Quick Update

I haven't blogged in awhile, and from now on I'll be updating it more frequently. As of now the branch I volunteer at, Northern District, is undergoing renovations. The renovations, if they go as schedule will be completed by the end of the month. Otherwise, I'm attempting to organize a banquet for all Toronto volunteers to attend. If you are interested, or would like more details, go to the chessinthelibrary forum, or leave a comment here. The banquet will likely be in a months time. Stay tuned for future updates.

New aspect of Chess in the Library: Teaching

I just wanted to do a quick update about the progress of Chess in the Library. The 17th was supposed to be Deer Park’s opening day but due to the lack of registrants, we had to postpone it. The new starting date is November 7th, the same opening day as Maria Shuka. It’s going to be a big day for Chess in the Library.

But back to the issue about Deer Park. The lack of registrants was extremely puzzling; but it turns out adults frequent that library far more often than children. I’m thinking about slightly adapting our program, and perhaps offer adult based chess activities based out of Deer Park. Adults, let me know if you would be interested, and if you would prefer cfc rated games (perhaps one a week) or blitz? Also, if any of you have any other suggestions, shoot them by me.

Also, and somewhat unfortunate, with the start of the school year we’ve seen drops in the number of participants both at Pleasant View and at Brookbanks. But alas, we do have a solution.

As many rather strong chess players are volunteering for “Chess in the Library”, it seems like we will offer a teaching service. Of course, this will be free of charge, and would comprise of perhaps a 30 min lecture/teaching to whomever interested. When we teach, we will need demo boards, and if anyone knows where to get them cheaply, please let us know at info@chessinthelibrary.com. We assume the teaching will be a big hit, expand our program to new audiences, and will really benefit the children’s chess, who will get to make use of what they learned, and use it in game situations.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned of our progress. Check out Yutong’s blog (http://yutong2009.blogspot.com/) and Yuanling’s blog (http://yuanlingyuan.blogspot.com/) as they have great information the program and our progress.

Third and Fourth Library

After talking about opening a third library for quite some time, those talks turned into reality when we heard that Deer Park Library (located at Yonge and St. Clair) and Northern District (located at Yonge and Eglinton) were interested in the program, and had available rooms! They are opening in October, and January, respectively. Everyone involved with Chess in the Library are pleasantly surprised at how fast this program is growing.

In addition, we are still looking for responsible volunteers who are interested in helping organize the programs. If you live nearby a location that is already open, live near a location opening, or even live too far away from an open/opening library (it’s possible we can open the program at a library closer to you), you can give us a shout at info@chessinthelibrary.com and we will try to arrange a volunteer position for you.

Also, I’d like to welcome Jan Lazo, who is living in Toronto this year, (he moved from Calgary) as he decided to become a volunteer for Chess in the Library. We are extremely pleased to have him join the team of growing volunteers!

Brookbanks, week 10

Yesterday, at Brookbanks, 28 people came to play chess. I am astounded every week of how there are so many kids coming in eager to play chess. Some even helped us set up, and clean up, which was great to see.

This week, there were five volunteers, Xiaohan, Tony, Yuanling, Kevin, and myself, so the program ran pretty smoothly. There was a tie in two sections, so several kids had the opportunity to play a tiebreaker with a chess clock (most for the first time) and they seemed to enjoy it.

The third library should hopefully open soon, but I'm still waiting for Northern District to get back to me. If Northern District doesn't work out, we would try to open one at either Deer Park Library, or Forest Hill.

Third Library

With the Brookbanks, and Pleasant View Library running quite smoothly with a great turnout regularly, I have contacted Northern District (which is at Yonge and Eglinton), where we hope to start the third library. I'm waiting for the program manager to get back to me, to see if there is a room available there on a consistent basis. If Northern District doesn't work out yet, I have many other ideas for libraries near the Yonge and Eglinton area. I will keep you updated.

From One to Another

Tonight, Yutong Luo, Yuanling Yuan, and I visited the Southams, who wished to donate many of Todd’s trophies, several sets and books to the “Chess in the Library” program. The Southams let us know that Todd would have been enthusiastic to support this cause, yet passed away 13 years ago.

The trophies will be engraved in memory of Todd Southam, and will be given to participants who demonstrate excellence in chess. Along with the trophies, which definitely boosts one’s confidence, we plan to give out a brochure with it with some of Todd’s finest games.

The Pleasant View library opens up this Saturday, (Aug 1) and there are many spots left to register, or you can just drop by on Saturday at 10AM.

Welcome

Welcome,

I have recently become Yuanling Yuan’s partner for “Chess in the Library, and I am thrilled! Our shared goal is to bring chess to new heights in Toronto, and broaden its appeal amongst juniors. You can visit Yuanling’s blog at http://yuanlingyuan.blogspot.com/.

Already, we have one library open at Brookbanks, where 30+ players play every week which is amazing! On August 1, we are opening the second library at Pleasant View, and should be a success there as well as we have had many registrations in such a short time. Also, we plan to open the third library closer to downtown, probably around Yonge and Eglinton (right on a subway line).

Finally, as Yuanling and I have discussed, we plan to keep “Chess in the Library” free of charge. However, to do this, we’re going to need donations from people who have the same vision as us. The donations do not have to be large, as small donations certainly add up. Feel free to give us an email at chessinthelibrary@yahoo.com, an email which Yuanling and I will be handling.

I’m writing this blog post from Victoria, where the CYCC (Canadian Youth Chess Championship) starts tomorrow and goes through Friday. I will be back in Toronto on Sunday, a week before the second library opens!

Thanks for reading, and I plan to blog regularly with updates on our progress!