You can read all about and register for our programs online here. Calgary Public Library programming is currently happening online, with plans to begin some in-person programs at select locations April 4.
Hit, Bang, and Crash as we dive into the world of opera! Experience the multicultural world of drums from West Africa to Europe with plenty in between. Join a Calgary Opera...
Read more about "Opera 212: Drum Rhythms of Opera"Growing up near Fish Creek Library, Lindsay Hracs would visit the pyramidal building often. “It’s just somewhere I always gravitated to,” she says.Through university — a bachelor’s and master’s degree in linguistics — Lindsay would travel out of her way to study at the Library. Today, Lindsay is a PhD candidate in linguistics, and Fish Creek Library continues to be an important part of her life.It’s now where Lindsay volunteers with the Library’s Learning Advantage program, helping an adult learner. Over weekly meetups in Fish Creek Library’s breakout rooms, Lindsay and her learner work towards her learner’s goal of attending university.These days, they’re reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and working on information processing. When the pair was matched three years ago, the learner was getting by in daily life but struggling with reading and writing."There’s so much stigma around not having perfect literacy skills that the acknowledgment of needing help is a huge hurdle in itself," Lindsay says.Patricia Stephenson, Learning Advantage Program Coordinator, says people are often shocked to learn how prevalent low literacy rates are. Data from Statistics Canada shows that 17% of adults in Canada are essentially illiterate, scoring at level one or below on a system with five proficiency levels.Through one-on-one coaching and support, volunteers with the free Learning Advantage program help others. Lindsay has seen her learner’s literacy skills — as well as her independence and confidence — blossom.For Lindsay, the meetups have become a favourite part of her week. "When you have a personal connection with someone and you can help them meet their goals, it’s just so worth it," she says.While Lindsay brings a deep interest in language and the mind to the volunteer role, such a background is not necessary."Anyone who has time and enjoys books and reading can do this, and I think they should do it," Lindsay says. "It’s awesome."If you’d like to join the Library’s team of youth or adult volunteers,
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Lindsay Hracs Helping others meet their goals inspires Lindsay to volunteer"What will you do? Volunteers help Library patrons learn and practice computer skills in a one-on-one environment, including (but not limited to) the use of the Internet, software applications, coding, social media, and mobile devices. Learning looks different for every patron and may take place on Library PCs, Chromebooks, or the patron’s own personal devices. Program Length: 1.5 to two hours What’s in it for you? Meet new people and explore new opportunities Help individuals develop their technology skills Have fun and contribute to your community Develop leadership, problem-solving, communication, and time management skills
Read more about "What will you do? What’s in it for you?"What kind of bug are you? How many nymphs will you have? Which ecosystem services will you provide? Roll the dice and see how many resources you can collect by the end of the...
Read more about "Come Play the Buggy Game of Life!"What will you do? Help us organize and host fun community events at your local library! Volunteers assist with various special event duties including helping presenters, greeting and/or directing attendees, helping with activities, and set up and tear down. This is a youth and an adult volunteer opportunity. Program Length: Ongoing What’s in it for you? Meet new people and explore new opportunities Bring joy and fun to the community Have fun and contribute to your community Develop interpersonal, leadership, problem-solving, communication, and time management skills
Read more about "What will you do? What’s in it for you?"Volunteer Qualifications Passion for numeracy Friendly and able to interact with children Non-judgmental Good problem solving skills Physical range of mobility and flexibility to conduct activities with children Volunteer Responsibilities Support program goals Help participants one-on-one to complete quests Provide encouragement to children and parents Complete an orientation and training session Ensure a positive, comfortable and fun learning environment Abide by the Volunteer Standards of Conduct
Read more about "Volunteer Qualifications Volunteer Responsibilities"Get help planning lessons, or take your class on a trip to the Library.
Read more about "Educators"Students, teachers, and families can find everything they need to succeed this back to school season.
