Press Release

January 27, 2025—Clarington Library, Museums & Archives (CLMA) is excited to announce the return of its popular award-winning festival, Winter WonderLearn. Now in its twenty-second consecutive year, the event will be held on the Family Day holiday Monday, February 17, 2025, from 10am to 2pm at CLMA’s Courtice Library.

The festival encourages families to get active and enjoy time together while learning something new, exploring the local organizations that call Clarington and the Durham Region home. Reptilia Whitby will be hosting interactive shows and meet & greets with their special guests throughout the day. The Municipality of Clarington will be offering a range of programming at the Courtice Community Complex throughout the day, including a free swim from 11am to 1pm and outdoor skating from 11am to 5pm, weather permitting.

January 27, 2025—Clarington Library, Museums & Archives (CLMA) is thrilled to expand its Community Pass initiative to include a brand-new partner, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto.

Part of its innovative Library of Things, Community Passes allow CLMA customers to borrow a family admission pass to a local attraction or activity. Other organizations partnering with CLMA in the program include the Canadian Automotive Museum, Central Lake Ontario Conservation Area (CLOCA), Municipality of Clarington, Ontario Parks, and Reptilia Whitby. Additional Library of Things expansions at CLMA have included eReaders, telescopes, energy meters, and snowshoes. 

The Clarington Public Library Board is pleased to share exciting news on the Waverley Place Museum, formerly known as the Bowmanville Museum, at 37 Silver Street.
 
The Waverley Place recently underwent significant maintenance and remediation work. In 2024, this included a new accessible ramp and walkway on the grounds, structural stabilization, replacement of woodwork and chimney masonry. The replacement of the columns, upper balcony railings, eavestroughs, and downspouts will be completed this year.

Clarington Library, Museums & Archives is saddened to announce Steven Cooke’s resignation as Chair of the Clarington Public Library Board. Tenzin Shomar, current Vice-Chair, has stepped in as the Acting Chair until the next Board meeting on Thursday, November 28, where the Board will elect new officers.

With Steven Cooke’s departure, there is one vacancy on the Library Board. The Clarington Public Library Board is appointed by Municipal Council and serve on a term concurrent with the term of Council. Interested candidates can find more information at: www.clarington.net/town-hall.

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our bi-annual Customer Satisfaction Survey! Share your thoughts and suggestions on how CLMA can continue to improve library and museum services.

As a token of appreciation, all survey participants will be entered into a draw to win a beautiful gift basket from Algoma Orchards!

Clarington Library, Museums & Archives is proud to announce that it is the recipient of a Seniors Community Grant for the project “Golden Tales: Chronicles of our Community,” set to launch this fall. The “Golden Tales” project is a unique initiative dedicated to capturing and sharing the stories and portraits of seniors who have settled in or were born in the Municipality of Clarington.

Durham Region Public Libraries in partnership with the Durham Children’s Aid Society (CAS) have won the Ontario Library Association (OLA) Les Fowlie Intellectual Freedom award and the Joyce Cunningham Award, which were awarded at the OLA Super-Conference on January 25, 2024. The awards are in recognition of hosting, promoting, and celebrating 2023 Drag Queen Storytimes.

The Clarington Public Library Board has recently been made aware of questions regarding the current and future state of the Waverley Place Museum, formerly known as the Bowmanville Museum, on 37 Silver Street.

Staff at the Clarington Public Library have recently found swastika graffiti in the children’s section of the Courtice Library Branch on multiple occasions. Each time the symbols have been successfully removed. However, library staff and members of the Board are concerned by the trend.