Norma High, a volunteer who joined the Library in 1974, is so passionate about bringing books to people who can not otherwise access them that she got her whole family involved in the cause.For nearly 44 years, Norma has volunteered with the Libraries in Residence program, delivering books to people in a continuing care facility. Norma, 85, is one of the Library’s longest-serving volunteers.“I have always had a love for books,” Norma said. She loves visiting and bringing books to residents at Carewest Glenmore Park, an Alberta Health Services facility in southwest Calgary. With her background in nursing, Norma is a perfect fit for delivering books to the hospital’s residents.“Volunteering is giving, giving back to the community, giving back because I can,” she said. “We want to put a little bit of sunshine into people’s lives.”Norma’s husband, Bob High, started volunteering with Libraries in Residence in 1985.“Besides delivering books, it was an opportunity to talk about local history and events with the residents,” said Bob, 88. He would sometimes go in place of Norma and went on to build his own relationships with the long-term care residents.“It gives you a lot of satisfaction,” Bob said.Hearing stories from residents and discussing books with them led Norma to share her experiences with her children, and later her grandchildren. Norma started to bring her son and daughter to volunteer with her when they were 13 and 11.During their days off from school and over summer break, Alan High and Glenna High Bagley started to love volunteering. Norma saw her children learn how to share, and in Glenna’s case, she came out of her shell.“I absolutely loved it,” Glenna said. She remembers being initially nervous around elderly people as a child, but she soon came to love delivering books and visiting with people. She said her son, Matthew, was as shy as she was when he started volunteering at the age of eight with his sister Taylor, age ten.“I am so proud of my children and grandchildren,” Norma said.Norma, who is called the “book lady” by hospital residents, found that residents rely on her book delivery every two weeks. One resident said books were more important than her bath, because books were what kept her at peace while in the hospital.Norma and Bob, who have lived in Calgary for 48 years, keep a private collection of every genre of book you can think of. They enjoy travelling and have visited many places in Canada and around the world. On their travels, they pick up books to add to their catalogued collection — the oldest one being from the 1850s.That extensive home library is popular with Norma’s children and grandchildren, who regularly borrow books from it. When they find a book they like and want to “inherit”, they mark it with their own coloured dot.Norma continues to share her love of reading with hospital residents, and plans to for as long as she can — “until I fall over, or until I can’t push the cart anymore,” she said.The High and Bagley families are leaving their three-generation legacy in another way, too. They are commemorating their love of reading and dedication to volunteering with two windows at the new Central Library.We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories ‘I Give Back Because I Can’ Norma High delivers the joy of reading to others in her Library Story"Listen and read-along to animated story books for young children. Play games and watch videos from National Geographic. You will even find a selection of French picture books.
Read more about "Practice your reading with fun stories for kids."In need of a break from haybales and country music? Bring a book to the calm oasis of Memorial Park for your lunch hour during the week of Stampede. You can escape the frenzy and...
Read more about "Reading in the Park"Receive additional activities, resources and special event invitations, right to your inbox, twice this year.
Read more about "Sign up for a Family Reading Kit Book Club"Celebrate inclusion and diversity with our glamorous family-friendly storytime program, led by local drag queen, king and monarch performers. Join the fun, come dressed in your...
Read more about "Reading With Royalty"The more reading a student does (whether it’s over the summer or during the school year), the more opportunity they have to build and strengthen their comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking skills, background knowledge and efficiency. Research has shown that children without summer reading and learning support may lose one to three months of the reading skills they built in the previous school year. This, in addition to a disrupted and stressful school year, might leave families wondering, how can we keep reading and learning this summer, while still having fun?Join the Ultimate Summer ChallengeBlast off to free summer fun with the Ultimate Summer Challenge at Calgary Public Library. Kids ages 0 – 12 can reach reading milestones, complete activities, and attend free interactive online programs. Those ages 13 – 17 can join the Teen Takeover. Registration automatically enters you to win prizes that are out of this world! Tracking your progress online helps you earn badges and qualify for weekly prizes.Sign up for Ultimate Summer ChallengeRead aloudA great way to expose kids to books that are slightly outside their range is by reading more difficult books aloud. Generally, it is good for kids to read things at their independent level and be read to at a higher level because it helps to build vocabulary and helps makes the listener a better reader.Do something unexpectedRead in unexpected places and ways, like a tent or around the campfire. Switch roles and have kids read to you at their bedtime!ListenListening to audiobooks counts as reading too! Listening to books can be a great way to immerse yourself in a series and can make a long car trip fly by. Download kids audiobooks for free with your Library card in our Digital Library.Browse audiobooksRead before you watchRead the book before you watch the movie. Why not start a family book club this summer and invite grandparents who live far away to read the book too? Check out great online videos of Canadian author readings and illustrator demos from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.Go to Canadian Children’s Book CentreShare through a book swapKids love to read recommendations from friends. This summer ask a group of friends to bring three to five titles over for a book swap. Kids will ask each other about the books and you'll naturally get the same kind of conversations that go on in the classroom.Get recommendations from the LibraryNeed new ideas? The Library is always a good place to start looking for children’s books. Check out our recommended reads for summer.See the listThis blog post is published as part of The Kitchen Table Classroom: A Series to Support Learning from Home, a partnership with Edmonton Public Library. Visit our website for information on the next live, online workshop in the series and for more tips and tools to support learning from home.
