Those of you who missed out on January's AI workshop at KDPL - now's your chance to catch up!

I'll be doing the same workshop at Barry's Bay, at the Madawaska Valley Public Library this Saturday March 28th, from 12pm - 1pm.

No signup necessary, it's a drop in session intended for all ages.

See my earlier post for topics and other details: https://killaloe.university/ai-workshop/

It's budget season in Renfrew County! That's when the year's revenues and expenses are planned, discussed, debated and finalized.

It is very important for all ratepayers to know where their tax dollars go, how they fund the various municipal services, and how provincial/federal grants and other revenue sources affect the yearly budget.

To make this easier, we've built a simple budget visualizer for all municipalities in Renfrew County: https://beavertale.ca/localbudget/

Not only does it visualize the 2025 budget (or 2026 draft budget if available), it also lets you enter your property tax amount to give you a sense of how those dollars are split between various municipal services or reserves.

We encourage all of you to try this out and hopefully gain more insight into how your property taxes are spent by your municipality.

If you have feedback, questions or comments, please feel free to contact us.

Tomorrow at the Killaloe Library we'll be learning about the basics of AI, what makes LLMs different from previous versions of AI, and what are some benefits and disadvantages that come with it. We'll touch upon common questions about environmental impacts, social impacts, and some common pitfalls of AI usage, as well as how AI could be useful in everyday life and business.

There will also be a live demo of various free AI tools, followed by a group exercise where we'll try to distinguish between creative works that are AI made vs human made.

You will also be able to try out the library's "Book Of Infinite Non-Knowledge", an AI powered device you can converse with about any topic that interests you, in any language you prefer.

This is a free, drop-in program. People of all ages are welcome to attend.

See you there! 🤖

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Whether for good or bad, AI has been on the news, all over the internet and on everyone's minds in 2025.

What is AI? How does it work? Is it good or bad? Does it use 20 gallons of water whenever someone asks it a question? Can it cure cancer? Is AI just three software engineers in a trenchcoat? Will AI replace all the workers and artists in the future?

Chances are, you've been wondering some of these things yourself.

Join us at the Killaloe Library on Saturday Jan 17 from 12pm - 1pm for an AI workshop and info session where you can find out more and experience AI first hand.

At this session you will be able to experience the capabilities and incapabilities of state-of-the-art AI, hear about some of the risks and challenges that come with such technology, and gain some clarity to ask the right questions.

Join us for Astronomy In Action - An interactive journey through space, an immersive planetarium experience right here in Barry's Bay!

Happening this June 6 2025 @ PJYCC Barry's Bay Arena! Tickets $10 per person.

Family Show: 5pm

Teens (14+) and Adults show: 6pm

Pickup tickets at the Barry's Bay Library or Madawaska Valley Library. (etransfers to be sent to admin@madawaskavalleylibrary.ca)

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We will be doing a rerun of the 3D printing workshop for those who weren't able to attend the March sessions.

This will be a one day session on Saturday April 26, 11:30am - 12:30pm at the Killaloe Library

See this post for more details and RSVP below.

We're at capacity for March 8 & 22, thanks to your overwhelming responses! Please join the waitlist for April. A date will be announced if there's enough interest.

What is 3D Printing?

The process of making three dimensional objects using molten plastic filament is called 3D printing. The 3D printer at KDPL supports up to 4 colors at a time, and can print objects upto 10 cubic inches.

3D printers use special software that takes a 3D model file (filename ends with .3mf or .stl) and converts the model into thin 0.4mm slices stacked on top of each other.

The shape data for each slice is sent to the printer & the printer extrudes molten plastic filament through a heated nozzle to trace each “slice” onto a metal bed that allows the plastic to solidify slowly, while the next slice gets printed onto it. These slices are stacked vertically on top of one other to replicate the shape of the original 3D object.

Using this method, almost any 3D shape can be produced, leading to a variety of practical and artistic possibilities. Print accessories, keychains, toys, craft supplies and so much more. You can find readily available 3D models in places like makerworld.com that can be printed within a couple hours. You can also 3D print extensive projects in multiple parts.

While there are advanced 3D printer systems that can handle industrial materials such as ABS and Steel, the one we have at KDPL is limited to PLA and PETG materials.

However, they are perfect for a wide range of fun printables, from superhero figurines to working miniature jet engines, Christmas tree ornaments to pumpkin lanterns, planters, vases, birdhouses, electronic accessories, etc. Everyone is welcome to check out the printer at the library and grab a 3D printed object from our collection (for sale by donation).

Also, you can bring your own 3D models to be printed at the library. Use of the 3D printer is priced according to the print duration.

Here's a rough idea for how long 3D printing takes:

< 2hrs - bookmarks, earrings, accessories, keychains, small toys

2-5hrs - small planters, toys, ornaments, fidgets & tools

>5hrs - large or detailed objects and multiprints, planters, large toys and life size props

Hope everyone's staying warm, as the Snow Moon over-delivers on its promise this week!

It's time for another astronomy club meetup, the first one this year.

Date updated due to clouds & rain: On Tuesday March 11 @ 7:30pm - 8:30pm we will be at the Wilno Scenic Lookout point on Shrine Hill Drive, looking up at Jupiter, Mars and possibly Venus if we get a clear horizon.

Hope to see you all there!

If you hear the wolves howling a little louder this month, it is because the Thunder Moon is upon us!

This month's Astronomy meetup is happening on July 21st, 10pm-11pm at the Killaloe Pathways Park. Let us revisit our favorite moon craters and see if we can catch some earlybirds from the upcoming Perseides meteor shower too!

This May, we are excited to take a closer look at the Flower Moon!

This month's Astronomy meetup is happening on May 23, 9pm-11pm at the Killaloe Pathways Park.
We'll be aiming our telescopes at the craters of the Moon, as well as any planets that are visible that night.

Snacks will be provided by Nala's Kitchen.

Hope to see you all there!

Update: Thanks to everyone who made it. The Flower Moon gave us quite a show!

What better night to kick off the Killaloe University Astronomy Meetup than right after a splendid once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse!

Join us at Killaloe Pathways Park from 9pm - 11pm, where we'll be looking at the planets and stars, sharing stories of our solar eclipse experiences.

Bring your own sky gazing equipment or check out Killaloe Public Library's three new telescopes in action.

Every classroom at Killaloe Public School and St. Andrew's School received a set of astronomy books and solar glasses for all the kids. This initiative by the Killaloe Public Library aims to ensure that everyone has a safe opportunity to view the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8 2024.

While Killaloe will not be in the path of totality, we will still enjoy a partial eclipse for over a 2 hour period, at the peak of which we will see around 98% occlusion for a few minutes.

Killaloe Public Library also has a borrowable travel-friendly telescope and two advanced telescopes dedicated for Astronomy meetups.

As the nights start to get warmer and clearer, get out there and look up at the stars!

Killaloe University is a community learning initiative made by and for Killaloe and area locals.

We are a valley full of both knowledgeable and curious minds. When we share our knowledge with our community, everybody benefits from it for many years to come.

Killaloe University aims to connect members of the community by offering them ways to organize interest based meetups, educational videos, demos, newsletters and other innovative ideas to engage with the community in a meaningful way.

If you'd like to participate or learn more, please sign up and you'll be notified as we add more programs and events.