Much more than books: online resources, Library of Things, just some of what Welland Library has to offer

Imagine a card that gives you online access to TV shows, movies and books and it costs you nothing.

It may sound too good to be true, but it’s real if you have a Welland Public Library (WPL) card.

The WPL is open to customers with reduced capacity. They also have a wide variety of resources available online.

Marla Bestward, outreach services coordinator for the Welland Public Library, said people are still coming in and online resources are being well used.

Bestward said one example is BrainFuse HelpNow, a tutoring service that provides students with one-on-one assistance as well as resume and interview skills.

A large number of e-books, magazines and newspapers are also available. TV shows, movies and music are also available online.

“One of our most popular online resources is the Compressed Reader, which gives our customers access to over 7,000 newspapers and magazines,” Bestward said. “Some are also international and multilingual. We also have resources like Overdrive and Cloud Library and Hoopla that offer things like audiobooks, ebooks, TV shows, music, movies.

“Almost all of your entertainment needs are available for free with just your library card through these resources,” she said.

There is more to discover in the library besides books, the WPL Object Library allows people to discover many interesting things such as educational kits, board games, video games, craft kits and of activity, as well as a seed library.

“We also have puzzles, board games, we have all sorts of things that can entertain people at home and all for free,” she said.

Bestward said the library will also host a number of interesting author conferences in the near future. The first, February 12 at 2 p.m., will feature Adam Shoalts as he returns to tell us about his latest adventure and launch his brand new book, “The Whisper on the Night Wind: The True History of a Wilderness Legend.” .

The second author talk mentioned by Bestward will be given by Kathleen Powell. She will discuss the outbreak of the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918. She is scheduled for February 15 at 6 p.m.

Finally, Rochelle Bush, owner and lead guide of Tubman Tours Canada, will give a talk on the sites of interest along Niagara’s Freedom Trail. It will also include some of the notable figures who arrived via the Underground Railroad and settled in the area. It will take place on February 24 at 6:30 p.m.

The lectures will be online and require registration online or via the library.

The library also announced that it will no longer have fines in 2022. Existing late fees will be erased from patrons’ accounts, and patrons will stop accumulating fees for late items.

Borrowing restrictions for customers with overdue items will continue to apply and replacement fees for lost or damaged materials will continue to be levied.

For more information, visit the WPL website at www.wellandlibrary.ca.