The 'Build a Book Bag' service is no longer available. You can find books and other Library materials by searching the catalogue. Ebooks and audiobooks are also available through the Libby app.
Discover new and upcoming independent authors from Alberta in a variety of genres from romance to fantasy, biographies to picture books. There's something for everyone to enjoy.Check out the highlighted titles for the best reads as selected by Library Journal.
Read more about "Discover Local Authors"Aboard Calgary Public Library’s Story Truck, you’ll find storytime, song and rhymes, play time, and of course books — all for children from 0 to five years of age. As a precaution to help limit the spread of COVID-19 and support the City's efforts to promote social distancing, the Library is increasing its response, including cancelling all outreach programs. Please check calgarylibrary.ca/covid-19 for regular updates.
Read more about "Library on wheels"Rooms can be booked when the Library is open, up to 30 minutes before closing. Exceptions: Early access for bookings that start right when the Library opens is unavailable. Quarry Park Library's Program Room and Meeting Room 1 can be booked outside of Library hours, when the YMCA is open.
Read more about "Rooms can be booked when the Library is open, up to 30 minutes before closing."Indigenous languages have long been underrepresented in literature — especially in children's books. To honour the United Nations' International Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019, the Library worked with aspiring Treaty 7 writers to start changing that.In the Indigenous Writers Workshop, participants worked with author Richard Van Camp to create children's books in their traditional languages. These books are now available in the Library's permanent collection at every location.
Read more about "Indigenous stories, written by Indigenous authors"Art meets science in this unique drawing activity brought to you by real live tarantulas, beetles, millipedes, and more. By observing these leggy little models, we will learn the...
Read more about "STEM Explorers: Art + Entomology = Artomology?"Interested in creating writing, but not sure where to start? Join us with a virtual community of other aspiring writers. Build a writing habit through activities and creative...
Read more about "Virtual Writers' Circle"Use the activity booklet when reading aloud and complete the art activity. Kids can bring it back to the Library for display and get a prize.
Read more about "Booklet"Three Ways to Celebrate Freedom to Read Week Even in 2018, books are still being challenged and facing formal attempts of removal from schools and libraries. Freedom to Read Week, running from Sunday, February 25 to Saturday, March 3, 2018, is an annual event encouraging Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Here are three ways Calgarians can participate:1. Pick up a Challenged BookOn Monday, Feburary 26, Bill Ptacek, Calgary Public Library CEO, will launch Freedom to Read Week in Calgary by presenting Mayor Naheed Nenshi and City Council with a copy of This One Summer. Written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by her cousin Jillian Tamaki, the award-winning graphic novel is a coming of age story set in Ontario’s cottage country about two preteen friends.This One Summer was named the most challenged book in 2016 by the American Library Association. The book includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and is considered sexually explicit with mature themes. School libraries in Florida and Minnesota have removed the book from shelves, a move protested by free-speech groups.2. Celebrate Rebel Readers On Monday, February 26, from 5:30 to 7 pm, join us for Freedom to Read Week activities at Memorial Park Library. Discover an assortment of “rebel” activities on the Main Floor, including banned books trivia and mugshots, readings from censored LGBTQ content by local drag queen royalty, and a curated collection of books and videos from the Calgary Outlink LGBTQ Library and Fairy Tales Presentation Society. Ages 16 and up. Doors open at 5 pm. The collection will be on display until Sunday, March 4.Then, from 7 to 8 pm, Wordfest, the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, and Calgary Public Library are teaming up to present a surprise, incendiary program on This One Summer. Head to the Second Floor for a discussion about the censorship and controversy surrounding Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki’s This One Summer. Anne Logan, of the website I’ve Read This, hosts the discussion.3. Flaunt Banned BooksShop the Calgary Public Library Foundation’s Library Store and flaunt banned books. Put a sock in censorship with banned books socks, pour your favourite hot drink into the banned books mug and watch as banned book titles begin to appear, stay warm with a banned books scarf, and brighten up your restricted reading section with a banned books matchbox set. Plus, every purchase through librarystore.ca supports the essential work of Calgary Public Library and enhances programs, services, and collections.
