Niagara Falls Public Library

Congratulations to Sherman Zavitz for being awarded the "Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers" from the Governor General of Canada!
NFPL staff and board members were present at a recent The Lundy's Lane Historical Society meeting and were able to express our appreciation for Mr. Zavitz and his work.
Many people may know Mr. Zavitz as the former historian for both the City of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Parks Commission, but his impact extends far beyond any formal title. He has made sure that Niagara Falls' stories were not lost. He has taken history out of archives and placed it into books, presentations, tours, newspaper columns, interviews, and conversations with the community.
This award recognizes the decades Mr. Zavitz spent preserving, interpreting, and sharing the history of Niagara Falls with residents and visitors.
Libraries and historians share the same mission: preserving knowledge and making it accessible to the public and we were thrilled to help honour Mr. Zavitz as he accepted this award.

Before the roar of the falls, there was a crack of a bat! A cricket bat, to be precise! 🏏
Niagara Falls has a long, rich cricketing history that goes far beyond the boundary. The image of a gathered team takes us back to 1928 with the Niagara Falls Cricket Club District League, showcasing the passion and community spirit of the game.
The second photo gives a charming glimpse of cricket on the grounds of Ridley College, with spectators relaxing on the grass as a match unfolds in the background. The college’s iconic architecture stands tall, quietly witnessing a summer tradition in motion.
Have you ever played cricket? Do you think you'd give it a try if you had the opportunity?

Happy Recreation and Parks Month! 🌳
City of Niagara Falls, Canada - Government is celebrating all things outdoorsy this June with a number of really amazing events. We're especially excited about Play in the Park happening on Saturday, June 13 because we'll be there with our Bookmobile! The event will take place at F.H. Leslie Park from 12-4 pm with open swim happening from 1-7 pm.
Find out more about all the great activities on offer in our community this month: niagarafalls.ca/jrpm

Who’s ready for another author visit at the library? 🎉
We’re thrilled to welcome Jazz Forrester to our Victoria Avenue location on Tuesday, June 16! We’ll get to hear about her romance novels, her writing process, and more during a Q&A and we’ll even get to make a craft! What could be better on a Tuesday night?
The program begins at 6:30pm at Victoria Avenue. It’s totally free but we do ask that you register beforehand so we know how many folks to expect. You can do that on our website or by coming in or calling us at any of our locations. Register: https://nfpl.info/AuthorVisit
We can’t wait!

🗓️ Tuesday, June 16
🕛 6:30 pm
📍 Victoria Avenue Location (4848 Victoria Avenue)
💻 Register online

We're all about reading Canadian next week with our first of three Summer Fling book clubs and another author visit! There are also some great art and history programs happening that we think you might want to check out.
To register for programs, or learn more about what's happening, visit: https://nflibrary.ca/programs
VIC = Victoria Avenue, COM = Community Centre, STAM = Stamford Centre, CHIP = Chippawa

Update: 1:30
We're back! Victoria Avenue has reopened.
Thank you to everyone for your patience!

Library Update: Tuesday, June 9 @ 1:15pm
Our Victoria Avenue location is without power and we have temporarily closed until we determine if/when power will return.
Stamford Centre and Community Centre are open! You can check out materials but it may take slightly longer than usual and we'll appreciate your patience.
open+ at Chippawa is closed.
We'll update when we have more to share regarding reopening Victoria Avenue.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada which gives us a dedicated month to learn more about the history and tradition of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people who have lived on the land we call Canada for centuries, though this kind of learning is something we should be doing all year long.
We’ve gathered just a few books from our catalogue that can help you learn, celebrate, and reflect as you read both novels and nonfiction books written by Indigenous authors. Find them all on our blog: https://nflibrary.ca/articles/indigenous-history-month-2026

Read Canadian: Seventhblade
T’Rayles, a warrior, seeks revenge when she finds out her adopted son was murdered.
To do so, she must return to the colonised city of Seventhblade - a city she vowed never to set foot in again - in order to protect the safety of those close to her.
Can T’Rayles avenge her son? What risks will she take to find the answers she needs?
Seventhblade, written by tonia laird, is one of ten books nominated for this year’s Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading Evergreen Award.
Find out more about the Forest of Reading and the Evergreen Award on our website and stay tuned for more on how you’ll be able to vote on your favourite book in September: nflibrary.ca/read-canadian
We’re now halfway through sharing more about each of the ten books! Have you picked any up yet? Are you joining us at any of our Summer Fling Book Clubs where we’ll be reading three of the ten books? Check them out: nfpl.info/SummerBookClub

May was a busy month here at the library! In case you missed us in the news, check out our monthly roundup to stay up to date at what's been happening: https://nflibrary.ca/articles/nfpl-in-the-news-may-2026

June’s Art Exhibit at the Library: Celebrating 50 Years of Artwork by David Beese 🎨

David trained through Art Instruction Schools in his teens, although he didn’t paint his first work until May 1976. His earliest paintings were acrylic and ink sketches of movie and TV stars, and then he transitioned to landscapes. After retiring in 2020 at age 71, David refreshed his skills by completing masterclasses in colour and landscapes.
This current exhibition, at Victoria Avenue library until June 29, features 30 of his works covering 50 years, including his first 1976 painting of Farrah Fawcett through to his most recent 2026 acrylic on paper. When looking at these pieces, you’ll see David’s passion for rendering beautiful things.