Read more about "Back to learning!"Whether you’re a job seeker, or trying to start a business of your own, the
Read more about "Realize your potential with help from the Library."MEDIA RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 18, 2019Calgary Public Library is proud to host Red Dress Day at Central Library on Tuesday, November 19 in partnership with Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society. The day is to raise awareness of the ongoing national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). Event attendees will have the opportunity to meet with Awo Taan staff and community advocates with a personal connection to MMIWG and be invited to take part in a Red Dress Workshop."This event will bring people from across all cultures to engage in meaningful conversations and promote awareness,” says Josie Nepinak, Executive Director, Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society.A Red Dress Workshop invites Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to sit and create a small felt doll with a red dress. Each red dress is made is to represent a missing or murdered love one. A red dress can also represent one’s support of immediate action to address this crisis. The red dress dolls are part of a growing exhibition that will be displayed at select Calgary Public Library locations in 2020.“The Library strives to be a safe space where meaningful conversations take place and community happens. I applaud Awo Taan for their Red Dress Campaign and we are proud to partner with them on this event in the hope that it will promote cross-cultural awareness, provide healing and comfort, and help fight racism,” says Mark Asberg, CEO, Calgary Public Library.Event Schedule11:00 am Opening Prayer and Remarks12:00 – 2:00 pm Red Dress WorkshopRed Dress Day at Central Library is a free, drop-in event. While the event is all-ages, there may be some sensitive subject matter. Emotional support staff will be on-site and trained facilitators will lead the workshop. Event details are available here.For more information on the Red Dress Campaign, visit awotaan.org.About Awo TaanThe Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society is dedicated to supporting the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual healing and wellbeing of women during their time of crisis and beyond. The shelter offers a full range of in-house crisis and outreach crisis, healing, prevention programs, Youth programs, Parent Link, Family wellness centre. Awo Taan provides wholistic support and guidance to women and children and families from all cultures.About MMIWGMMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and Girls) is a national crisis that requires the public’s awareness and engagement. Indigenous women and girls are at higher risk and over-represented in sexual exploitation and trafficking compared to non-Indigenous populations.The plight of Indigenous women and girls in Canada has gained international attention and in 2015, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women called on Canada to launch an inquiry and noted its “failure to provide adequate and effective responses” to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.An RCMP report, released in 2014 determined there were 1,017 homicides of Indigenous women between 1980 and 2012, revealing a rate of about 2.6 deaths a month. However, the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls noted that the 2014 RCMP report likely underestimated the true number. The inquiry also noted that Alberta had the highest number of MMWIG cases between 2015-2019. About the Red Dress CampaignOriginating from The REDress Project, as an aesthetic response, the Red Dress has become an international symbol for MMIWG. The Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society launched the Red Dress Campaign earlier this year to provide support and awareness workshops to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Community outreach has included providing trained support workers to help those affected to share their stories in the hope that it will create a stronger call to action for all Canadians to address this urgent crisis.The Calgary Public Library has partnered with Awo Taan on the November 19 public workshop and will display the final red dress exhibition in 2020. The Red Dress Campaign is funded by Alberta Culture and Tourism.Calgary Public Library Calgary Public Library, with 740,000 members and 21 locations, has been inspiring the life stories of Calgarians for more than 100 years. It is currently the second largest library system in Canada and the sixth largest municipal library system in North America, with Calgarians borrowing more than 14.4 million physical and digital items and with 6.9 million in-person visits last year. The awe-inspiring 240,000 sq. ft. new Central Library — the newest gathering place for our city — opened on November 1, 2018.- 30 -Media Contact:Mary KapustaDirector, CommunicationsCalgary Public Library 403.774.7256mary.kapusta@calgarylibrary.ca
Read more about "Stories Red Dress Day Comes to Central Library on November 19"As Central Library approaches its second birthday on November 1, 2020, six Central Library patrons, visitors, and staff share their stories of the space, and reflect on how the community has made it their own in the two years since opening. Want to share your own Library Story with us? Submit it here.John Warkentin “Central is important to me because I read a lot of fiction and it’s a convenient location for me. Going to a public place for free and finding knowledge or finding a quiet moment and rest — lots of people come here just for a quiet moment and that’s a beautiful thing.” Elizabeth Cheme “Central Library is a really nice location. I love the architecture and how they mixed wood at the entrance. This is great place for me to meet my clients because I don’t work out of an office. I have also used one of its recording studios to record a video for a client because he didn’t have a budget to pay for a professional videographer and studio, so we made the video using the resources here. "The Library is important to me because it made me feel like I was not alone. When I came to Canada five years ago, I was still learning English, but the Library felt welcoming and safe. I was able to meet new people and find new ways to be creative. I even took a small business program which inspired me to become an entrepreneur. Right now, I’m running my own business as a marketing consultant and I’m here today doing some marketing research through the Central Library. The Library provides you with the tools to improve yourself. I like to check out DVDs that cover topics like self-awareness and empowerment, especially for women. This is the best place to get involved and even learn about Canadian culture.” René Kamguem “I visited the first day that Central opened, or maybe a few days before the opening, because I was volunteering with the Library. The architecture is very good, I really like it. The new Library is bigger and there is more space for people. There are lots of activities and events for everyone.” Hailey Mckevitt “I didn’t know about Central Library until I started nannying and the need sort of came. I started looking for nearby libraries and which locations were near the train line. I visit with the kids to help them choose their books — it’s become a big part of our time together. The kids really enjoy it. Books are a huge part of their learning and of their life. It allows them to generate their imagination and it’s nice to be able to have a new selection of books for them to enjoy.” Yusra Said “My first visit was actually two weeks ago. Central Library is very beautiful, has a lot of open space and open light so it doesn’t feel crowded, especially during this pandemic. And I really like the services. It’s a really supportive environment. I don’t have a printer at home so that’s one of the main services I use here. The other thing I use the Library for is sitting in this open space — it’s a different environment from working from home online. It’s really nice to be in an open space with other people. And Central has this beautiful view of the city from inside the Library.” Mark Schultz “I’d say Central Library has improved a lot and we are always working on new programs and different ways to serve the public. There was a bit of an adjustment with the move but it’s a beautiful space and has good people. I love the people here; the staff members and the patrons are wonderful. And we have some lovely art pieces around the Library!”
