Local History and Genealogy

Did you know that the public library is a great resource for researching local history and genealogy? Whether you are using this down time to work on family genealogy, your child is getting a head start on their next heritage fair project, or you are just interested in learning more about the history of your community, PARL has a few resources that can help guide you. 

Ancestry.ca

Ancestry.ca is an online genealogy database that includes immigration records, census records, vital records, family histories, church records, military records, and much more. Although ancestry.ca is usually only available at your local library branch, it is, for the time being, free to use from home. You can access ancestry.ca by visiting the PARL website and following the directions that are listed. In addition to the information you need to access the database, our website also has  some useful research tips. The amount of records a simple search can return is a bit daunting so follow the tips to help you narrow down your search. 

NovaStory.ca

NovaStory.ca, a collection of digitized documents, photographs, historical maps, and cemetery guides. An initiative spearheaded by Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library, there are a variety of resources specific to Pictou and Antigonish counties, such as the Pictou Historical Photograph Society collection. 

http://www.novastory.ca/novastories/petroglyphs/ships.html

A resource that deserves special recognition is the Creed Mi'kmaq Tracings Collection. In 1887-1888 George Creed, the postmaster in South Rawdon made a series of tracings of Mi'kmaq petroglyphs found at Kejimkujik and McGowan Lake. Petroglyphs are artwork and symbols carved into rocks and give us a glimpse into Mi'kmaw culture, tradtions, and history. In some cases, these tracings are the only record of specific carvings as they have been destroyed by vandalism or they are no longer accessible. 

Information for Family Historians

The PARL homepage features a tab called "Subject Resources". Under this tab you can find a link to our resource page for family historians. A noteworthy feature on this page is a photographic collection called Pictou County Characters, which includes photographs of citizens in our local communities.  Although there are links to other unique collections of local interest, many of the resources listed on this page will require an in-person visit to the Heritage Room in the New Glasgow Library. Once all of COVID-19 precautionary measures have been lifted, our library branches will be open again. But until then, we hope you find some of these digital collections compelling and thought provoking. 

What Do Parents Need to Know About Social Media?

Children and teens are spending all of their time at home these days and are no doubt spending a lot of that time on social media. Social media can be a great tool to help children and teens stay connected with their friends and family. During this time of social distancing, families are sharing birthday celebrations via Facetime, friends are doing yoga together via Zoom, people are participating in exercise classes via livestream, and children are messaging eachother about their schoolwork. With so many options at our literal fingertips, it certainly helps pass the time and alleviate the isolation that so many people are feeling. 

But there are reasons to be wary about young people's use of social media too. The sheer number of networks and applications (apps) makes it very difficult to stay informed about who is using what and if there are security or safety concerns. 

A Few Basics

1. Try to familiarize yourself with the various social networks that young people are actively using. 
2. Remind them not to share personal information, passwords, or their location online.
3. Talk to your children about the dangers and consequences of social media:
• Cyberbullying is using online platforms to intimidate or harass others. Cyberbullying can involve sending mean messages or posting them on a public platform, deliberately excluding someone from a group message or chat, or sharing pictures or information without someone's permission. 
• Sexting is sending sexually explicit messages or photos via email or chat.
4. Let your children know that nothing they post is really private and not to post anything they would not want a family member, teacher, or anyone else to see. 
5. Social media platforms have privacy settings. Make sure you check these regularly. 

This is a very general overview of a weighty topic. The following resources may be able to answer specific questions. All sites are reputable and have up-to-date information. 

• The Canadian Paediatric Society has a page dedicated to social media safety. 
• Media Smarts: Canada's Centre for Digital and Media Literacy has a variety of information including links to blogs, downloadable tip sheets, videos, and more. The following links may be of particular interest:
• Your Child's First Phone: How Old Should They Be? 
• Helping Kids Stay in Touch While Social Distancing 
• A Parent's Guide to Instagram (written in 2014)
• Privacy Canada- Online Safety 101: How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online
• Common Sense has a variety of timely articles and information regarding the newest social media and digital platforms.
• Parents' Ultimate Guide to TikTok
• Parents' Ultimate Guide to Zoom
• Parents' Ultimate Guide to Twitch

A Word About Online Gaming

Many young people play online games like Fortnite and Roblox which have a social component to them and allow them to play in real time with other people across the world.  While the games may look simple enough- the ability to interact with strangers can be very concerning. There are ways to help keep your children safe so that they can enjoy playing games with their friends. The Internet Matters Gaming Advice Hub has many tips to help you navigate this 

Stay Home and Read Atlantic... Plus Some Selections for Children and Youth Too...

