Kingsville Times

Commune by (author) Des Kennedy This is the spellbinding story of six young dreamers who set out from Vancouver in the seventies to haphazardly establish a back-to-the-land commune on a small island in the Salish Sea. Against all odds, the dream endures for half a century through fierce internecine squabbling, occasional […]

Two for the Road by (author) Chantel Guertin For readers of Emily Henry, Gail Honeyman and Josie Silver, a tender, funny and wise new novel about a romance bookshop owner who embarks on the adventure–or misadventure–of a lifetime in search of her own happily ever after. Sometimes there are detours on […]

Children who are read to when they are small will develop a love of learning that lasts all their lives. Here at the Kingsville Branch of the Essex County Library, we want to be a part of that process. We’ve got books to read and fun activities planned for your […]

Goddess by (author) Deborah Hemming An entrancing novel about a wellness retreat on a remote Greek island hosted by a celebrity guru who is more than meets the eye. On a flight to New York at the end of her first book tour, up-and-coming writer Agnes Oliver meets Jack Verity, the […]

Meet The Author at Carnegie Arts & Visitor Centre Saturday, November 4 from 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm The Arts Society of Kingsville is proud to host Marcy Lane in our Meet The Authors series. A Mercy of Widows is Marcy Lane’s debut fiction novel. Marcy has written thousands of […]

In the Belly of the Congo by (author) Blaise Ndala  translated by Amy B. Reid A sweeping historical novel and an intergenerational family saga about the mysterious disappearance of a Congolese princess and the niece who is determined to uncover her fate more than four decades later, by the internationally acclaimed and […]

The Essex County Library takes Banned Books Week seriously. Every year this event runs from October 1-7. This year the theme was “Let Freedom Read.” In an earlier article on this topic we said: “When we ban books, we’re closing off readers to people, places, and perspectives. But when we stand […]

Banned Books Week is an annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information. The theme for Banned Books Week 2023 is “Let Freedom Read.” When we ban books, we’re closing off readers to people, places, and perspectives. But when we stand up for stories, we […]

A Book Club for Little Ones at the Cottam Library! September 20 at 5:30 p.m. Ages: 3-6 years old Join us at the Cottam Branch of the Essex County Library on Wednesday, September 20 as we settle in to discuss our most beloved storybooks. You can bring your favourite book […]

A Book Club for Little Ones! September 14 at 5:30 p.m. Ages: 3-6 years old Join us at the Ruthven Branch on Thursday, September 14 as we settle in to discuss our most beloved storybooks. You can bring your favourite book from home or choose one from the library. Tell […]

How we spent our summer vacation! Patrons of the Kingsville Branch of the Essex County Library have been adding Lego bricks to our Lego Tower — one brick for each book checked out. The challenge was laid out earlier this season at the Library. All the participants can be proud […]

Drop in to the Essex County Library’s Kingsville Branch during the month of September. We’ve got some interesting activities planned! Any time next month you can bring the family for a Scavenger Hunt or a Bookmark Craft. The Art Cart is always available for teens to exercise their creative sides. […]

Early in July, the Essex County Library posed this question: Which Municipality is the most well-read? We urged everyone to take the “Read For Your Municipality Challenge” and earn a claim to fame and earn bragging rights. The challenge kicked off on Monday, July 3. All the participants had to […]

Something for Everybody! We’ve got something for all ages groups this week at the Kingsville Branch of the Essex County Library. On Tuesday, bring out the little ones for a Storytime just for them. On Wednesday, the teenagers can come out for a Game Night, and they can use the […]

Welcome to July! We’ve got some interesting things planned for the kids and the grownups at the Essex County Library’s Harrow Branch. For the Kids: Storytime in the Park Friday, July 14 at 10 a.m. Bring the kids out to the Park for a morning of Storytime on July 14. […]

The Ruthven and Cottam Branches of the Essex County Library are gearing up for Storytime in the Park. Ruthven is putting theirs on twice in July. The dates are July 7 and July 21, and both are scheduled for 2 p.m. Cottam’s Storytime will be happening on July 21 at […]

Join us for the TD Summer Reading Club StoryWalk® at out Kingsville Branch! This is a great family activity that allows you to stroll along inside or outside our branches. While you’re strolling, you can read Mireille Messier and Irene Luxbacher’s book Treasure page by page. Don’t miss out. Be sure […]

