anyone who's interested in Great Lakes history.”

SPL will host an all-ages Noon Kazoo from noon to 12:30 p.m. This joyful, multigenerational summer jam session will offer adults and children alike a way to interact together while learning new songs on the kazoo – from ABBA to Disney favourites.

“We will be having a kazoo jam, and everyone is welcome to join in,” said Kindrachuk. “If you don't have one, we do have some kazoos to hand out, or you can bring your own kazoo. Every week, we'll do a different set of popular songs, and people can learn to play the kazoo and just have a really fun, joyful half-hour of playing the kazoo in a large group in our library garden.”

The Summer Time Adult Reading (STAR) Challenge, for those 18 and older, will run throughout July and August. Participants can pick up a STAR reading ballot at the front desk for a chance to win prizes throughout the summer.

“You just stop in and pick up your reading ballots; it’s like a little coffee card, and whenever you bring back a library item – it can be a library book, ebook or audiobook – you let the staff know and they stamp your card,” said Kindrachuk. “Each time you fill a ballot, you receive an entry for prizes throughout the summer.”

Other events that will continue are Pints and Pages, Chess Night and Writer’s Club, along with other activities such as a demonstration of Taoist Tai Chi in the library garden and much more.

Kindrachuk encourages everyone to stop in and try events or programs that suit their interests.

“I think that the library programs are a great way to get out into the community because it's very low-stakes, it's free, the library is a really relaxed location and very welcoming to anyone who wants to join in,” said Kindrachuk. “We encourage people to come out, experience something new and test it out to see if you like it. We try to have a variety of options, so people who like physical activity, reading or crafts – we try to have programs for all sorts of interests, so you'll find something that will catch your fancy.”

For more information and to register for upcoming programs, visit www.splibrary.ca/adultevents.