Stay Home, #ReadAltantic

Premier McNeil's now famous phrase "stay the blazes home" has captured the attention of Nova Scotians and permeated its way into our collective vocabulary. Public libraries in Nova Scotia want to make sure that while you are staying home, you have access to a variety of books and other resources and have partnered with the Atlantic Publishers Marketing  Association (APMA) on the 2020 #ReadAtlantic program. With support from Nova Scotia Provincial Library and the NS Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage, this 5 week initiative, which started on April 15,  makes a new locally published eBook available for unlimited downloads through our OverDrive collection. You can learn more about each title and when it will be available on the APMA website.  

Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library is very happy to be offering, via Zoom, live readings by two featured authors during the coming weeks. You can send in your questions and comments ahead of time by emailing Ellie at stellarton@parl.ns.ca. If you are not comfortable or interested in using Zoom, feel free to join us by teleconference. Full details to participate are on our website. 

Crow by Amy Spurway
Tuesday April 28 at 7 pm

&

Silver Linings by Janice Landry
Tuesday May 26 at 7 pm

Books for Children and Youth

Although the following books are not part of the Stay Home and Read Atlantic initiative (and therefore are not available for unlimited downloads) I thought it worthwhile to highlight few Atlantic Canadian books for children and youth that are also available through OverDrive. 



Wereduck by Dave Atkinson 

Kate's family has always told her that on her thirteenth birthday she will become a werewolf just like them. But she doesn't want to become a werewolf, she's always felt more like a duck. So what happens on the night of her thirteenth birthday? Does she follow her in family's werewolf footsteps or does she do what she's always become what she's always wanted to become. 

The Walking Bathroom by Shauntay Grant 

Amayah doesn't have a costume to wear to school for Halloween. She wants to do something different and creative. But just what will people think of her choice of costume- a walking bathroom!









Sinking Deeper (or My Questionable, Possibly Heroic) Decision to Invent a Sea Monster by Steve Vernon 

Roland MacTavish's mom wants him to move to Ottawa, away from his father, his weird friend, and his even weirder grandfather. So, what does he decide to do? He invents a sea monster. But his plan quickly spins out of control and it gets harder and harder to keep up the illusion. 

My River by Stella Bowles

Stella was told she couldn't swim in her backyard river because hundreds of houses flushed their raw sewage into it. She decided to do something about it. This is the true story of Stella's grade six science project to clean up the LaHave River.








These are just a few examples of Atlantic Canadian eBooks for children and youth that you can find in OverDrive. You can search Atlantic Canadian eBooks to find more or click on the link in OverDrive to bring you directly to the  Kids & Teens collection. 

Free, Family-Friendly Films

Wednesday April 22 is National Canadian Film Day (NCFD). 2020 marks the seventh year for this annual event which is all about promoting and celebrating Canadian films and filmmakers. Unfortunately COVID-19 has played havoc with plans to show films across Canada but, not to worry, the folks at Reel Canada have come up with some alternative ways for us to watch some movies on April 22. If you visit the NCFD website you will find information about the variety of films that they have selected for screening.

While you might need to subscribe to Netflix, Crave, or another streaming service to access many films, NCFD is offering a variety of family-friendly programming via Facebook Live. Every half hour on the hour, there will be a 10-15 minute activity and accompanying film for children. All you need to do is tune into their Facebook page on April 22 to participate. Here is the schedule (all times listed are Atlantic Time):

12:00 PM - Oh Canada! Geography Activity
1:00 PM - The Log Driver's Waltz 
2:00 PM - Arts and Crafts: Make and Decorate a Moose or Beaver Mask
3:00 PM - Earth Day Special
4:00 PM - Bilingual Singalong to The Cat Came Back

You might also want to check out some of the family films that have been featured as part of NCFD. The following list is just a few examples and you can find the full selection on the NCFD website:

Babar: King of the Elephants (watch on YouTube)

The Breadwinner (watch on CBC Gem, which you can access for free)

Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure (watch on YouTube)

The Little Bear Movie (watch on YouTube)
The Legend of Sarila (watch on CBC Gem)

Wonders of the Arctic (watch in English or French on the Canadian Museum of History website)

Happy watching!

DIY Car Repair... At the Library!

Do you have an amateur mechanic in your family? Do you know someone who is using their down time to repair a car?  Do you know a student interested in becoming a mechanic? If so, they might want to check out the Chilton Library. The Chilton Library is a comprehensive database of car repair manuals, step-by-step procedures, wiring diagrams, and much more. In addition to vehicle specific repair manuals, there are Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) test quizzes for anyone wanting practice towards professional certification. 


