Everyone deserves to feel the love on Valentine's Day, but what about every book? We were wondering which materials in our collection might be feeling a little left out on this special day. One particular read, Cousin Bette by Honoré de Balzac, hadn’t been taken off the shelf in a long while. We couldn’t let this phenomenal read continue to gather dust, so we did what any bibliophile would do. We signed it out for the day and took it on a Valentine’s Day adventure it would never forget!Here's what we got up to on our date with our loneliest Library book.We signed out this read from Alberta’s oldest Library, Memorial Park. Initially, we could see why someone might be hesitant to take this book out on a date. A tale of catastrophe, hatred, and revenge, Cousin Bette doesn’t come across as the most compassionate companion. Could we trust this book to not break our hearts? Well, you know what they say — nothing ventured, nothing gained. We’ve been scorned by many a cliffhanger and plot twist in the past, but we couldn’t let our hopes be dashed and give up on finding our one true book love.We spent some time getting to know each other in the Create Space, checking out all the community crafts and engaging games together. Then we played a couple of board games – Bette’s big vocabulary came in handy when we brought out the Scrabble board.It turns out this classic tale is a fan of classical music, so we signed out a few of the available instruments in the Library’s music practice room and serenaded them.As a token of our affection, we offered Cousin Bette a rose. They promised to treasure it always, even though a rose is not a bookmark.We ended our day with a tour of Central Library, sipping on hot chocolate from the café on the second floor. We could have read Bette for hours in the cozy reading nooks throughout the building.But like all good dates, this too had to come to an end. We walked Cousin Bette to the Central Library book return, knowing Library staff would make sure they got back home to Memorial Park Library safely. They gave us their ISBN number in case we ever wanted to hang out again. Speaking for ourselves, we’d be into a second borrow.Want to romance a book of your own this Valentine’s Day? Search for your perfect match among staff-curated lists on Library shelves, and on Libby.
Read more about "Stories The Loneliest Library Book"Al-Karim Khimji Committee Membership: Board Vice-Chair Term End: 2024 Al-Karim remembers the many hours he spent at Louise Riley, Shaganappi, and Signal Hill libraries as a child, reading books that allowed his imagination to wander. He loved getting lost in the story, language, and characters of the many books by Roald Dahl. Those early days of exploration and excitement at the Library were foundational to Al-Karim and his professional and volunteering journey. His appreciation for the Library further deepened as he began to understand the impact the Library has as a safe place of gathering, learning, and collaboration for all ages and members of the community. He looks forward to contributing to the Library's extensive programming and continuing the positive impact it has on the community.
Read more about "Al-Karim Khimji"Explore the world of animals, important people, and places in easy-to-read articles, images, and videos. You can also solve puzzles while learning fun facts or try out science experiments. World Book Online for Kids is developed expressly for young users.Not sure how to start? Watch the tutorial on Niche Academy: World Book tutorial.
Read more about "Learn about animals, people, and places"Houmou Guiro is no stranger to libraries. She has visited them since she was seven years old, checking out books every few weeks. But when Houmou moved from France to Canada two years ago, she discovered a library system much different than the one she was used to.There were books to read in Calgary’s libraries, plus so much more. Houmou joined an ESL Coffee and Conversation Club to practice her English, and later signed up for an ESL Writing Club. She improved her English skills and met friends at the programs, which helped her to feel more at home in a new city.“The Library in Calgary is very awesome,” Houmou says. “In Paris, you take your books and that’s it. Here, you have services for babies, for newcomers. If you want to open a business, you have services. It’s all free and open and you can take 99 books out.”Houmou credits a resumé development program she took at the Library with helping her get her first job in Canada, at a retail store downtown. “I had a French resumé, but it’s very different how you do it in Canada. So I learned how to do it and got help to improve my resumé,” she says.She now works for a not-profit organization called PIA, which offers services and programs to francophone immigrants and refugees in Calgary. In this role, Houmou tells other newcomers about available services in the city, including all they can do with a free Library card.“I tell them ‘You have to go to the Library! It’s very good. You can take out a lot of books and a lot of everything else too,’” she says.Houmou is also an avid reader, regularly checking out French and English titles. She blogs about the books she’s reading and her life in Canada. Lately she’s been reading a lot of books about entrepreneurship and marketing, as she works on launching her own business: a French tutoring service for kids.When Houmou had her first child, Demba, she took him to a weekly Baby Rhyme Time program. “I didn’t know any English songs, so it was very good for me to meet some parents, talk about our babies, and sing with them in English. It was so cool,” she says.She brings 19-month-old Demba to Louise Riley Library or the new Central Library every few weeks, just as her family used to take her to the Library in France. “We play, we take books out, we read. He likes turning the pages,” she says. “He really likes coming here. I like the Library so much too.”We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories 'It's all free and open and you can take 99 books out' Houmou Guiro's Library Story helped her feel more at home in a new city"Find practice tests for the Canadian citizenship exam, and English language proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEIC and TOEFL.