Summer’s here! And the Essex County Library has some interesting events in mind for the grownups. The Kingsville Branch is offering these Adult programs in the month of July. Drop-in for a Kingsville Crafting Hive Wednesday July 5th & 19th 5:30– 7:30pm Crafting knows no boundaries, limits, or inhibitions… “Kingsville’s Hive” […]

There’s summer fun ahead at the Kingsville Branch of the Essex County Library! Here are just a few of the things we’ve got planned for the month of July. Come on out and join us! TD SRC StoryWalk®: Treasure by Mireille Messier at the Kingsville Branch July 3-15 Join us for […]

Born in Windsor, Ontario, local author Barbara Godin fostered an interest in writing when she began keeping journals in her youth. While her life started in the city, by the age of ten, she had moved to Kingsville to live with her grandparents, the Barless’s, on the 2nd Concession. She remembers […]

National Indigenous Peoples Day, which falls on June 21, was the occasion upon which our Kingsville Branch held the “One Book, One County” Book Club with host AM800 CKLW’s Dan MacDonald and author G.A Grisenthwaite. Grisenthwaite spoke of his novel Home Waltz, a coming-of-age tale about an Indigenous teen just […]

June is National Indigenous History Month. National Indigenous Peoples Day falls on June 21, 2023. In honour of this, our title for the 2023 season of One Book, One County is Home Waltz, written by G.A. Grisenthwaite, a Nlaka’pamux writer from Canada. His debut novel Home Waltz was a shortlisted finalist for […]

Come hear a bedtime story! Ages: 2-8 with a caregiver Wear your pajamas and bring a stuffy while we read bedtime stories at our Cottam and Ruthven Branches. Afterwards, leave your stuffy at the library for a sleepover. Then come back the next day to pick it up and see […]

Drop-In Adult Program: Kingsville Crafting Hive Wednesday June 7th & 21st @ 5:30– 7:30pm Crafting knows no boundaries, limits, or inhibitions … “Kingsville’s Hive” is a space for everyone to share various crafting techniques. Keep it in mind on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday of every month. ** Adult Book […]

Dan MacDonald Book Club — Meet Up #6 Wow! We can’t believe we’re hosting Dan’s 6th meet up next Wednesday, May 31 at the Harrow branch. As usual he’s sold out, so we thought we’d add a virtual option. Author Casey Plett will be joining us virtually. If you can’t […]

Hey Puzzlers! Did you know that the Harrow Branch is home to a Little Free Puzzle Library? Come on in, and borrow one. You can swap out for one you’ve already done. We’ve got new puzzles in here every week! Does the thought of doing a whole puzzle by yourself […]

It was standing room only on Saturday at the Kingsville Public Library as a large group of residents and guests gathered to hear the stories of local long-time resident Joan Harder. Joan was reading from her recently-published book from Prairie Roots to Lake Erie Shores – My Story In My […]

Every Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Ages: all ages, family Bring a cozy blanket and snuggle with the whole family. Then settle in for a pleasant time at the weekly read-aloud of James and the Giant Peach in our Kingsville Branch. Each week on Thursday, the story continues and the fun […]

Come on out to one of our Adult Book Clubs — or come to them all! Here we’re highlighting the Club selections for our Kingsville and Harrow branches for the month of May. Settle in for a presentation by our library staff, and be ready to discuss your favourite books […]

Meet Local Author Joan Harder Saturday April 29th at 1 p.m. Come on out to meet local author Joan Harder who has shared much of her life story in her new book From Prairie Roots to Lake Erie Shores. Although she has been a Kingsville resident for many years, Joan […]

Family Storytime starts at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25 for 6 weeks! This program is for families with children under 5 years of age. Encourage a lifelong love of reading! You can register online  or in person. Essex County Library — Cottam Branch  122 Fox Street Cottam, Ontario N0R 1B0 Phone: […]

It is with much anticipation and excitement that we share the news that the Essex County Library will be adding more decodable books to our collection! Together with the International Dyslexia Association and the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Education, we were able to add over 200 more decodable books […]

Easter Holiday Hours All branches of the Essex County Library will be closed Friday, April 7th for Good Friday, and Monday, April 10th for Easter Monday. We will be open on Saturday, April 8th. Website: Essex County Library Facebook: Essex County Library Instagram: essexcountylib Twitter: Essex County Library Image by […]

Dianne Joyce is a former Kingsville resident and University of Windsor Graduate from the early days of Windsor’s Creative Writing Program.  She is currently living in Hanover, Ontario. Her poems have appeared in Canadian Literature, The Windsor Review, The Antigonish Review, Grain, Room of One’s Own, Event and Descant, Arms […]

Spring Storytimes are coming! Family Storytime is a program for families of parents with children from 1½ (19 months) to 5 years of age. Baby Storytime is a program for parents with infants (birth – 14 months). Visit our website for details of programs at your local branch. Register today!

