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December 2025 |
Welcome to our monthly newsletter featuring all that's happening at your library.
Wall art at the Thorndale Library. |
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Holiday Hours
All Middlesex County Library branches will be closed December 25 & 26 and January 1. Open 10am until 12pm on December 24 & 31: Dorchester, Glencoe, Komoka, Lucan, Mt Brydges, Parkhill. Strathroy is open 9am until 12pm. |
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Puzzle Swaps
Drop off a gently used complete puzzle, then visit again to pick up a new to you puzzle!
Strathroy:
Puzzle drop off - Mon, Dec 22 through Wed, Jan 14 Puzzle pick up - Thurs, Jan 15 through Sat, Jan 17
Ailsa Craig: Puzzle drop off - Tues, Jan 13 through Sat, Jan 17
Puzzle pick up - Tues, Jan 20 through Sat, Jan 24
Parkhill: Puzzle drop off - Mon, Jan 1 through Sat, Jan 17
Puzzle pick up - Mon, Jan 19 through Sat, Jan 24 |
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Changes to Online Resources
Access to Udemy and Mango Languages will be ending December 31, 2025.
New resources will be launching in 2026! Watch for more information in our January newsletter. |
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Winter Tales & Trails
This winter, we’re celebrating the magic of snow and winter through children’s storybooks! Our eight storytelling walking trails are each featuring a different wintery story.
Find a Tales & Trails location near you: library.middlesex.ca/community-storytelling |
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| CreativeAge Online (Ages 55+) | |
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Rediscover your creative spark with our online program series designed to inspire connection, self-expression, and lifelong creativity for older adults.
Each week features a new hands-on or reflective activity led by an experienced instructor — from journaling and collage to crafting and cooking. Presented in partnership by CreativeAge, Middlesex County Library, and St. Thomas Public Library, this series offers a welcoming space to learn, share, and create together all from the comfort of home. |
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Vision Board Workshop
A dream is just a dream without focus and determination. Let's bring your vision to life! Join us virtually for this afternoon of community and creativity. Supplies provided. Tuesday, January 13 from 2:00-4:00pm |
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Creative Wellness Journaling
Creative journaling combines writing, sketching, collage and daily reminders to stay focused on a positive path. Join Kathy Smith as she shares ideas for your journal during this virtual workshop. Supplies provided. Tuesday, January 20 from 2:00-4:00pm |
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Slow Stitching
Slow stitching is hand sewing that involves using bits and pieces of fabric, ribbon, lace, buttons, trims and more. Join us virtually to spend some relaxing time as we stitch and chat. Supplies provided. Tuesday, January 27 from 2:00-4:00pm |
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Memoir Writing
Everyone has a story worth telling. Join our virtual memoir writing workshop designed for older adults who want to preserve their memories, reflect on life’s journey, and share their wisdom. Tuesday, February 3 from 2:00-4:00pm |
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Card Making Workshop
In this fun, virtual workshop, you’ll craft three beautiful, personalized Valentine’s Day cards—perfect for giving to family members, friends, or someone special. Supplies provided. Tuesday, February 10 from 2:00-4:00pm |
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Creative Cuisine
Ready to eat better without giving up flavour? Join our virtual Healthy Cooking Workshop and learn how to prepare tasty, satisfying meals that support weight loss by cutting carbs and reducing sugar.
Tuesday, February 17 from 2:00-4:00pm |
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Winter Wonderland
Step into a Winter Wonderland with your little ones! This special drop-in program invites children ages 0–6 years and their caregivers to celebrate the season through playful, winter-themed activities. Enjoy sensory play, creative crafts, cozy stories, and hands-on fun that spark curiosity and imagination.
Program Dates & Locations:
Dec. 22 | 9 a.m.–12 p.m. | Lucan, Glencoe, Dorchester
Dec. 23 | 9 a.m.–12 p.m. | Strathroy, Ilderton
No registration required – just drop in and join the fun! |
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Kinder Connect Evening Drop-In
Is your child entering Junior Kindergarten in September 2026 or currently enrolled in Junior Kindergarten? Join us for this new monthly evening drop-in program starting January 2026!
Children will have the opportunity to meet new friends, participate in fun and engaging activities, and enjoy songs and stories—all thoughtfully planned to support a confident and successful transition to school.
This program is available to Middlesex County residents only.
Locations: Parkhill, Ilderton, River Heights (Dorchester), Strathroy, Lucan and Glencoe.
For January dates and times, see our January Program Calendar |
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Click on the book cover to place a hold. |
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Ticket to Ride |
Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America.
Easy to learn: collect color sets of train cards, claim routes to expand your network and connect cities to complete your tickets!
Borrow Ticket to Ride at the Komoka, Lucan and Strathroy Libraries, or Ticket to Ride: First Journey at the Coldstream, Parkhill, Strathroy, Dorchester and Komoka Libraries.
Suggested by Lauren, Lucan Branch Assistant |
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| Florence Knapp |
In the wake of a catastrophic storm, Cora sets off with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to register her son's birth. Her husband, Gordon, a local doctor, respected in the community but a terrifying and controlling presence at home, intends for her to name the infant after him. But when the registrar asks what she'd like to call the child, Cora hesitates... Spanning thirty-five years, what follows are three alternate and alternating versions of Cora's and her young son's lives, shaped by her choice of name.
Suggested by Sylvia, Parkhill Branch Assistant |
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| Ahmed Alnaouq |
These are the stories of young people from Gaza, born under Israeli occupation and blockade. They are people who have endured unspeakable struggles and losses, who keep fighting to be recognized not as numbers, but as human beings with hopes, dreams, and lives worth living.--
Suggested by Courtney, Glencoe & Melbourne Supervisor |
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| T. Kingfisher |
This isn't a fairytale where the princess marries a prince. It's one where she kills him. After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself. Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince-if she can complete three impossible tasks. On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.
Suggested by Andrea, Komoka Branch Assistant |
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| Mel Robbins |
If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn't you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words -- Let Them -- will set you free. Free from the opinions, drama, and judgments of others. Free from the exhausting cycle of trying to manage everything and everyone around you. The Let Them Theory puts the power to create a life you love back in your hands -- and this book will show you exactly how to do it.
Suggested by Ki, EarlyON Facilitator |
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| Elizabeth Kostova | Enjoy as an audiobook from CloudLibrary!
Psychiatrist Andrew Marlow has the famous painter Robert Oliver as a pacient. Desperate to understand the secret that tormented the genius, he embarks on a journey taking him closer to the lives of Olivers women and a tragedy at the middle of French Impressionism. The Swan Thieves is a story of obsession, history losses and the power of art to preserve human hope.
Suggested by Sue, Library Office Assistant |
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