For people with disabilities, assistive technology and devices are both ordinary and life-changing. The World Health Organization defines assistive technology and devices (AT) as "those whose primary purpose is to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence to facilitate participation and to enhance overall well-being." This can include wheelchairs, hearing aids, prosthesis, computer software […]
The nerdiest day on the calendar has to be Star Wars Day! Every year on May 4, Star Wars fans around the world celebrate their love for a galaxy far, far away. As a librarian and a Star Wars fan, I can't think of a better way to mark the occasion than by mining the […]
Did you know that April 5 is First Contact Day? Probably not because it hasn't actually happened yet! Technically, it won't happen until 2063. In the Star Trek universe, First Contact Day celebrates the first time that humans have contact with an alien race. Humanity's first successful attempt at achieving warp drive attracts the attention […]
Helen Keller (1880-1968) was an American author, lecturer and activist. She spoke publicly in support of workers' rights, birth control, women's suffrage and people with disabilities. She was also: a graduate of Radcliffe College at Harvard University a member of the Socialist Party of America and one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties […]
I read romance novels. There, I said it. And I'm not embarrassed about it either. Ok, I'm still a little embarrassed but I'm working on it. There's a lot of stigma around reading romance novels. Although there are some legitimate criticisms of the genre, like the lack of diverse representation or the romanticization of abusive […]
With winter temperatures taking hold and new lockdown measures in place, chances are good that cabin fever is going to set in soon for a lot of people. To cure that boredom, you need a project! And you know what? Your pet needs a project too. I know that sounds silly but it's true. It's […]
It's the holiday season, I've had too much candy cane flavoured tea and I've been given access to a TPL blog. That can only mean one thing: nerdy holiday puns! Brace yourselves folks… Rudolph the red nosed Romulan! Merry Sithmas T'was the night before Christmas and all through Hogwarts not a creature was stirring, not […]
Bullying is a thing of childhood. Something you do or that is done to you when you are a kid. But then you grow up and move on. Right? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, bullying is the "abuse or mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger, more powerful, etc.". Nowhere in that definition does it […]
The days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler and the grocery store shelves are filling with boxes of mini chocolate bars and bag of chips. That can only mean one thing: it's Halloween season! Halloween is going to look a little different this year. But we can still partake in the second best […]
Growing up, I was very involved in the Girl Guides so "Be Prepared" was a phrase I heard often*. They're good words to live by, and ones I have taken to heart over the years. This group of Girl Guides definitely knew how to be prepared. They are all receiving the Canada Cord award, the […]