Essex County Library to Celebrate Cottam Branch Reopening  and Kickoff of Spring Membership Drive  The Essex County Library is proud to announce the re-opening of its Cottam Branch beginning Monday, March 20th. To mark the occasion, the Cottam Branch (122 Fox Street, Cottam) will be hosting an open house and […]

With the reopening of our Cottam Branch on Monday, March 20 ALL of our 14 Essex County Library branches will be open! We hope that you’re as excited as we are! We want you back in our spaces and using all the amazing things you can get with a library […]

Border City Data: Data Mining Essex County’s Rich Newspaper History Text collections and textual analysis offer a unique and largely untapped combination for applying data mining techniques and computational analysis to generate new insights into the past. This is particularly true for newspaper collections. Newspaper pages typically have eight times […]

The Essex County Library is proud to announce a return to regular service at it’s Ruthven and Cottam branches. After an extended closure that began during the COVID 19 pandemic, Ruthven is set to reopen it’s doors to the public at 9am on Monday, March 6th, with Cottam reopening on […]

HARROW: Power is back on, branch will be open from 5 pm – 8 pm. KINGSVILLE: Branch is open. LAKESHORE: Power is on BUT we are experiencing issues with phones, WiFi and internet. STILL CLOSED: Essex, McGregor, Woodslee

Please be advised that all Essex County Library branches will close today at 4 p.m. We want to keep you and our staff safe from the icy roads! Website: Essex County Library Facebook: Essex County Library Instagram: essexcountylib Twitter: Essex County Library

The Essex County Library has announced some exciting events coming soon for people in Ruthven and Cottam. The Ruthven Branch will be reopening on March 6, 2023 at 1695 Elgin Street in Ruthven. Phone: (226) 946-1529 ext. 221 The Cottam Branch will open once again on March 20, 2023 at 122 […]

Regular hours will once again resume at all library branches on Tuesday, February 21. We hope you can enjoy Family Day with the people you love! Website: Essex County Library Facebook: Essex County Library Instagram: essexcountylib Twitter: Essex County Library

“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” – from “Invictus” by William  E. Henley Will Cowell was born and raised in Kingsville. As an adult he has travelled the world for business, for pleasure and for spiritual growth, and has recently come back […]

KINGSVILLE BRANCH – CURBSIDE ONLY Starting at 4:30 tonight, Tuesday, January 31 the Kingsville Branch is offering curbside service only. This is just for tonight. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. Thank you. Essex County Library – Kingsville Branch: 40 Main St West Kingsville, ON N9Y 1H3 Call […]

Writers’ Trust of Canada today announced three writers set to attend its 2023 Berton House Writers’ Residency program. Each writer will travel to Dawson City, Yukon to live and work for two months in the childhood home of author and Writers’ Trust co-founder Pierre Berton (1920 – 2004). Residents will receive […]

Calling all teens! We’ve got a great contest for young artists. The Kingsville branch has a brand new Teen Corner! We’d love to brighten it up with your art. CONTEST: Started Monday, January 23 and ends Monday, March 13. Lots of time to get creative! Yes, there will be 3 […]

It’s time for our first giveaway of 2023 and it’s a really good one! While we wait for catalogued copies of “Spare” by Prince Harry to arrive, we thought it would be fun to purchase a copy for each of our branches and raffle it off! Starting Monday. January 16, […]

On January 11, 2023, the Essex County Library held its first meeting with our new library board. We’re very excited about what’s coming to our communities! Pictured from left to right: * Manuela Denes, Manager Community Services * Lauren Segedin, Town of Kingsville * Sue Desjarlais, Town of LaSalle * Deputy […]

Our New Year’s closures are listed on our website. You can also find a complete listing of branch hours here.  We’ve got magazines, movies, music, and of course, we’ve also got plenty of books. And our digital library is always open! Website: Essex County Library Facebook: Essex County Library Instagram: […]

