The Moose Jaw Public Library is looking to expand its range of French language programming this year, and two of its leading initiatives, l'heure du conte (Storytime) and tire-toi une bûche (Pull Yourself a Log (to sit around the fire)) are proving to be quite successful among members of Moose Jaw’s francophone community.
The tire-toi une bûche workshops for students aged 16 and older were held on Thursdays from 7 - 9 p.m., and took place on Feb. 29, March 7, and recently concluded on March 14.
Now that the program is finished, each student will present their completed French-language videos to the public in a free showing at the library's theatre on Thursday, April 11. The presentation is scheduled to run from 7 - 9 p.m.
“We’re promoting the program (and) all levels of French language (proficiency) are welcome,” said Jennifer Doede, the public library’s community outreach librarian and a driving force behind the French language expansion.
“But… the videos (shown during) the presentation, for example, will all be in French,” she added.
The program comes as the result of the library's expanding French language options and is made possible through a partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada. The CBC will also be on hand to take the lead on broadcasting the April 11 event.
“I’ll be giving an opening statement, and then the CBC will be taking over (to provide coverage)…,” Doede said.
Each of the eight enrolled students participated in an educational journey where they first learned about the storytelling process and then actually created and filmed videos of their own.
The three workshops were described as being "fun, stimulating, and self-reflective," according to the library's website, and students gained the opportunity to transform their own personal story into a short video using their own words and photos.
Tire-toi une bûche was introduced with the goal of helping students find their spark, discover the power of their own story, and gave them the chance to share their own, unique voice in a creative way.
The three inaugural sessions went very well, were positively received by the students, and Doede said they were “fantastic.”
“All eight participants (in Moose Jaw) attended all three workshops, so that was really great,” she confirmed.
“The participants… will be inviting their friends and family and individuals they dedicated their story towards,” Doede said about the upcoming presentation.
“We recorded them in March here (at the library) too, so it will be a mix of having the participants on screen as well as (sharing) some photos that they’ve submitted for their video,” she added.
“Yeah, there will be some really cool multimedia projects.”
The Moose Jaw students’ presentation will be showcased during the theatre production, and if time permits, students from the Saskatoon and Prince Albert public libraries will also be included.
Anyone from Moose Jaw’s francophone community can attend the upcoming presentations in a show of support for the idea of expanding the library’s programming, and everyone else is always welcome – although the presentations will be delivered en français.
The second program, l’heure du conte, is designed specifically for children under the age of five as a drop-in program. Each session introduces children to stories and songs in French and takes place on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. at the library. The next two workshops will be held on Monday, April 8 and again on Monday, April 22.
Throughout the month of April, the French language options at the library will include only the April 11 presentation and the two l’heure du conte workshops. It is expected that the library will make further expansions to its French language repertoire as the year progresses.
The Moose Jaw Public Library is located at 461 Langdon Crescent and can be reached at 306-692-2787.
For more information, visit MooseJawLibrary.ca.
