About The Library
Press Releases 
Press Releases
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2012 Dorothy Shoemaker Literary Awards Contest Winners Announced
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Main Library: New Rates in Effect fornderground Parking Garage
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Digital Bookmobile Coming to Kitchener’s Multicultural Festival
May 22, 2013
The Library at Your Fingertips: KPL's Mobile App
Now you can use your smartphone or tablet to visit the library! With KPL's free app you can take the library with you wherever you go:
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Look up items in the catalogue and place holds
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Check due dates and renew items
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Download e-books and audiobooks
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Register for free library programs
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Find the nearest library location using Google Maps
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"Ask a librarian" for information
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Connect with KPL on social media
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Scan any book's ISBN code to see if the library carries it
(Apple and Android devices only)
Availability and Downloading
The KPL Mobile app is currently available for the following devices:
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Android smartphones and tablets
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Apple (iPhone and iPad)
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Blackberry smartphones
(not available for Q10, Z10 or Playbook) -
HTC smartphones
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J2ME (LG, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson)
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Palm OS
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Symbian S60 (Nokia)
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Windows Mobile
Download Instructions |
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Android |
Search for "Kitchener Public Library" in Google Play, or visit kitchener.boopsie.com on your mobile device |
Apple |
Search for "Kitchener Public Library" in the App Store |
Blackberry HTC J2ME Palm Symbian Windows |
Visit kitchener.boopsie.com on your mobile device |
2012 Dorothy Shoemaker Literary Awards
Contest Winners Announced
The winners of the 2012 Dorothy Shoemaker Literary Awards Contest for Poetry and Prose have been chosen. Winners will be presented with their awards on Tuesday, April 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Forest Heights Community Library. Twenty-four poets and short-story writers will be recognized at this special presentation and receive prizes totaling $2,000.00.
Winners were selected from hundreds of entries in two categories: Youth (17 and under), and Adult (18 and older). The contest was conducted in cooperation with numerous school boards, and public and regional library systems throughout southern Ontario, all of which actively promoted the Awards Contest.
The 2012 Winners:
Poetry - Youth
First: My Floor Speaks by Rachel Marchand
Second: Sympathy for the Moth by Katarina Pejovic
Third: If I Were a Bug by Shelby Morrow
Hon. Mention: If Kids Ruled The School by Kylee Renna Martin
Hon. Mention: Forever Silent by Korinne Tuck
Hon. Mention: If I Were by Elise Tennant
Hon. Mention: Shape Shifting by Damhnait Malone
Poetry - Adult
First (tie): Shawl by Carol L. MacKay
First (tie): Leaving Long Term by Carol L. MacKay
Second: Calling the Kettle Black, Nevada by Jennifer Footman
Third: The Map Maker by Paul Sinnott
Hon. Mention: i. Slaughterhouse by Alexia Ruby
Hon. Mention: LOVE IS ??? by Donald Pullen
Hon. Mention: Skin by Paula Kienapple-Summers
Prose - Youth
First: The Doll Gallery by Katarina Pejovic
Second: Memoirs of a Time Traveller's Neighbour by Angela Baer
Third: The Raft of the Arrabiata by Maya Ingrid Keshav
Hon. Mention: We Are the Dead by Kathleen Patricia Ferguson
Prose - Adult
First: Mrs. Bettle by A.K. Riley
Second: Pat of Butter’s End by Eleanor Fogolin
Third: Avocado Tree by Radha Smith
Hon. Mention: Stigmata by Jennifer Footman
Hon. Mention: Gillie Chalium by Sarah McComb
Hon. Mention: Relatives by Sandra Cairns
Hon. Mention: Secrets and Lies by Jacqueline Stirrup
About our 2012 Judge: Erin Bow
Winning entries in 2012 were selected by local award-winning poet and novelist, Erin Bow.