Our Christmas and New Year’s closures are listed on our website as well. Be sure to stock up on library materials for the holiday season! We’ve got movies, music, magazines and, of course, books. The digital library is always open! Website: Essex County Library Facebook: Essex County Library Instagram: essexcountylib […]

A nice crowd filled the Essex County Library’s branch in Kingsville on Wednesday, December 14. We were so pleased with the turnout to Kingsville’s Holiday Open House. More than 100 people came out to make the event truly memorable. A bit of trivia: The first Open House took place in […]

Kingsville Holiday Open House The Essex County Library is soo happy to be able to host this event after two long years! We hope to see a nice big number of you pop in to the Kingsville branch next week. Essex County Library – Kingsville Branch: 40 Main St West […]

New book compiles a lifetime of stories from 1930s prairies to present day Kingsville resident Joan Harder has always been a talented writer, but never dreamed of being published. Family and friends often encouraged her to take this step but it wasn’t until she approached her 90th birthday that she […]

ANNOUNCEMENT Due to a rise in severe respiratory illness in Ontario we are asking that starting Tuesday, November 15th all visitors to our Library branches wear a mask. Essex County Library wants to maintain the highest possible standards for the safety of our patrons and staff and so we are […]

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.” ~ Laurence Binyon, “Ode of Remembrance” All Essex County Library branches will be closed […]

“Lest We Forget” Looking for books and other Remembrance Day materials? We’ve got you covered. Stop by any of our branches and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for. Website: Essex County Library Facebook: Essex County Library Instagram: essexcountylib Twitter: Essex County Library

Kingsville is getting ready to celebrate I Read Canadian Day this Wednesday, November 2 What’s it all about? Read about it  here and come celebrate with us! #IReadCanadian Essex County Library – Kingsville Branch: 40 Main St West Kingsville, ON N9Y 1H3 Call the Kingsville Branch at: (226) 946-1529 ext. […]

We were thrilled to receive a grant from the International Dyslexia Association Ontario. With this grant we have ordered several collections of decodable readers. Decodable books and text contain words made of letter-sounds, and spelling and morphological patterns (e.g. prefixes & suffixes) that a student has been explicitly taught. In […]

We are so excited to be hosting open houses at our branches. Celebrate the library and community throughout the week! Pop into one of our many Open House events this week. Kingsville’s Open House will be on Wednesday, October 19 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Connect with community and […]

Kingsville branch closed today, Thursday, August 18 Our branch in Kingsville will be closed today, Thursday, August 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you. Essex County Library – Kingsville Branch: 40 Main St West Kingsville, ON N9Y 1H3 Call the […]

We have a winner! Thanks everyone for coming out to our One Book, One County event this past Wednesday. We held our $50 gift card draw today and the winner is … Jack Fisher of Kingsville!  We’re looking forward to hosting more literary events and hope to see you soon.

Wow! We had a phenomenal time at last night’s One Book, One County event in Kingsville on Wednesday, August 10. Thirty-six people attended. A HUGE thank you to Richard Scarsbrook for letting us feature his book “The Troupers” as this year’s community read, and to Dan MacDonald for doing a […]

One Book, One County presents: The Troupers by Richard Scarsbrook Have you got your “ticket” yet? Pick up one of these cool bookmarks and be sure to read this year’s One Book, One County title “The Troupers” by Richard Scarsbrook! Download your copy here. Be sure to join us Wednesday, […]

One Book, One County This year, our “One Book, One County” title is THE TROUPERS, by Richard Scarsbrook, who grew up in Essex County. “In THE TROUPERS, Richard Scarsbrook creates a family like few others. I mean how many parents are blessed with five children born on the very same […]

It’s officially summer and we’re ready for in-person programs! Each day up until the kickoff on Monday, July 4 we’re sharing program highlights from each of our branches. Check out what’s happening at our Kingsville branch this summer! We have a great selection of programs for little and big kids. Programs […]

So much is happening at our branches! Did you know that several locations have meeting rooms? If you’re a non-profit organization or local community group rooms are free. Questions? Reach out to staff at these locations: Essex Kingsville Leamington McGregor Tecumseh For the Essex County Library website click here. NOTE: […]

Thanks to everyone who participated in our salad bowl planting event this past weekend. The weather kindly cooperated and it was a beautiful day. We had a great time! Thank you to all the local businesses and community gardeners who generously donated their time and supplies to make this day […]