Read more about "Stories Top Tips for Reading and Learning All Summer Long The Kitchen Table Classroom: Slide into Summer"Our 21 libraries are all welcoming and accepting spaces, and the Library is proud to host Reading with Royalty at a different location each month. This family-friendly storytime program, supported by ATB Financial, celebrates inclusion and diversity. Local drag queen and king performers read books to children and families, sharing messages of acceptance and respect. "What I hope that kids take away from these things is just to be myself, not to treat my friend who might be different differently, and to have that respect that we are all the same, but we are all different," said Shane Onyou, a drag king perfomer for Reading with Royalty. Clayton, a 10-year-old who performs in the all-ages drag scene as Summer Cadence, comes to the program with his mom, Beckie."The fact that it teaches acceptance and like, there's drag performers actually reading, and not just, same-day-here Library staff. It makes it, like ... I don't know what the word is," said Clayton. "Fabulous?" Beckie offered. Reading with Royalty is offered in various Library locations throughout the year. No registration is required; visit the programs page to find an upcoming storytime.
Read more about "Stories Library Stories: Meet Summer Cadence A Reading with Royalty performer and a Calgary family share what this program means to them"Celebrate Neighbour Day at Calgary Public Library. Enjoy special programming at
Read more about "Reading in the Wild"Our 21 libraries are all welcoming and accepting spaces, and the Library is proud to host Reading with Royalty at a different location each month. This family-friendly storytime program, supported by ATB Financial, celebrates inclusion and diversity. Local drag queen and king performers read books to children and families, sharing messages of acceptance and respect. "What I hope that kids take away from these things is just to be myself, not to treat my friend who might be different differently, and to have that respect that we are all the same, but we are all different," said Shane Onyou, a drag king perfomer for Reading with Royalty. Clayton, a 10-year-old who performs in the all-ages drag scene as Summer Cadence, comes to the program with his mom, Beckie."The fact that it teaches acceptance and like, there's drag performers actually reading, and not just, same-day-here Library staff. It makes it, like ... I don't know what the word is," said Clayton. "Fabulous?" Beckie offered. Reading with Royalty is offered in various Library locations throughout the year. No registration is required; visit the programs page to find an upcoming storytime.
Read more about "Stories Library Stories: Meet Summer Cadence A Reading with Royalty performer and a Calgary family share what this program means to them"Join us over on
Read more about "Share your reading"Reading to preschoolers is important, and continuing to read to them after they can read helps with their listening, reading, and comprehension skills.
Read more about "Family Read-Alouds for Kids in Kindergarten – Grade 3"If your family enjoyed the titles in this year's Family Reading Kits, you might like these selections from 2022.
Read more about "More to Read"May 28 at 9:30 am: Enjoy a captivating reading of "Naaahsa is an Artist!" with author Hali Heavy Shield, live drawing demo, and Q&A session.
Read more about ""Naaahsa is an Artist!" Reading & Drawing Demonstration (K–4)"Learn English or improve your existing language skills with this app, which can help with reading, speaking, and listening.
Read more about "Rosetta Stone"My name is Rachel Murphy and I have two boys, Fraser and Anderson, ages three-and-a-half and two. They are growing up with a love of reading and Calgary Public Library is a big reason why.I spent a lot of time at the Library during my maternity leaves. We attended Drop-in Family Storytimes, and signed out each of the six themed Read and Play kits at Quarry Park Library. The Library was a place where I felt very comfortable bringing my boys because kids are encouraged to learn through play.When my oldest was two, I asked him what his favourite place in Calgary was. I assumed he would say an indoor play place but he said the Library, and that made me feel so happy and proud.Now that I’m back at work, the Library continues to be a big part of our lives. I place holds on books online and then pick them up on my lunch break. My boys’ eyes light up when I come home with Library books as if it’s Christmas morning. My oldest even sleeps with Library books at the foot of his bed for the three-week borrowing period.Currently, the boys are very interested in hockey and trains. I love being able to borrow books because as their interests change, so can their selection of books.We also visit several Library locations every month or two to enjoy the Early Learning Centres, as each one is interactive and centered around a different theme. We love the Early Learning Centres at Fish Creek, Shawnessy, and Quarry Park Library, but our favourite is definitely Engine 23 at Central Library.You can’t beat being able to sit inside and pretend to drive a real firetruck. We also love reading firetruck books in the upper reading area. My boys were both firefighters for Halloween because Engine 23 gave them their love of firetrucks.We are SO excited for the new Central Library to open later this year! Calgary Public Library understands that healthy development in early childhood sets kids up for future success. My family and I are so lucky to live in a place where reading is so accessible and lifelong learning is encouraged. Follow Rachel and her boys on Instagram at @newwestmom.We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories ‘My Boys Are Growing up With a Love of Reading’ Rachel Murphy is helping her children write their own Library Story"