Erin Bow began her career as a physicist, but decided to turn her attention to writing full-time. She has since published two volumes of poetry, a memoir, and a novel. The poetry - published under her maiden name, Erin Noteboom - has won the CBC Canadian Literary Award, among other major prizes. The novel, a fantasy for young adults entitled Plain Kate, was awarded the prestigious TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. Books she is working on include a new translation of first century Roman poet Catullus, a book-length poem about science and superstition, and a ghost-ridden young adult novel called Sorrow's Knot, which is forthcoming from Scholastic.
Visit Erin’s website at www.erinbow.com
About the Dorothy Shoemaker Literary Awards
The Dorothy Shoemaker Literary Awards Contest began in 1967 as a Centennial project. Initially created by Dorothy Shoemaker, KPL’s Chief Librarian from 1944 to 1971. In 1996, government funding for the Literary Awards was eliminated. To ensure that the Awards could continue, Dorothy Shoemaker made a significant personal donation (funds managed by the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation).
In 2000, Dorothy Shoemaker passed away at the age of 94. However, her legacy of support for aspiring writers continues today through her ongoing endowment
Kitchener Public Library Launches New Pedometer Collection
Kitchener Public Library, in partnership with Waterloo Region WALKS, will launch a pedometer kit collection on Friday April 5, 2013.
Over the past few months, the Kitchener Public Library (KPL) and Waterloo Region WALKS! have worked together to explore opportunities to promote and encourage walking in Waterloo Region. These efforts have resulted in the launch of a pedometer kit collection at every KPL branch. Patrons may borrow the kits containing all of the tools (pedometer, walking guide with tracking tool, and map) necessary to motivate them to walk more. A pedometer tracks the number of steps taken in a day, allowing users to set goals and track progress.
Kitchener Public Library and Waterloo Region WALKS! are holding an official launch event for the new collection on Friday April 5, 2013 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. The event will take place at KPL’s Main Library, located at 85 Queen St North, Kitchener. Although the Main Library is under construction, it’s still open for business, with the public entrance temporarily located on the Ahrens Street side of the building.
To help get the message out about this exciting program, several community leaders, including but not limited to, Regional Chair, Ken Seiling and Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr, will be participating in a 7-Day Pedometer Challenge in advance of the launch. The goal of the challenge is to see who can walk the 79,200 steps that make up Kitchener’s boundary over the course of the week running from March 28, 2013 to April 4, 2013. The results of the challenge will be shared at the pedometer collection launch event.
Waterloo Region WALKS! is an independent community partnership of local walking leaders, key stakeholders and community members who have a vested interest in the promotion of walking for all ages for purposes of health, transportation, recreation and social responsibility. Its mission is to work together to promote and support walking in Waterloo Region.
Click here to learn more about the library's loanable pedometer collection.
New Main Library Addition Now Open
Following a temporary construction closure, Kitchener Public Library’s Main Library addition is now open.
All Main Library operations are currently taking place out of the library’s new addition, located at the rear of the library property, while renovation work begins on the original 1961 building. The public entrance and book return during the library’s renovation phase are temporarily located off Ahrens Street.
Hourly parking is available in the completed first phase of the underground parking garage, with access via Queen Street. There is direct access from the underground parking garage into the new library addition. Some metered surface parking is also available along Ahrens and Roy Streets, with accessible surface parking available at the corner of Ahrens and Queen Streets.
Although the new library addition is structurally complete, it will temporarily be used as both public space and staff work areas while renovation work is taking place on the original library building. Once renovation work is completed, the new library addition will be re-organized to maximize public space, including the installation of new furnishings and shelving.
To learn more about our Central Library renovation and expansion project, visit www.kpl.org/central.
2013 Amateur Photography Contest Winners Announced
The Kitchener Public Library, Waterloo Region Record, and the City of Kitchener are pleased to announce the winners of our seventh annual Amateur Photography Contest.
This year’s winners were selected from more than 850 entries by the Waterloo Region Record’s photo/graphics department. Photographs were submitted under four categories: People, Architecture, Animals and Landscape.
