Maria Samurin

NaNoWhatNow? Write Your Own Book for NaNoWriMo

November 1, 2016 | Maria Samurin | Comments (0)

NaNoWhatNow? Is everyone around you suddenly talking about NaNoWriMo? If not, they should be, because National Novel Writing Month is a pretty big deal.  NaNoWriMo display at Albert Campbell Branch What is National Novel Writing Month? NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, or NaNo for short) happens every year in November, when people from all over the […]

Ukrainian at the Library

August 5, 2016 | Maria Samurin | Comments (3)

This week, I sat down with fellow librarian Olena, who moved to Canada from Ukraine. She happily agreed to share her immigration story and offer advice to newcomers. Olena was born in Kherson, a city in Southern Ukraine. She moved to Canada in 2003 with her husband and six-year-old son. When she first moved to Canada, her […]

Serbian | српски

March 7, 2016 | Maria Samurin | Comments (0)

Новодошли у Канади? Учланите се у библиотеку. Бесплатно је ! New to Canada? Join the library. It's free! Toronto Public Library Website Did you know you can access the Toronto Public Library website in Serbian (српски) using Google Translate. It's automatic machine translation, which has its limitations, but it can help you understand the general content of the […]

Hebrew at the Library | עברית בספרייה

December 1, 2015 | Maria Samurin | Comments (3)

Do you speak Hebrew? Or maybe you'd like to learn? Well, you've come to the right place. Today, we're going to look at the many great resources the library has to offer for Hebrew speakers and learners. The library has many resources that can help you, or someone you know, learn Hebrew. We also have free Hebrew movies that you can […]

Tagalog at your Library

August 4, 2015 | Maria Samurin | Comments (0)

Kamusta? This month's featured language on the New to Canada blog is Tagalog! Are you as excited as I am?  We have new, featured, and popular Tagalog library material, including books, movies, music, and emagazines! Plus, learn how you can get a library card for free and share your favourite Tagalog titles in the 'comments' section […]

The Top 10 Free Things To Do In Canada This Summer

June 19, 2015 | Maria Samurin | Comments (1)

Are you new to Canada? Are you unsure of how to spend your summer? Well, you're in luck! I've put together this list of the top 10 things to do in Canada this summer. They're fun and, best of all, they're free! 1. Enjoy the Pan Am Games via Jason Hargrove on a CC license […]

Your Library in Russian | Русская коллекция в нашей библиотеке

March 18, 2015 | Maria Samurin | Comments (2)

The Toronto Public Library (Публичная Библиотека Торонто) has a lot of great Russian books, movies, music, and more.  To borrow library materials, you need to get a library card. It's free! New to Canada? Join the library! It's free. НЕДАВНО В КАНАДЕ? Запишитесь в библиотеку (PDF). Это бесплатно!  The following Toronto Public Library locations have Russian materials: Large: 1500 or more items […]

How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity

February 4, 2015 | Maria Samurin | Comments (2)

Sometimes—usually on Wednesdays—I like to browse the Albert Campbell Branch shelves in search for wacky books: often odd, always hilarious. This week's #WackyWednesdays pick: How to make your cat an internet celebrity: a guide to financial freedom by Patricia Carlin. For years, financial freedom was achieved with careful planning and a successful career, or—if one was lucky—by […]

New Year’s Resolutions

January 5, 2015 | Maria Samurin | Comments (4)

In December, we invited anyone visiting the Albert Campbell Branch write down their New Year's resolutions. At the end of the year, we took all the resolutions and put together a "2015!" banner (pictured above). Whether you're like me and make a list of resolutions every year, or you have one or two that you came up with on […]