By: Rachel Almuli
While most of the student body is familiar with the school library as a place for lunchtime socializing or last-minute printing, few actually dare venture into the bookshelves that lay just a few feet away. Many of the teachers at FHCI have given lessons on how to use the library as a resource for researching assignments, but there is little focus overall on all the books in the library that can be read simply for enjoyment, instead of skimmed through once to be added as an extra source in a works cited. Here are just a few different sections worth checking out.
White Pine Books
For those who want to read more novels but are intimated by the library shelves and unsure what books would be good picks, the White Pine reading program is a solid place to start. It’s a collection of 10 books picked by the Ontario Library Association each year that are written by Canadian authors and have been met with widely positive feedback. Translation: there’s a good chance you’ll like at least a couple of them. This year the White Pine books include a supernatural ghost story, a few funny coming-of-age novels, and an epic warrior-fantasy. They can be found on display in the shelves next to the printers, and Mr. Parkes is the one to ask for questions.
Medical Stuff Books
In case you ever wanted to know more about birth defects, healthy living, or mental illnesses from a place other than WebMD, there’s a section in the library for it. A number of the books on mental illness are up on display in a different part of the library but over in section 613 (the first bookshelves after the wall on the side closest to the door) there’s a whole selection of books about all the interesting and weird stuff bodies do, as well as some informational resources on things like asthma for those who have questions and want a more concrete source than Wikipedia.
Standouts: Encyclopedia of The Genetic Disorders and Birth Defects by James Wynbrandt and Mark D. Ludman, The Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies II by Sid Kirchheimer
Jobs and Finance Books
Looking for a summer job? No idea what kind of career you want, or will be a solid choice for the future? Want to know how money works in a way that actually affects your life? There’s a book for that. Actually, there are several. The farthest shelf in the first row after the wall, right across from the teen help books display, is an entire section of books on jobs and learning about all the practical things adults need to know about money. Those who are trying to plan their futures and figure out what they want to do after high school might want to take a look and see if this section sparks any ideas.
Standouts: The Canadian Summer Job Directory third edition, Best Jobs for the 21st Century third edition by Michael Farr
Food and Gardening Guides
There are also a number of books in the library focused on recipes, edible plant gardening, and just food in general. They are worth checking out in case anyone wants to try their hand at gardening with Ontario-specific guides or try cooking new foods using a recipe found in something that doesn’t automatically go to sleep if you don’t want to touch the keyboard with sticky hands every five minutes. Those interested can find them on the second shelf from the wall, close to the Mac lab.
Standouts: Gardening Month by Month in Ontario by Alison Beck, Cholesterol-Free Cakes and Cookies by Mabel Cavaliani, Cheap Eating by Pat Edwards