This year’s grand prize winner, and recipient of a $200 gift certificate, is: Anita Sprung of Kitchener.
The general public is welcome to attend the awards ceremony. Rod Frketich, Photo/Graphics Editor from the Waterloo Region Record, will comment on each photo as it is shown on a big screen.
Winning photographs will be on display in City Hall’s Berlin Tower ARTSPACE throughout the month of April. Winning photographs will also appear in an upcoming edition of the Waterloo Region Record and a slide show of all winning photos will be available on Kitchener Public Library and Waterloo Region Record's websites.
2013 Contest Winners:
People Category
1st -- Anita Sprung (and overall Grand Prize winner)
2nd -- Kristi Ramcharitar
3rd -- Priscillia Ippersiel
HM -- Gary Moon
Architecture Category
1st -- Matthew Smith
2nd -- Elizabeth McFarlane
3rd -- Roman Eidenzon
HM -- Magda Bognar
Animals Category
1st -- Claire Coombs
2nd -- Jasmine Losier
3rd -- Nick Kouvelos
HM -- Sandra Roemer
Landscape Category
1st -- Magda Bognar
2nd -- Craig Coutts
3rd -- Keith Loucks
HM -- Isaac Bauman
Congratulations to this year's winners!
An Evening with Robert J. Sawyer
KPL is delighted to host Canada’s “dean of science fiction,” who will be reading from his new novel, Red Planet Blues.
Robert J. Sawyer’s Hominids was selected for One Book One Community (Waterloo Region) in 2005. A year later, he was invited back as KPL’s Edna Staebler Writer-in-Residence. He is the only Canadian to win the world’s top three science fiction awards: the Nebula, Hugo and John W. Campbell Memorial Award. His writing has garnered 21 literary awards to date, both in Canada and abroad. In 2012, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association.
Robert has written twenty novels, including Frameshift, Factoring Humanity, Calculating God, Wake, and the Neanderthal Parallax trilogy: Hominids, Humans, and Hybrids. His novels are top-ten bestsellers in Canada and #1 in the U.S. in the science fiction genre. The ABC-TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name.
Review excerpt (Science Fiction Book Club) for Red Planet Blues:
"Combining hardboiled noir detective, the Wild West and classic Martian pulp into a singularly potent cocktail, then spiking it with big ideas … It's a two-fisted tale of greed, murder and alien paleontology - straight, no chaser!"
Visit Robert J. Sawyer's website: http://www.sfwriter.com/
Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 pm
Country Hills Community Library
Register online or call 519-743-0271 ext. 276.
Waterloo Region’s “Top 40 Under 40” - Paul Dickson
Paul Dickson, KPL’s Development Manager, has been selected by the Waterloo Region Record as one of our community’s “Top 40 Under 40” leaders. Each year the Record selects individuals who live, work, study or play in our area, and who have made a real difference in our community.
Congratulations, Paul. We’re proud of your achievement!
Click here to view the special 2013 honour roll edition, as published in The Waterloo Region Record on February 23rd.
Main Library - Temporary Closure
Due to construction, the Main Library will TEMPORARILY CLOSE to accommodate the temporary relocation of all Main Library operations into our completed Central Library addition. Renovation work will then begin on the original library building.
The Main Library will reopen on or about March 22, 2013.
All other KPL locations will remain open as usual.
During the temporary closure, materials can still be returned to the Main Library via an exterior book drop, now located on the Ahrens Street side of the building. Main Library customers will be individually contacted regarding their holds pickup options.
Once the Main Library reopens in the new addition, the public entrance and book return will
temporarily be relocated off Ahrens Street for the remainder of our renovation work. Details here.
Hourly parking is available in the completed first phase of the underground parking garage, with access via Queen Street. Direct elevator and stairwell access from the new underground parking garage into the new library addition will also be available. Metered parking
is available along Ahrens and Roy Streets, with some accessible surface parking at the corner of Ahrens and Queen Streets.
