People understand the world through stories. They are where we find purpose, delight, and hope. Stories also help us build a better future.
For over a century, Calgary Public Library has helped shape our city by celebrating and supporting your story. A story that includes your family, your first job, your career, your homework, and even your first words.
Today, we are starting a new, transformational chapter as we invite you to help us write the story of the Library of 2040. Building the future of our Library means imagining the city in which we wish to live together — and bringing it to life.
Our plans are ambitious and they are rooted in measurable community impact for every Calgarian. Our community deserves beautiful, welcoming spaces and new ideas that challenge and inspire, with fun and joy along the way.
We are proud to be your public library. With our 2027 – 2030 Strategic Plan, we are taking big steps towards 2040 by responding to the needs of today and collaborating with our community to create a better tomorrow. To do that, Calgary Public Library must grow. We need more spaces, more technology, and, most of all, more books.
I want every Calgarian to be a reader because reading is where every great story — your story and our story — begins.
Big dreams start with community. You’ve been part of our past and present, now join us for what comes next.
Driven by values of curiosity, collaboration, and equity and belonging, Calgary Public Library launched its 2027 – 2030 Strategic Plan, with a future-oriented twist. For the first time, the Library is setting out a long-term horizon beyond the plan period, writing the story of a library system for the future of our city.
Social connection and understanding begins with curiosity. We embrace diversity of thought to challenge assumptions, hear new voices, and bring creativity to our work.
We seek to know the needs and dreams of our community.
Collaboration begins with listening to our members, partners, teams, and peers. Meaningful engagement ensures that we deliver impactful public service.
We build trust and credibility through collaboration.
Equity in opportunities, resources, and treatment will lead to dignity and belonging for all. We recognize and honour our differences by acting with integrity, reducing barriers, and creating welcoming spaces.
We must know our past so we can build a better future that benefits all.
Our obligation is to protect your intellectual freedom. We have a professional responsibility to provide you with the resources, tools and spaces to access information freely while respecting your choice and privacy.
By listening to, learning from, and building reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities, we strive to share and celebrate Indigenous culture, knowledge, and stories. We have a responsibility to tell the history of Residential Schools in Canada and hope to honour First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in our work
Our culture of innovation ensures that people and place are always at the centre of what we do. We deliver bold local solutions that make us a leader for public libraries. We improve, transform, and grow by bringing innovation – big and small – into our work every day.
We are building a Library not just for today and tomorrow, but for years to come. Calgary is evolving into a modern, globally connected city and the Library is growing and innovating right alongside it, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Learn how we are growing your public library system in Calgary.
Library staff are motivated by helping others.
We are skilled in information navigation, critical thinking, technology troubleshooting, and possess strong cultural competency.
We engage visitors in a multilingual environment that reflects the diversity of Calgary.
Library spaces are intentional and create a supporting atmosphere for our services.
Calgarians will experience our spaces as welcoming, flexible, and biophilic. A minimum of 40% of space supports collaboration and learning activities.
By creating at least 200,000 net new square feet of library space, the goal of operating 0.3 square feet per capita will be met by 2040.
Our Collections are our most used and impactful service. Calgarians will use Library Collections as a primary source of information and learning that generates deeper community engagement and empathy.
Members will have access to increasingly diversified resources, growing to a minimum of two items per capita. With projected population growth, total circulation approaches 30 million by 2040.
Technology services are powerful in building skills and knowledge but are more critical, indeed essential, in facilitating equitable access to resources and in connecting to other community service providers.
We will engage with and steward emerging technologies purposefully to benefit our work and the needs of our users. Library technology will be immersive and adaptive, and our work will drive digital equity and literacy.
Experiences create community and inspire you to realize your potential. Library-curated experiences focus on literacy, creativity, skill building, equitable access, and supporting youth.
Additional event and program capacity, population growth, and higher patron engagement results in annual visits approaching 18 million by 2040.
