Jasper Municipal Library staff
November is not always easy around Jasper. It鈥檚 cold but there isn鈥檛 much snow, and the ponds aren鈥檛 always ready to skate on. We may not get the hours we need at work, and we鈥檙e down to a mere eight hours of daylight a day. But don鈥檛 worry, the library has you covered.
Maybe you want to stay active and outside, despite the cold. Did you know we have a local interest section, where you can check out (among other resources) walking, hiking, snowshoeing and road touring guides? Trail apps are nice if you鈥檙e primarily interested in getting to places, but if you want to know what grows there, or the geology or history of where you are, you鈥檒l find it at the library.
Maybe you鈥檙e among those whose work hours are reduced in November, and you鈥檙e looking for ways to survive 鈥� or thrive 鈥� on less. We have books on mending and upcycling clothing, basic carpentry, bicycle maintenance, home canning and cooking, crafting, homesteading and frugal living in general. If you鈥檙e a heavy reader or don鈥檛 have Internet access at home, just using the library can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year.
Maybe November鈥檚 short daylight hours are getting you down. Even on the darkest days we are a bright, warm, cheerful space with plenty to do: read the newspaper, work on a jigsaw puzzle, study for a test, catch up on emails or curl up by the fireplace with a good book. We still require most of our patrons to physically distance but people from the same household are allowed to gather; we have plenty of games for players of all ages. We also have resources to help you enjoy the extended nights: books filled with campfire stories, astronomy books and magazines to help you explore the dark sky, and plenty of cozy mysteries to snuggle up with.
Here are a few resources to get you through:
Local Interest:
1) 鈥淩ocks, Ridges, and Rivers: Geological Wonders of Banff, Yoho and Jasper National Parks鈥� by Dale Leckie
2) 鈥淎 Walk in the Past鈥� by Merna Forster
3) 鈥淭he Life of the Trail/Historic Hikes鈥� series by Emerson Sandford and Janice Sandford Beck
4) 鈥淪nowshoeing in the Canadian Rockies鈥� by Andrew Nugara
5) 鈥淭racking and the Art of Seeing鈥� by Paul Rezendes
Frugal Living:
1) 鈥淐arve: A Simple Guide to Whittling鈥� by Melanie Abrantes
2) 鈥淭he Forgotten Arts and Crafts: Skills from Bygone Days鈥� by John Seymour
3) 鈥淎rtisanal Preserves: Small-batch Jams, Jellies, Marmalades, and More鈥� by Madelaine Bullwinkel
4) 鈥淢ending Life: A Handbook for Repairing Clothes and Hearts鈥� by Nina and Soya Montenegro
5) 鈥淭he New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less鈥� by John Robbins
Dark Nights:
1) 鈥淲hoo鈥檚 There? A Bedtime Shadow Book鈥� by Heather Zschock
2) 鈥淕reat Courses: Our Night Sky鈥� by Edward M. Murphy
3) 鈥淒ot-To-Dot in the Sky: Stories of the Zodiac鈥� by Joan-Marie Galat
4) 鈥淪ky & Telescope Magazine鈥�
5) 鈥淭he Kids Campfire Book鈥� by Jane Drake
Enjoy, and Happy November!