During this temporary closure, we invite Main Library users to drop by one of our four Community Libraries. Each of our four Community Libraries has extensive collections . . . and free parking! Borrowed items may be returned to any KPL location.
Our Community Library Network
Click on the links below to learn more about our Community Library locations.
(Note: links will open in a new window or tab.)
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Main Library: New Rates in Effect for Underground Parking Garage
We have received notification from the City of Kitchener that parking rates in the adjacent underground parking garage will change as of January 1st, 2013. The new rate change is intended to provide additional flexibility for short-duration parkers.
Hourly parking is available in the parking garage next to the Main Library between the
hours of
6:00 am and 10:00 pm; with access via Queen Street.
Parking garage rates are as follows:
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First 1/2 hour: $1.00
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Next 1/2 hour: $1.00
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Each 1/2 hour thereafter: $1.55
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Daily maximum: $14.00
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Theatre rate: $7.00
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Sundays: free
Please note: the above rates apply to the full duration of the parking garage hours of operation,
6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
For more information on parking at the Main Library, including alternate parking options,
please click here.
Parking Concerns
The parking lots adjacent to the Main Library are owned and operated by the City of Kitchener.
Please direct any questions or concerns about library parking to Traffic and Parking Services by calling 519-741-2378.
Schools Closed – But the Library is Open!
Do you have kids home from school on Tuesday, December 18th, and don’t know what to do with them? The library can help with that!
We have five library locations conveniently located throughout the City and we’d love to see you.
Collections
Make a visit to the library part of your Tuesday school-closure plans. All our library locations have lots of DVDs and books available for borrowing to help ease the monotony of being home all day. You can borrow up to 100 items on your library card so bring plenty of shopping bags! (We sell bags for a toonie if you forget).
Activities
While you’re at the library looking for materials to take home, why not stay a while and do some colouring or a craft? We will have crafts and colouring sheets available throughout the day at all our library locations!
Programs *
Family Storytime at the Kitchener Market
Everyone is invited to share in this drop-in storytime which includes great stories, fun songs and rhymes. It’s fun for the whole family and children of all ages!
10:00 am – 10:30 am
@ the Kitchener Market (in KPL’s story space on the upper level)
Erick Traplin Kids’ Hop
Bring your kids to dance up a storm with a free concert by Erick Traplin, Kitchener’s favourite children’s entertainer. There will even be a visit from Santa! Free photos with Santa are available with a donation to the Waterloo Region Food Bank
11:00 am – 12:00 noon
@ the Kitchener Market (upper level)
Special School-Age Storytime
Join us for a storytime designed specifically for school-age kids. Following the storytime, load up on books to take home with you!
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
@ the Main Library
* Please Note: a parent or caregiver must accompany children while they are in the library or attending a KPL program.
November 20, 2012
Bring Your "Books for Kids" Donations to KPL
Kitchener Public Library is proud to take part in the Waterloo Region Record's Books for Kids campaign.
Books for Kids takes book donations and distributes them to underprivileged children in our community through The Salvation Army.
If you would like to help, simply bring a new unwrapped book, suitable for children ages newborn to 18 years, and deposit it in the Books for Kids collection boxes at any KPL location.
Books will be collected up until December 14.
Help us give the gift of reading to thousands of children this holiday season!
November 6, 2012
Giving to the Library Just Got Easier!
For the months of November and December 2012, all that is needed to make a $5 gift to KPL is a mobile phone.
Mobile giving, or "text-to-give" campaigns, are a convenient way to give back to the organizations you love. You can make a difference in just a few simple steps:
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Enter the text "KPL" in the text message field of your device
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In the recipient field, enter the numbers 45678
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Send the message
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When you receive an automatically-generated text response asking for confirmation of
your $5 transaction, reply "Yes"
Your one-time $5 donation will be added to your next mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance.
For information on how you can obtain a record of donations you have made to Canadian charities using your mobile device, and/or to generate a tax receipt, please visit http://receipt.mobilegiving.ca.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Development Manager, Paul Dickson, at campaign@kpl.org or 519-743-0271 ext. 278.
