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Civic Engagement and Elections

Ward Boundaries

Civic engagement includes community engagement year round. Let your councillor know if you have a question, concern, or to celebrate something great about your community.

Contact your councillor

Ward map with community libraries
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Municipal Government 101 and School Board Trustees

Do you know the difference between the responsibilities of certain levels of government? Here's a breakdown of municipal responsibilities.

Municipal governments are responsible for? 

  • Building Permits and Zoning
  • Water and Sewer Services
  • City Parks and Recreation
  • Roads and Sidewalks
  • Public Transportation
  • Libraries
  • Local Police
  • Fire Rescue Services
  • Garbage and Recycling
  • Snow Removal
  • Animal Control

Find more information on the municipal election at calgary.ca/election

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Civic and Media Literacy

Access to accurate information is central to being an active citizen in a democratic society.

Be on the lookout for: 

  • Misinformation - false information that is shared, often inadvertently. For example, sharing a social media post that makes false claims without verifying the information.   
  • Disinformation - false information that is created and shared with the direct intention of misleading or manipulating the recipient of the information.  
  • Malinformation - false information that has some basis in fact, but has been removed from its original context, manipulated or exaggerated to be misleading.  

If you’re not sure if something is factual, take a moment to check a second source or do a reverse image search to verify what you’re seeing or reading. 

Check out opportunities at your local Library to learn more and practice identifying mis/disinformation.

Our Impact

At Calgary Public Library, our vision is Potentials Realized and we live that every day by serving the widest range of community members possible. The Library’s benefit to Calgarians is immeasurable as the scale of services respond to the widest range of needs through physical and virtual spaces that prioritize accessibility and nurture a sense of belonging. ​ 

Services directly respond to needs ranging from literacy at all ages and stages, adult foundational life skills, career planning, mental health, digital equity, newcomer supports, small business development, civic engagement, and so much more.  

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Did You Know?

  • We have over 818,000 active members – that’s 58% of Calgarians!
  • We’re growing every day – this year were averaging 365 new members each day and we added 132,000 new members last year
  • Our 22 locations receive over 7 million visits annually
  • The Library provides over 71,000 hours of service annually including seven days a week. 
  • Calgarians are readers – our annual circulation is over 15 million (9.1 million physical / 5.6 million digital)
  • Free printing is one of our most popular services, with over 2.34 million print jobs in 2024
  • We drive digital equity through millions of free Wi-Fi sessions and computer access
  • More than 40,000 students attended one of our Virtual School Learning programs last year
  • Community space matters and our free meeting rooms are popular – with 93 rooms across the city being booked over 84,000 times in a year!

 

A Growing System

As the first public library in Alberta, we are proud to have provided more than 113 years of service to the community. With our highest membership and circulation in our history – we know Calgarians need their Library more than ever and we need to continue growing with you. 

With 22 locations across the city, we maintain over 550,000 square feet of public library space, with another 35,000 to be added before 2028.  Four new locations will open in a few years: Belmont Library, Walden Library, Symons Valley Library, and Skyview Ranch Library. 

 

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