Discussing & Connecting

Join author Nilofar Shidmehr as she guides us through her collection of short stories Divided Loyalties!

Nilofar Shidmehr will provide a short introduction to her writing style and professional background. She will read from her most recent collection of short stories, Divided Loyalties, followed by a Q&A.

About Nilofar:
Nilofar is a poet, a scholar, and the author of six books in English and Farsi, including Shirin and Salt Man, a BC Book Prize finalist. She writes and delivers lectures on women’s rights, migration and diaspora, and social and political issues in Iran. A specialist in literature and cinema of modern Iran, she teaches in the Continuing Studies program at Simon Fraser University.

This meeting takes place on Zoom. Here’s what you need to know:

• Registration is required in order to receive an invitation to the session.
• You will need a computer with a microphone or headset, and a webcam. You can also choose to use your smartphone/tablet.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch!

Not your average book club!

Advance Reading Copies are books that haven’t even been published yet. At the Teen Advance Readers’ club, you’ll have the chance to read and review brand new teen books that haven’t even hit the shelves!

You’ll get an exclusive sneak peek at unpublished teen fiction, then choose a book to take home and review. At each meeting, we’ll discuss the books and pick our read for the coming month!

Don’t miss your chance to READ IT FIRST!

ARC Book Club is available for teens grade 7-12.

Registration required. Register online or email Jessie at hawkesj@nvdpl.ca for more information.

We’re hosting this virtual program on Zoom.

What you’ll need to attend: A computer with microphone (or headphones) and webcam, or your smartphone/tablet.

Come practice your English language skills in a fun group of other new speakers.

Meet new people, learn English, and have fun! This program is presented in partnership with the Baha'is of North Vancouver.

This program will be held via Zoom. The session will start at 1:00pm, however, you're welcome to tune in as early as 12:30pm to test your technology. 

Calling all parents! Have you chosen homeschooling this year or are you considering it for the future?

Whether you are considering homeschooling for your elementary kids or your high schoolers, come join the conversation and learn from students and parents alike. Join members of the North Shore Homelearners Group to ask questions and chat about their homeschooling experience.

Learn more about the North Shore Homelearners Group at their website: https://nshlg.webs.com/about

Registration required. Register online or call 604-987-4471, ext. 8175.

This program will be held via Zoom. The discussion will start at 7:00 PM

One of the things we never talk about is the one thing that we all have in common: we will all die. 

Yet we don’t treat death the way we treat other human developmental stages. Nobody wants to bring it up, we often fail to plan for it, and we may end up in crisis when it is looming. Our inspiring and engaging speakers have dedicated their lives and careers to talking about death and dying. They would love to tell you’re their stories, especially about how replacing fear and denial with openness and acceptance improves the quality of life that you are living.

Session 1: All Ready to Go?

One of the things we never talk about is the one thing that we all have in common: we will all die. Join our engaging speakers as they discuss, tell stories, and explore death and mortality.

When you meet Stephen, you are meeting a man who lives life fully. A genuine heart and commitment to life have produced in Stephen the qualities of a warrior: integrity, strength, leadership, kindness, and wisdom. He has experienced success in life as a teacher, investment banker, social worker, author, Interfaith Minister, and currently executive director of the Memorial Society of BC.

Arising out of his personal experience of hundreds of deaths Stephen’s heart passion and life energy are focused on changing the conversation we have about death from one of fear and denial to one of embrace and inspiration. Stephen combines his life experience with his Masters in Leadership and Training as he trains and mentors people interested in dealing with dying, death, and grief in new and inspiring ways. Reverend Garrett is an author, educator, coach, and trainer specializing in reframing our approach to dying, death and grief.

Registration required in order to receive a Zoom invite. Register online or call 604-929-3727, ext. 8166.

Please note: This program will be held on Zoom. What you’ll need: A computer with microphone (or headphones) and webcam for Zoom; or your smartphone/tablet. We will email you the Zoom link in advance of the event.