For more information about library fundraising, please visit the Evolve. Literally. section of the
KPL website.
October 1, 2012
Dorothy Shoemaker Literary Awards Contest Begins!
Kitchener Public Library invites writers to enter their best work (poetry or prose) in our popular literary contest. Entry is absolutely free with nearly $2,400 in prize money to be won in two categories: poetry and prose. The contest is open to individuals in two age divisions; youth (17 and under) and adult (18 and older). Winners will also have their work published in our Changing Image book.
Our contest will run from October 1 to November 30, 2012.
Click here for complete contest rules, guidelines and how to enter.
About Our 2012 Judge
Winning entries in our 2012 contest will be selected by local award-winning poet and novelist, Erin Bow.
Erin Bow began her career as a physicist, but decided to turn her attention to writing full-time. She has since published two volumes of poetry, a memoir, and a novel. The poetry - published under her maiden name, Erin Noteboom - has won the CBC Canadian Literary Award, among other major prizes. The novel, a fantasy for young adults entitled Plain Kate, was awarded the prestigious TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award.
Books Erin is working on include a new translation of first century Roman poet Catullus, a book-length poem about science and superstition, and a ghost-ridden young adult novel called Sorrow's Knot, which is forthcoming from Scholastic.
Please visit Erin's website for more details about her work.
About Dorothy Shoemaker
The Dorothy Shoemaker Literary Awards Contest began in 1967 as a Centennial project. Initially created by Dorothy Shoemaker, KPL’s Chief Librarian from 1944 to 1971, the Contest has been held annually for 44 years.
In 1996, government funding for the Literary Awards was eliminated. To ensure that the Awards could continue, Dorothy Shoemaker made a significant personal donation. In 2000, Dorothy Shoemaker passed away at the age of 94. However, her legacy of support for aspiring writers continues today through her ongoing endowment.
Freegal Music - There's Now an App for That!
Our popular free music download service, Freegal, now features a convenient App for your smartphone or tablet!
The Freegal App will store your login information, search and browse KPL’s Freegal music collection and download, store and play your Freegal MP3 files.
If you have an Apple device (iPhone; iPad; iPod), you can download the Freegal App by doing a search for “Freegal Music” in iTunes. If you have an Android phone or tablet, you will be able to search for “Freegal Music” in the Google Play store.
Once you open your new App, you will see a search box. Enter the country you are searching from (Canada), then choose Kitchener Public Library from the list. From there you will be prompted to login using your library card number and PIN.
KPL cardholders can download up to 3 songs per week – and all songs are yours to keep!
Not currently a Freegal user? Visit our Download Centre page to learn more.
Due Date Email Reminders
Everybody needs a little reminder now and then . . .
In order to help library users avoid late fees, and to speed up the return of materials for others to enjoy, the Kitchener Public Library offers “advance notice” of your borrowed material’s impending due date.
Three days before your materials are due to be returned, you will receive an automatic reminder in your email inbox. Now how helpful is that!
This reminder service now applies to all borrowed materials, regardless of loan period; books, DVDs, Express View, Express Read, magazines, comics . . . even toys from our toy lending library! For materials with shorter loan periods, the email reminder will be sent one day prior to the due date.
To take advantage of the library’s email reminder service, simply provide your email address to staff at the checkout desk, and they’ll add your information to our records.
Library to host visiting digital bookmobile at Kitchener’s Multicultural Festival
June 23 & 24 @ Kitchener’s Victoria Park
Every summer for more than 40 years, our community has celebrated ethnic diversity during this year's Multicultural Festival. International cuisine, traditional song and dance, and artifacts and crafts from around the globe are featured at this dynamic event, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
At this year’s Multicultural Festival, the Kitchener Public Library will be offering something extra-special . . . the Digital Bookmobile!