Stop by the Kingsville branch Saturday, May 28 and get your fingers dirty! You will receive: 1 pot, potting soil and a variety of edible plants. To reserve yours please register here *Available for seniors — balcony planter Open to all ages! A big thank you to: Anna’s Garden, Home & […]

All Essex County Library branches will be closed Good Friday, April 15 and Easter Monday, April 18. Branches will be open Saturday, April 16. Regular hours resume Tuesday, April 19. Website: Essex County Library YouTube: EssexCountyLibrary Instagram: essexcountylib Twitter: Essex County Library

April 6th is National Tartan Day! Did you know that Essex County has its own tartan? It was designed in 1983 by Mrs. Edythe Bakes of Leamington. The colours represent specific aspects of Essex County: ~ Golden yellow for sunshine and the rich agriculture ~ Green for the many fields […]

Seedy Adventures with ECL Celebrate the first day of spring with the launch of our 2022 Seed Library! We’re so glad to be able to offer seeds at our open branches starting Monday, March 21st. *Details coming soon. In the meantime, if you’re out and about and would like to […]

BRANCHES CLOSED AT 5 PM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17 Due to severe weather conditions, ALL Essex County Library branches closed today at 5 p.m.

NOTICE OF SYSTEM MAINTENANCE: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20 Our systems will all be down for required maintenance. Public internet access, our website, “My Account”, Overdrive, Hoopla, and Kanopy will be unavailable during this time, in addition to many of our databases. All services should be restored by the […]

Join the Essex County Library for an evening with author Richard Scarsbrook. Richard grew up in Olinda and went to Ruthven Public School and Kingsville District High School. We’ll be discussing his latest release “The Troupers.” *** The Trouper-Royale Orpheum Galaxie Theatre is a jewel in the entertainment crown of […]

Join the Essex County Library for an evening with author Richard Scarsbrook. Richard grew up in Olinda and went to Ruthven Public School and Kingsville District High School. We’ll be discussing his latest release “The Troupers.” *** The Trouper-Royale Orpheum Galaxie Theatre is a jewel in the entertainment crown of […]

We will be extending our curbside pickup until Saturday, January 29 (*subject to change). Regular branch hours will apply. Check here for hours. As always, our virtual library is open 24/7. You can: 1. Request curbside printing 2. Call staff for assistance 3. Request mail delivery by Canada Post 4. COMING […]

Out of an abundance of caution for the health of our communities and staff, the Essex County Library will offer curbside services ONLY starting tomorrow, Tuesday, January 4 until Saturday, January 15. (This information is subject to change.) The present change to Curbside Pickup Only affects these branches: Amherstburg Essex […]

November is Radon Action Month in Canada. Please join us on this webinar to learn all about radon. You will learn about what radon is and how it can affect our long-term health. You will also learn how to test your own home for radon for little to no cost. #RadonActionMonth […]

October 4-8 is First Nations Public Library Week Initiated in 2000 by Indigenous libraries there are currently 46 public libraries on First Nation communities in Ontario. Laura shares book recommendations from June’s Indigenous History month. https://youtu.be/IZM0spkQOxA

How much do you know about your hometown? Want bragging rights? Play Essex County Library’s Trivia Night Tuesday and find out!  This one was all about Kingsville. The game runs for a week so even if you missed it on Tuesday, you can still get in on it. Gameplay started […]

Welcome Back! It felt like it would never happen but here we finally are! Monday, July 26 your Kingsville branch will open its doors at 9 a.m. Hours are: Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. *Hours are subject to change, please check […]

What’s New From Libby If you’re a library user, you’re very familiar with OverDrive. It’s how you access our digital library collection. Libby is the newer app released by OverDrive a little while ago. Libby is a fast and attractive digital experience. Libby is compatible with Android and iOS devices […]

Coming Soon! Select branches start to reopen. You’ll be able to come into the Kingsville branch starting Monday, July 26. We’re taking it slow to ensure that our staff and you are kept safe when walking through our doors. Thank you for your amazing support by using our curbside pickup and […]

Do you sometimes find yourself drifting off in thought to a time when life was simpler? Do you pine for days gone by when meeting up with friends for root beer floats or cruising the strip looking for fun were top of your agenda? Growing up in Amherstburg at a […]