Library patrons can spend this winter exploring their communities and the land through an award-winning series this winter.
The Sheep River Library is bringing back its winter speaker series with presentations on a range of topics from at-risk species and creating green communities to tourism and dinosaurs via videoconference Tuesdays at 7 p.m. from Jan. 20 to March 24.
The Sheep River Library was presented with the Minister Award of Excellence in Innovation and Public Library Services for the speaker series in 2011, with a theme of endangered species.
“Every year we choose a different theme to try to bring interesting and exciting topics to communities,” said Wendy Aupers, a Black Diamond resident and regional education and outreach specialist for Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. “We find the speaker and connect them to their local library.”
The speaker series is organized through the Pincher Creek Library and reaches out to libraries across the province, said Aupers.
“The goal is to enable Albertans to access very dynamic speakers that normally they wouldn’t have access to,” she said. “Libraries aren’t just places for books, they are places where you can learn about other exciting Albertans and international speakers and connect with other individuals in communities across Alberta that share your interests.”
The speaker series brings in a range of local and international professionals to talk about topics that are locally and regionally interesting, said Aupers.
“We have dynamic resources and biologists and scientists in Alberta,” she said. “You don’t have to turn the TV on. You can go to a local library and speak to them live.”
The Sheep River Library will host its own speaker John Campbell Jr., of Millarville, with his presentation A Passion for Falcons, a Pig Barn and a $10 Fine on March 17.
Campbell is the founder of the Alberta Raptor Preservation Society and has worked with birds of prey for more than 40 years. He will talk about how his family’s ranch contributed to the recovery of the peregrine falcon in central and southern Alberta.
Depending on the format of the presentations, Aupers said the speakers interact with the audience throughout their presentation or during a question and answer period at the end.
She said the idea of the speaker series is to bring small groups in individual libraries together to create a larger group of participants at the same event across the province.
“All of a sudden we have a much more dynamic audience with a larger reach,” she said. “There are some keen followers. It’s a great way for them to connect.”
There is no cost to attend the winter speaker series and people are invited to attend those topics that interest them.
For more information and to learn about this winter’s presentations go to www.sheepriverlibrary.ca