The Digital Bookmobile will showcase free eBooks and audiobooks available from Kitchener Public Library’s collection. Visitors will be invited to explore the world of digital content by stepping inside this 18-wheel tractor-trailer, which comes equipped with PCs connected to the internet, high definition monitors, a premium sound system, and a variety of portable media players.
Interactive learning stations will also give visitors an opportunity to search the library’s digital media collection, try out an e-reader, and sample e-books, e-audiobooks, and e-video.
Visit KPL’s tent at the Multicultural Festival and learn more about what the library has to offer. You can’t miss it … just look for the giant truck!
The Digital Bookmobile is operated by Overdrive Inc., a global distributer of digital content to libraries. The Digital Bookmobile tours all across North America showcasing e-resources.
NEW: Playaway Views
Here’s something kids AND parents will enjoy! Playaway Views are like computer tablets for kids, pre-loaded with educational videos. All you have to do is press play, and the kids will be immersed in fun, interactive activities. Bring them on car trips, to the doctor’s office, the grocery store … learning on the go!
Note: Playaway Views were designed exclusively for libraries and are not available for purchase.
They are:
* Durable – no DVDs to scratch
* Portable – use anywhere (speaker or headphone option)
* Convenient – each one has hours of content and can be re-charged with the included adapter
* . . . and most importantly, they’re FREE!
These devices have content which will interest a wide age range, everything from The Best of Sesame Street to National Geographic’s Exploring Space. Library customers can borrow two at a time, for a one-week loan period.
You just have to check one out! This new collection is now available at all KPL locations.
Visit your local branch for more information about the borrowing rules.
March 1, 2012
2012 Amateur Photography Contest Winners Announced
The Kitchener Public Library, Waterloo Region Record, and the City of Kitchener are pleased to announce the winners of our sixth annual Amateur Photography Contest.
This year’s winners were selected from nearly 1,200 entries by the Waterloo Region Record’s photo/graphics department. Photographs were submitted under four categories: People, Architecture, Animals and Landscape.
This year’s grand prize winner, and recipient of a $200 gift certificate, is: Paul Saunders.
All winning photographers will be honoured at a special awards ceremony at Kitchener City Hall on Wednesday, April 4 at 6:30 pm. The general public is welcome to attend the awards ceremony.
Winning photographs will be on display in City Hall’s Berlin Tower ARTSPACE throughout the month of April. Winning photographs will also appear in an upcoming edition of the Waterloo Region Record and a slide show of all winning photos will be available on Kitchener Public Library and Waterloo Region Record's websites.
2012 Contest Winners:
People Category
1st -- Paul Saunders (and overall Grand Prize winner)
2nd -- Melissa Chiarot
3rd -- Jerome P. James
HM -- Hannah Black
Architecture Category
1st -- Joseph Paredes
2nd -- Bob Thiessen
3rd -- Leigh Sellner
HM -- Leigh Sellner
HM -- Monika Feth
Animals Category
1st -- Henrique Kroeker
2nd -- Amanda Robinson
3rd -- Randy Dodd
HM -- Lindsay Calcerano
Landscape Category
1st -- Caitlin Gold
2nd -- Andrea Neeb
3rd -- Raymond Litschgy
HM -- Tina Powell
Congratulations to this year's winners!
Freegal Update
More free music… what could be better!
Freegal Music offers you songs from Sony Music Entertainment that you can download for FREE!
We’ve recently increased the number of songs that you can download using Freegal to 3 songs per week. There is also no limit to the total number of songs downloaded over time. ALL cardholders can download 3 songs per week every week. For a family of four, this can mean 12 songs per week. These songs have no Digital Management Rights restrictions and are yours to keep.
Downloading music from Freegal is easy, so give it a try if you haven’t already. Find the Download Centre on KPL’s website at: www.kpl.org/ebranch/download.html.
Great tip:
If every member of your family does not already have their own library card – they should! The 3 song per week download limit is per library card. A family of four could download up to 12 songs per week! Now if only the dog could get a library card!
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