To access the Chilton Library, visit the Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library website. Select the collections tab and scroll down until you find Chilton Auto Repair. You will need your library card and if you don't already have a card, you can apply for one on the PARL website. Once you are on the Chilton Library homepage, you can find the manual specific to your vehicle by selecting the year, make, and model of the car you are looking to repair. That part is simple, the rest is up to you! 

If your amateur mechanic likes to read about cars in addition to fixing them, they might be be interested in some of the car magazines on PressReader. You can also find PressReader under the collections tab.

The following titles are a few examples of the many magazines you can find on PressReader:

BBC Top Gear Magazine
Car and Driver
Classic Ford
Classics Monthly






Car repair is rarely free but a library card certainly is! Check out what your library has to offer today!

A Primer on PressReader

You may have heard by now that PARL has subscribed to a new service called PressReader. PressReader is a collection of over 7000 digital newspapers and magazines in more than 100 languages from more than 60 countries. With so much content, there is sure to be something of interest to everyone. 

You can find all the information you need to access PressReader from the PARL website. You will need your free library card and your PIN, which is usually the last four digits of your phone number.  If you don't have a card, you can request one online from our website. 

Once you are signed in, browse away for titles that might interest you. You can select different categories, search by language, or by country. In addition to the many newspapers and magazines for adults, there are also a variety of magazines for children and youth. You can scroll down the list of categories until you find "For Kids & Tweens". 

The following titles are just few examples of magazines that children and teens might be interested in reading on PressReader. 

110% Gaming is packed with stories about Minecraft, Fortnite, and other games, plus updates from favorite YouTubers. This magazine is sure to appeal to any young gamer. 















Canadian Geographic features articles about plants, animals, and various other topics. There are also quizzes and games so children can test their knowledge.

















Young Rider is geared towards kids who love horses and ponies and includes articles about animal care, riding tips, and much more. But be warned, there is a classifieds section so don't be surprised if your young horse or pony enthusiast comes away with a bit of a wishlist! 

While you are browsing for magazines for your children, keep an eye out for magazines and newspapers that might interest you as well. If you are looking for the latest news on COVID-19 or want to escape with topics like entertainment or crafts, fashion or fishing, cooking or cars, you will find something in PressReader. 

Happy Reading!

Talking to Children About the Coronavirus

I think it is safe to say that we are all in uncharted territory right now. Routines have gone by the wayside, parents and/or guardians may be working from home (if they are lucky enough to still be working) or they may be putting their own health at risk by heading out to work in one of the essential services that are still available to us. This is a very confusing time for everyone, especially children who are missing their friends, family members, teachers, and other people that they are used to seeing on a regular basis. 

To help families navigate this difficult time, we have compiled a few resources that may be useful in explaining the current situation to children. 

Nosy Crow, a small publishing company based out of the UK, has created a free information book explaining the coronavirus to children. The book was illustrated by Axel Sheffler, illustrator of a very popular children's book called the Gruffalo, and was developed with input from Professor Graham Medley of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. You can download the book in PDF format  or read the book directly from their website. 

Little Puddins is a blog and resource site run by Amanda Mc Guinness (The Autism Educator) a parent of children with special needs. Her printable handout Coronavirus Social Narrative  is a helpful tool to for parents of children with autism.

You may also find some helpful books that can be downloaded from OverDrive. You will need a library card to access these books so if you don't already have one, you can apply for one on our website. 

Germs are Not for Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick 

This book is aimed at children ages 4-7 and teaches children what germs are, what they do, and why it is so important to keep them from spreading. 

Tracking an Epidemic by Tamara B. Orr 

This book tasks readers with following clues and using the scientific method to find out what happens during the spread of an epidemic. 

Engineering Solutions for Epidemics and Pandemics by Kara Rogers

This book is geared towards older children and teens and explores epidemic and pandemic threats and approaches to disease detection, prevention, and surveillance. 

Young children might enjoy the catchy TumbleTune  'Til the Virus Ends, available via our website on TumbeBooks.  

Web Resources

PBS Kids has some great articles on their website. Here are two that might be of interest.

• How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus 
• How You and Your Kids Can De-Stress During Coronavirus

Talking to Kids About COVID-19 from Anxiety Canada.

Scholastic has some articles geared towards teachers and broken down by grade level. 

Please let us know if you have any helpful resources that can be added to this site.