Join us as we watch a short documentary and then connect via Zoom to discuss it! We will be watching documentaries that touch on social, cultural, political, and global issues. Then, we’ll have an open discussion and exchange of ideas over the film’s topic.

The World According to Amazon               
Thursday, October 8 | 2:00pm-4:00pm

In 1994, in a Seattle garage, Jeff Bezos created a bookstore. 25 years later, his company owns over 250 warehouses, ships 14 million parcels a day and dominates the e-commerce market in five continents. The World According to Amazon pulls back the curtain on Bezos’ monolith — revealing how it’s impacted so many aspects of our lives, making him the world’s richest person in the process. But for Bezos, dominating a city is not enough, and so he’s turned his attention to the skies, or, more specifically, the cloud. Amazon is the leader in online data storage infrastructure. 70% of the world's Internet now travels through Amazon’s data centres in Northern Virginia. The World According to Amazon explores how a single company impacts the distribution of products, the infrastructure of our economy, and the data that defines us.

This meeting will be held on Zoom. You can watch the film with the group at 2:00pm, or watch on your own and join us at 3:00pm for a great discussion!

What you’ll need to attend: a computer with microphone (or headphones) and webcam, or your smartphone/tablet.

Registration required. Register online or call 604-987-4471, ext. 8175. Zoom link will be sent to those registered in advance of the meeting date.

Learn how to incorporate resilience interventions into your personal and professional life with Dr. Karen Reivich.

In this course, you are exposed to the foundational research in resilience, including protective factors such as mental agility and optimism. Several types of resilience interventions are explored including cognitive strategies; strategies to manage anxiety and increase positive emotions such as gratitude; and a critical relationship enhancement skill. Throughout the course, you will hear examples of individuals using resilience skills in their personal and professional lives.

What you will learn:

Week 1: Resilience and Optimism

Week 2: Cognitive Approaches to Resilience: Strategies to Increase Optimism and Resilient Thinking

Week 3: Managing Anxiety and Increasing Positive Emotions Like Gratitude

Week 4: Leveraging Character Strengths and Strengthening Relationships

A group discussion will follow the video class with exercises.

We’re hosting this virtual program on Zoom. Registration is required in order to receive an invite to the Zoom meeting.

What you’ll need to attend: A computer with microphone (or headphones) and webcam, or your smartphone/tablet.

Please register online with your email.

We will email you the Zoom link and instructional material in advance of the program each week. If you have any questions, please contact David milnerd@nvdpl.ca

Additional Information:

You will also need to register on the Coursera page at https://www.coursera.org/learn/positive-psychology-resilience. Click on the red enroll box and click Audit the course. There is no charge to register for the course. This is necessary for you to have access to the videos. We will connect as a group using Zoom, a teleconferencing program and then watch the videos simultaneously. For best sound quality, it works better if we all watch the video directly from the course link rather than broadcasting the video using Zoom. You will have the option to download the videos in advance of the class.

If you prefer, you also have the option of completing the course independently simply by registering at the above link. If you need help getting set up to take the course, please email David milnerd@nvdpl.ca

Join us as we listen to and discuss Margaret MacMillan’s 2015 Massey Lectures Series History’s People: Personalities of the Past!

The renowned historian explores some of the great people — good and bad, dreamers, explorers and adventurers — who have shaped their times and ours. One historian's view of the people of the past who have intrigued, horrified or engaged her. Some of these great figures have changed the course of history and even directed the currents of our time. Others are memorable for being risk-takers, adventurers, or observers.

Margaret MacMillan received her PhD from Oxford University and is now a professor of international history at Oxford. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature; a senior fellow of Massey College, University of Toronto; and an honorary fellow of Trinity College, University of Toronto, and of St. Hilda’s College, Oxford University. Her published works include The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914, a New York Times Notable Book; Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History; Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World; Women of the Raj: The Mothers, Wives, and Daughters of the British Empire in India; and Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World.

