027.471 meets 641.874 The Toronto Public Library Foundation aims to recruit a younger set of donors with the New Collection, a membership program for Torontonians under 40. The $300 solo membership ($500 duo) provides members with invitations to special events throughout the year (or, as the National Post puts it, “parties and booze”), after-hours tours of library collections, a charitable tax receipt and a sense of supporting something fundamental to Toronto’s cultural and intellectual life. Oh, and a special edition membership card.

But do they taste like snozberry? The Royal Mail has released a set of special issue stamps in tribute to Roald Dahl, featuring illustrations by Quentin Blake. They can be purchased online, but it might be more fun to find yourself a UK-based penpal to send you a series of Matilda and BFG bedecked letters.

Making The Joy of Books If you were as charmed as we were by The Joy of Books, a Q and A with the video’s creator, Sean Ohlenkamp, gets into some of what it took to put it all together. And for those feeling not just awed but also inspired, the NFB has just released an iPad app for making stop-motion films. The app was originally designed for use by school-aged children, so likely it’s user-friendly enough for the rest of us.

Shopping at the library Selfridges has opened a pop-up “library” in London (books can be perused at leisure in the store, but cannot be borrowed and taken home) as a part of their Words Words Words initiative. Of the venture, Selfridges creative head Linda Hewson says, “Reading is such a rewarding way to learn, but also to escape. In a world where communications are taking place faster and faster and beautiful and powerful language is being used less and less, we wanted to help reignite the value and pleasure behind language, literature and books.” With luck, a focus on the value and pleasure of reading ignited by this temporary library will remind shoppers that such glorious institutions exist in permanent (one hopes) form, to be enjoyed (and borrowed from) regularly. Related: a Paris Review essay on the pairing of books and retail.

Slamming into Vancouver The Toronto Poetry Slam‘s qualifying Slam for the Vancouver International Poetry Festival is this Tuesday, January 17th, at 8 pm (doors at 7). Supermarket, 268 Augusta Ave, $5.