Sioux Lookout Public Library hosts March Break events

Mike Lawrence - Staff Writer

March Break (March 14-18) was a busy week for the Sioux Lookout Public Library with several online and in-person events hosted for area residents of all ages. The week’s activities kicked off on Tuesday, March 15, with a Hot Chocolate House and Book Store, which saw patrons able to enjoy a hot beverage while perusing the library’s collection of used books for sale. Also happening Tuesday was DGTL Creator’s Video Journaling Time Capsule Challenge which was an online workshop with digital artist Heran Genene for youth 16 plus.
March 16 saw the library, in conjunction with DGTL Creator, hosting another online workshop, How to Digitally Draw Yourself, for youth between the ages of 10-15.  DGTL Creator was again able to partner with the library to provide a book making workshop, once again for youth 10-15, and then on Friday families were invited to come out and enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day Storytime and Treasure Hunt. This was an all-ages event. 
One parent who attended the St Patrick’s Day activities with his family was Sioux Lookout Municipal Councillor Joe Cassidy. Cassidy expressed his appreciation for being able to get back to in-person programming, stating, “It’s nice to see events like this returning and being able to do stuff. With the library open, and things looking up, getting warmer out, it’s good to see. I appreciate the work they (library staff) put in to do this stuff and get kids out to the library.” 
Looking back on the week that was, CEO / Chief Librarian Emily McIntyre commented, “The Sioux Lookout Public Library was very pleased to be able to offer in-house and virtual programming during March Break for our young patrons. We released a calendar for the whole week, offering a program per day, completely free of cost.”
McIntyre continued, “Knowing that March Break looks different for every family, we focused on having a mix of virtual and in-house programming in an effort to make programming accessible to all families in our service area. As a result, we were able to renew our partnership with Digital Creator North.
“The March Break programming at the library was very well received by the community with our most popular events being the Hot Chocolate House and Book Sale as well as the St. Patrick’s Day Story Time and Treasure Hunt. Our staff worked very hard to plan and advertise events that would appeal to various age groups, and our Assistant Librarian (Lexie Makar) did an excellent job in delivering each program.”
In closing, McIntyre added, “Our goal is to continue to expand programming options for all demographics in the communities we serve (Sioux Lookout, Hudson and Lac Seul First Nation), returning the library to the busy hub it has always been.”