Welcome to your library

By Gerald V. Paul

The Eyes Guy was graciously given a package and Toronto Public Library card last Tuesday with the information “Think read listen enjoy borrow explore watch experience learn hear see discuss download.”

Eyes Photo

Wow! Food for thought.

It’s everything you never expected in a library card. Think the library is only about books? In fact, your library card also gives you free access to ebooks, online research tools, programs, career resources, special collections and more.

So for all you need and more, follow de Eyes Guy and get your free card today!

Of course de Eyes Guy felt like a young man again, as he reflected on many moons ago in the Village Library reading up on the Boy Scout movement and literally making notes on How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

Thing is, I tried the ideas on a young lady and … it was unrequited “love”. Go figure. Nah everything in wan book is a work of de human condition. Nah suh? But allyuh look story, eh, eh.

Perhaps I need to check out the Great Books Lecture Series, where academics and journalists discuss why classic works that have changed the way we see, think and feel about our world and why these works continue to be relevant, as in Colony of Unrequited Dreams: We are a People , Romantic Notions of Identity and Place with Paul Chafe.

Now what is the Eyes Guy, with his Gerald Paul Library doing with a Toronto Public Library card, you may ask. Nah tek worries. Allyuh nah fast.

Fair question. It’s like why former MPP Bas Balkissoon is not responding to the Eyes Guy’s numerous calls on his cell phone, leaving me feeling like Drake.

Question: Is the Bas Bhai a Nimakaram? Is he like a father walking out of the house leaving the children and wife without a reason? It makes it look like he does not care for the community, the riding and liberalism. What a crying shame.

Methinks Balkissoon should get himself a library card, read and follow what it says: Hear … see …. Discuss … Get a life! No?

Eyesers, kindly allow me to throw de book at Balkissoon. So I’m at the Eaton Centre, got a call that Balkissoon is at Peter and Paul Banquet Hall. Should I rush off to Balkissoon and kiss his feet for an interview? Beg like a dog? Or let sleeping dogs lie, especially one with two taxpayer-funded pensions, one from the city and the other from the province? What a bloody shame.

Oops, the Eyes Guy digresses.

Anyway, inside the package Eyes finds “About Your Library Card. You’ve got questions. We have answers.”

And what can you do with your library card? “If you live, work or go to school in Toronto, you can get a free library card to use at all of our branches, and online at torontopubliclibrary.ca.”

To borrow: books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, ebooks and more. Play and learn: stoytimes, crafts, games movies, lifelong learning. Get hired. Get smarter: job search, (nah tek worries Bossman, de Eyes Guy deh right hay), training. Lifelong learning; enjoy culture, author readings, lectures, movies.

Just imagine, I can borrow, browse and research more than 11 million print and digital items in many formats including online news and magazine articles, research tools and databases, music and video libraries.

Then there is the renowned Special Collections and rare books. Materials in more than 40 languages and digital archives. Exhibits galore.

Also there are programs and classes: computer and library training, science, technology and innovation, career and job search, health and wellness, small business help, book clubs and writers group,

Come Mother’s Day? Make Mom;s day! Show Mom how much you loved those trips to the library. Make a donation to Toronto Public Library in her name this Mother’s Day.

Visit tplfoundation.ca/tribute or call 416-393-7123 to donate and choose a card.

Toronto’s libraries. With you for life.