Books & Beyond
Learn about the wide range of services we offer to our community.
The Craft Tool Library is a variety of small craft equipment available for borrowing through the Library!
Explore tools for fiber crafts, jewelry-making, scrapbooking, baking (cake pans) and more!
To see what’s in our collection, simply search our online catalogue using the term: ‘craft tool’. You can borrow items just like you would a book with your library card!
Although the collection is small at the moment, it will expand through donations and fundraising efforts.
And watch our website for information on upcoming crafting workshops!
The Seed Library is a joint program of Merrickville Public Library and Sustainable Merrickville-Wolford to provide free vegetable, herb and flower seeds to the community.
Find out more about the Seed Library here
Our customizable Literacy Kits are now on the shelf!
This collection includes a take-home reading assessment tool and parent guide, along with a variety of structured phonics-based books and review tools that focus on letter sounds, short and long vowels, CVC words, blends, etc.
Materials are structured to help build skills, but customizable so you can focus on the areas your child needs most. If you want to help your child with their reading, but aren’t sure how, check out our Literacy Kits!
The collection also includes a selection of decodable books that range from beginning readers to high interest-low reading level chapter books for older students. Look for the decodable sticker on this collection!
These books were purchased thanks to a grant from IDA Ontario (the International Dyslexia Association Ontario branch) and a donation from the Merrickville Lions Club!
What are decodable books?
Decodable books are an important part of a structured literacy approach to reading instruction. Structured Literacy is a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction that research has shown is effective for all students and essential for students with dyslexia.
Decodable books and text contain words made of letter-sounds and spelling patterns (e.g. prefixes & suffixes) that a student has been taught. To make the text more readable, a small number of high-frequency words that have more difficult or unexpected spellings, such as ‘the’, ‘my’, ‘was’ are also used. As a student learns new parts of the alphabetic code the vocabulary used in the text expands to include these.
Decodable readers vs. leveled readers
Decodable text is different from ‘leveled readers’. With leveled readers, children rely on cues in the text or accompanying pictures to guess unknown words, and/or memorize a list of the most common words found in print. Decodable text provides reading practice using the knowledge of letter-sounds that are taught explicitly in a scaffolded approach. Using decodable text in the earlier stages of literacy instruction is specially important for students with dyslexia (or any struggling reader).
Reading decodable text helps students build fluency and gain confidence as they become proficient with word-level reading. Eventually, when most of the code has been explicitly taught, students will be able to read regular, more authentic texts. Decodable books are only needed until the student has mastered the code; after that, they can read anything!
Find more information and resources at www.idaontario.com
Do you know the radon level in your home?
Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the ground and is found in every home – sometimes at elevated levels. Radon can build up to levels that Health Canada considers to be dangerous, particularly when Canadian homes are sealed up against the cold weather. Find out more about Radon here.
Over time, exposure to elevated levels of radon can cause lung cancer. In fact, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
What can you do?
Test your home. The Library lends Radon Detectors that you can use at home to test your levels.
To find out more about our Lending program, please Contact the Library .
Thank you to Simon Air Quality for donating radon detectors to the Library for our community.
French Books for Kids
The Library has a varied collection of French books for kids and youth including:
- picture books
- board books
- early readers
- chapter books
- graphic novels
- and non-fiction
Thank you to the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) for donating books to update and expand our collection.
French Books for Adults
The Library has a small visiting collection of French books for adults that changes in Jan, Apr, July, and Oct.
See our current selection
Museum & park passes, MAPsacks
The library lends Family Museum Passes in partnership with the following museums:
SUMMER 2025:
- Upper Canada Village (Morrisburg)
- Fort Henry (Kingston)
ALL YEAR ROUND:
- The National Gallery of Canada
- The Museum of Nature
- The Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Museum of Civilization)
- The Canada Museum of Science and Technology
- The Canada Agriculture Museum
- The Canada Aviation and Space Museum
- The Canada War Museum
- The Ottawa Museum Network local history museums [Currently suspended]
- Note: the Aquatarium Pass is no longer available (pass program has been suspended)
Family pass allows 5 people (max. 2 adults) to visit the museum.
Members can borrow a family pass for 1 week.
For more information about Museum passes, contact the library »
“MAPsacks”
Borrow a MAPsack! MAPsacks help families to get outside, explore and move!
A MAPsack is a backpack containing stories, nature guides, activity sheets, a logbook, and a free family pass to enjoy the Rideau Valley Conservation Areas OR Ontario Parks.
Merrickville Public Library currently has MAPsacks about:
- Camoflage
- Ladybugs
- Snails & Shells
- Trees (from the Merrickville & District Trails Society)
- Rivers (from the Merrickville & District Trails Society)
MAPsacks are a rotating collection between libraries – check back to see what’s new!
MAPsacks were created by the Leeds-Grenville Stewardship Council and Rideau Lakes Public Library, as part of the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Healthy Community Partnership.
Public access computers
The library offers 8 public access computers with High-Speed Internet Access and word processing software (etc.) for adults and youth. We also offer a tablet with educational games for younger children.
The Library offers Wireless Internet Access 24/7 – inside & outside the building!
Computer Training
Computer Training may be available by appointment. General assistance always on hand! Contact the library for a free tutorial – an introduction to the computer, internet use and/or the software available. Tutorials are very informal and usually one-to-one.
Print/Copy/Scan/Fax
The Library offers printing (black & white and colour), copying (black & white only), and fax service (sending only).
A scanner is also available for public use.
PRINTING CHARGES:
- B&W printing: 10¢/page
- Colour printing: 25¢ – $1.00/page
PHOTOCOPY CHARGES:
- Copies: 10¢/ page
FAX CHARGES:
- FAX (Sent): no charge within North America, but donations are appreciated.
SCANNER CHARGES:
- No charge for scanner use.
Interlibrary loans
If we don’t have the item you’re looking for, we can try to borrow it from another library for you!
Contact the Library with your Interlibrary Loan request »
NOTE: Interlibrary Loans must be requested by the Library. New releases, high demand titles, and audio-visual materials may not be available for Inter-Library Loan.
Genealogy & local history collection
GENEALOGY
- The Library has a large collection of genealogical information for area families, and some cemetery & census info – compiled & donated by Alice Hughes – as well as histories of many local industries, area settlements & the Canal, plus historical maps and more!
LOCAL HISTORY
- The Merrickville & District Historical Society’s digitized archive collection can be searched at the library.
Email your genealogy and/or local history inquiries to merrickville_library@bellnet.ca »
Meeting room & study space
The Library’s meeting room is available for use by community groups on an occasional or ongoing basis during library hours. The Library also has spaces for work or study.
The meeting room can accommodate up to 24 people (fewer if using tables). A projector is available for use in the room.
- There is no charge for community groups to use the meeting room.
- Agencies or businesses may rent the meeting room for a fee.
- Note: the meeting room cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Contact the library to book the meeting room or for more information »
Accessible Services
Learn how we make our collection, services and facilities accessible to patrons with disabilities.