Read more about "Stories Six Library Patrons Reflect on Central Library ahead of Second Birthday"Calgary, AB – The Calgary Public Library is piloting a new service in partnership with Wood’s Homes to deliver mental health support for vulnerable patrons facing mental health challenges and addictions. The Wellness Desk at Central Library will provide free, professional mental health care and community referrals in real-time.“The Library is evolving to meet the needs of our city during an unprecedented mental health crisis, one which has worsened due to a pandemic,” says Mark Asberg, CEO for Calgary Public Library. “The Wellness Desk will offer a welcoming, safe, and discreet opportunity for all members of the community to seek help with mental health concerns or issues.”Central Library was chosen to host the pilot due to its centralized location, volume of visitors, and the high-needs population it serves. The Wellness Desk will provide an accessible and critical resource for those who may require immediate, specialized care while on Library premises, or those looking for information and referrals to other services. Any Library visitor will be able to take advantage of the no-cost services the Wellness Desk provides.The Wellness Desk will be staffed by mental health professionals from Wood’s Homes. They will deliver their expertise and care on behalf of patrons and their loved ones who were confronting challenges before COVID-19, help address the significant demand for support as a result of the pandemic and provide general mental health and addictions guidance.“Wood’s Homes is proud to be providing mental health services at the Central Library’s new Wellness Desk,” says Bjorn Johansson, CEO for Wood’s Homes. “Service accessibility and immediacy are contributors to improved mental health, especially in these times when many of us need and help and support. We have a longstanding reputation with the community and see this opportunity as another step in ensuring that Calgarians know we are here to help.”The pilot at Central Library will run from October 6 to December 31, 2020. The Wellness Desk will operate on a drop-in basis during afternoon and early evening hours on weekdays and weekends, adjusting service times to meet the needs of the public.For further details, visit calgarylibrary.ca/wellness.Calgary Public LibraryCalgary Public Library, with 740,000 members and 21 locations, has been inspiring the life stories of Calgarians for more than 100 years. Calgarians borrowed more than 15 million physical and digital items and visited the Library seven million times last year.Wood’s HomesWood’s Homes has long served the mental health needs of Calgarians effectively and with diligence. As a non-profit mental health centre, they provide 40+ programs and services to 20,000 children and their families annually.Media Contact:Shae PollockAccount ManagerEdelman403.817.0632 ext. 5181shae.pollock@edelman.comSylvia MacIverCommunications ManagerWood’s Homes403.270.1768sylvia.maciver@woodshomes.ca
Read more about "Stories Calgary Library Pilots Free Mental Health Services with New Wellness Desk"What will you do? Lead one-hour tours of the Central Library. Tours occur weekday mornings and afternoons along with limited evening and weekend tours. Central Library Tours cover the stories, brief history, and services of the Central Library, as well as the architectural advances and features of the building. Program Length: Two- to three- hour shifts What’s in it for you? Develop interpersonal, leadership, problem-solving, communication, and time management skills Gain experience in public speaking and facilitation Meet new people Have fun and contribute to your community
Read more about "What will you do? What’s in it for you?"Volunteer Qualifications Strong interpersonal and communication skills Able to carry Library materials Have your own transportation A genuine interest in volunteering with the elderly and sharing the love of reading with others Ability to work effectively with diverse populations Volunteer Responsibilities Select, deliver and return Library materials to homebound individuals Consult with your homebound patron to arrange for mutually convenient meeting times Maintain regular contact with Library staff to discuss the homebound patron’s needs Participate in the program for a minimum of one year
Read more about "Volunteer Qualifications Volunteer Responsibilities"