Tuesday, October 13 - Lecture 1: Persuasion and the Art of Leadership

Tuesday, October 20 - Lecture 2: Hubris

Tuesday October 27 - Lecture 3: Daring 

Tuesday November 10 - Lecture 4: Curiosity 

Tuesday November 17 - Lecture 5: Observers 

We’re hosting this virtual program on Zoom.

What you’ll need to attend: A computer with microphone (or headphones) and webcam, or your smartphone/tablet.

Please register online with your email.

We will email you the Zoom link in advance of the program each week. If you have any questions, please contact Vicki at leev@nvdpl.ca or call 604-929-3727, ext. 8166.

We’re hosting this virtual program on Zoom. 

To join the meeting, click here. 

Learn how to incorporate resilience interventions into your personal and professional life with Dr. Karen Reivich.

In this course, you are exposed to the foundational research in resilience, including protective factors such as mental agility and optimism. Several types of resilience interventions are explored including cognitive strategies; strategies to manage anxiety and increase positive emotions such as gratitude; and a critical relationship enhancement skill. Throughout the course, you will hear examples of individuals using resilience skills in their personal and professional lives.

What you will learn:

Week 1: Resilience and Optimism

Week 2: Cognitive Approaches to Resilience: Strategies to Increase Optimism and Resilient Thinking

Week 3: Managing Anxiety and Increasing Positive Emotions Like Gratitude

Week 4: Leveraging Character Strengths and Strengthening Relationships

A group discussion will follow the video class with exercises.

We’re hosting this virtual program on Zoom. Registration is required in order to receive an invite to the Zoom meeting.

What you’ll need to attend: A computer with microphone (or headphones) and webcam, or your smartphone/tablet.

Please register online with your email.

We will email you the Zoom link and instructional material in advance of the program each week. If you have any questions, please contact David milnerd@nvdpl.ca

Additional Information:

You will also need to register on the Coursera page at https://www.coursera.org/learn/positive-psychology-resilience. Click on the red enroll box and click Audit the course. There is no charge to register for the course. This is necessary for you to have access to the videos. We will connect as a group using Zoom, a teleconferencing program and then watch the videos simultaneously. For best sound quality, it works better if we all watch the video directly from the course link rather than broadcasting the video using Zoom. You will have the option to download the videos in advance of the class.

If you prefer, you also have the option of completing the course independently simply by registering at the above link. If you need help getting set up to take the course, please email David milnerd@nvdpl.ca

TEDxNorthShoreVancouver COUNTDOWN

Countdown is a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action. The goal: To build a better future by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 in the race to a zero-carbon world – a world that is safer, cleaner and fairer for everyone. To make progress on climate action we need to collaborate on a global scale, and our community has a role to play.

Communities around the world are joining the Countdown initiative. North Vancouver City Library, North Vancouver District Public Library, and West Vancouver Memorial Library have come together to present a two-day virtual event that can be watched online at home with your family and friends.

More than 50 speakers, in five curated session, streamed live to your computer will combine TED’s signature blend of actionable and research-backed ideas, cutting-edge science, and moments of wonder and inspiration. Starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 16 join us for an interactive experience with other like-minded members of your community. Join in the chat, share ideas and stories, win prizes and commit to the “Count Us In” initiative. Turn fear into action . . . . and join the COUNTDOWN!

Session 3: Transformation

Transforming big systems is a huge task. Energy, transportation, industry and infrastructure all pose their own challenges. And yet that transformation is already happening. The experts in this session will show how and where and offer powerful ideas for accelerating it: developing an economy without coal, decarbonizing fossil fuels, electrifying mobility and more.

What you’ll need: A computer with microphone (or headphones) and webcam for Zoom; or your smartphone/tablet. We will email you the Zoom link in advance of the event. We will be using Zoom Meetings, so your mic and video will be turned off when you enter the event.

Registration required. Register online or call 604-984-0286, ext. 8144.