Read more about "Learning Express"Whether you live right on the edge of Calgary’s city limits and drive to work downtown, or live in the heart of the city and hop on transit to get where you need to go, many Calgarians have a commute to contend with. If that travel time is starting to get you down, don’t worry — you can transform it with these resources, all free with your Library card.AudiobooksIf your drive to work keeps your hands at the wheel, or your walk means keeping an eye out for obstacles, that doesn’t mean you can’t still be catching up on your reading. Library members can stream or download hours of audiobook titles from AudioBookCloud, OverDrive, and Libby to listen to on their way to work.eBooksTired of lugging around books to read on the train or bus? Opt for the ease of an eBook on your phone or tablet. With eBooks from Libby, LitFinder, and a resource just for Alberta eBooks, you can store thousands of great reads right in your pocket. For younger readers, check out BookFlix, Study Buddy, and TumbleBook Library for children’s eBooks.Movies and TV ShowsCan’t find time to watch the latest movies and TV shows? Start and end your day with shows and movies on Kanopy. This Digital Resource offers over 30,000 documentaries, classics, international films, and training videos, including selections from the Criterion Collection, Great Courses, and Frontline series, along with film and TV for kids.Newspapers and MagazinesIf you like to start your day by perusing the morning paper, the Library can help. Use Digital Resources including the New York Times Online, Canadian Newsstream, and PressReader to read news from local and international publications. If magazines are your preference, you can read popular publications with Flipster Online Magazines, and PressReader including People, Macleans, Time, Canadian Geographic, and Vogue.
Read more about "Stories Four Ways to Transform Your Commute with Free Library Resources"From narratives that she loves to guides on living creatively and sharing your art with the world, these titles have helped Natalia develop throughout her artistic practice. As she works on her residency project, they are also key points of reference to inspire her work.
Read more about "Recommended reads from the Children's Illustrator in Residence"What books inspire the artistic practice of Sumin Choi? This list contains titles on artistic processes, emotional journeys and embracing imperfections.
Read more about "Recommended reads from the Children's Illustrator in Residence"Words to know Lateral Reading: V erifying information as you read it. This can be done by leaving the web site and looking at other sites to make sure the original source is reliable and authentic. Critical observation: U sing critical thinking to look more carefully at images and think about where those images were taken. Reverse Image Search: A digital investigative technique used to find the original source of photographs. Geolocation: V erifying the location of online information . Misinformation: I nformation that is inadvertently incorrect and not intended to mis lead people . Disinformation: I nformation and the distribution of information that is deliberately incorrect or deceptive with the intention of spreading a false message . Propaganda: I nformation with an agenda. Its intention is to persuade and will often contain an unnecessary positive spin . Fake News: A term used to refer to information that is intentionally false. This term has been politicized to refer to information that one does not agree with , regardless of the validity of the information . Fact-checking: T he process of verifying information to determine its correctness .
Read more about "Words to know"A few beach reads that are perfect to take on vacation.
Read more about "Endless Summer"These titles explore the role of museums and cherished artifacts, and the importance of preserving local history. Perhaps most importantly, they've inspired our 2022 Historian in Residence throughout her residency and beyond.
Read more about "Recommended Reads from former Historian in Residence, Shelley McElroy"Support your child’s early literacy skills with these tips to build a strong foundation.
Read more about "16 Ideas to Help Your Child Learn to Read"Support your child’s early literacy skills with these tips to build a strong foundation.
Read more about "16 Ideas to Help Your Child Learn to Read"