Read more about "Stories"When Susan Calder’s husband was transferred to Calgary for work in 1996, she was happy to make the move with her young family. But, unfamiliar with her new city, she struggled to find reasons to get out of the house.“I wasn’t working when we first moved here — I was just writing, and spending time with the kids. So I really needed something to keep me active, keep me social,” she says.Her solution came during a trip to Fish Creek Library, when she picked up a copy of the Library’s program guide and noticed a listing for a book club. “I’d never been in a book club before, but I’d always been interested in the concept. It seemed the logical thing to do as a book lover,” she says.Susan fell in love with the club immediately. Not only did it give her a way to make new friends in Calgary, but she discovered that the group was full of people who shared her interest in and love of stories. They offered her a different way of looking at the written word, which helped her to improve her craft as an aspiring author.“It’s been incredibly useful to me as a writer,” she says, “because it’s a look at writing from the reader’s perspective. I can see how almost no book is loved by everybody — no matter how well written. You start to understand that it's really all a matter of taste, and you feel a lot better when people don’t like your work.”At 23 years, Susan is one of the longest-attending members of the book club. While her book club has since become too popular to accept new members, the Library offers other book discussion groups. “What’s really nice about the group is that we often disagree heartily, but there’s never any ill-will about it,” she says of her tight-knit reading community. “We respect each other, and the divergence of opinions is quite lovely. People come away with a bit more of an appreciation for the book, and each other's point of view. You feel like you’ve stretched a bit, and grown, for having read outside of your comfort zone."A New Book Club MemberLittle did Susan realize that her passion for the club wasn’t going unnoticed. Although her husband was an avid reader, she never would have imagined him wanting to join a book club. It came as a total shock when, shortly after he retired in 2007, he asked her if he could tag along to a meeting. “I’d go out on book club day, come home and tell him about some of the discussions — the people, what they had to say. I didn’t really realize that all these years I had basically been selling the book club to him.” Unsure if her husband, who mostly read murder-mystery novels, would be on the same page as her literary-loving friends, Susan was hesitant to allow him to join her, but eventually, she gave in. Luckily for both Susan and her husband, her fears never materialized. Her husband has been a member of the club for over a decade now, even volunteering to lead discussions on the occasion that the group pursues a murder-mystery.“We don’t often talk about the books before the club meets, because we don’t want to influence each other’s opinions,” she says, “We’re able to approach it as individuals. But we do sometimes like to talk about them after, and it’s a social event as well, so it gives us something extra in common that we can do together.”More PossibilitiesThe Library is about much more than books for Susan and her family. “When we moved to Calgary, the opportunities just opened up. There were more possibilities for me to engage with the Library. There was more offered to me,” she says.Aside from attending her monthly book club, she also sharpens her writing skills with workshops and writing programs, attending several each month. She and her husband frequently borrow DVDs and CDs to watch movies and listen to music, and once attended Tech Mentors for three weeks in a row to get help fixing their computer.“Right now, we’re planning a trip to Italy,” she says, “so I’ve just taken out a series of audiobooks and things to try to learn a few essential words of Italian before we go.”Susan also likes to give back to the Library, and frequently shares her talents through panel discussions and readings of her work. Now an accomplished local author, Susan discussed her latest book, To Catch a Fox, in May at the Writing as Medicine program, and will discuss her contributions to the literary art exhibit Print(ed) Word: The Salon Series, which is displayed in the Central Library's TD Great Reading Room, in August.We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories 'The Opportunities Just Opened Up' A book club at the Library was the beginning of Susan Calder's Library Story"This workshop is inspired by Picasso’s “Blue Period,” depicted in the children’s book "Pablo Picasso” from the Little People, Big Dreams book series. We will create a mixed-media...
Read more about "Creative Explorers: Fruit Bowl Collage"Early Learning Centres are vibrant and interactive spaces. At 12 libraries across the city, there are 13 Early Learning Centres that offer opportunities for kids ages zero to five to learn, play, and take part in activities and games. Each Early Learning Centre, built around a distinct concept, is designed to be flexible, open-ended, and fun. Find an Early Learning Centre
Read more about "Early Learning Centres are vibrant and interactive spaces."The Musical Artist in Residence is pleased to consult with emerging and established musicians of all ages to discuss technique, songwriting, performance, or whatever aspect of the music industry would be most helpful.
Read more about "Book a consultation"This simple tool lets authors — aspiring and otherwise — create their own print-ready eBooks. Once you’ve created your file, you can submit your book to the Indie Author Project for others to enjoy, or use the file to send to traditional publishers.
Read more about "Book Clubs in a Bag make organizing your next read easy. "Three Ways to Celebrate Freedom to Read Week Even in 2018, books are still being challenged and facing formal attempts of removal from schools and libraries. Freedom to Read Week, running from Sunday, February 25 to Saturday, March 3, 2018, is an annual event encouraging Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Here are three ways Calgarians can participate:1. Pick up a Challenged BookOn Monday, Feburary 26, Bill Ptacek, Calgary Public Library CEO, will launch Freedom to Read Week in Calgary by presenting Mayor Naheed Nenshi and City Council with a copy of This One Summer. Written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by her cousin Jillian Tamaki, the award-winning graphic novel is a coming of age story set in Ontario’s cottage country about two preteen friends.This One Summer was named the most challenged book in 2016 by the American Library Association. The book includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and is considered sexually explicit with mature themes. School libraries in Florida and Minnesota have removed the book from shelves, a move protested by free-speech groups.2. Celebrate Rebel Readers On Monday, February 26, from 5:30 to 7 pm, join us for Freedom to Read Week activities at Memorial Park Library. Discover an assortment of “rebel” activities on the Main Floor, including banned books trivia and mugshots, readings from censored LGBTQ content by local drag queen royalty, and a curated collection of books and videos from the Calgary Outlink LGBTQ Library and Fairy Tales Presentation Society. Ages 16 and up. Doors open at 5 pm. The collection will be on display until Sunday, March 4.Then, from 7 to 8 pm, Wordfest, the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, and Calgary Public Library are teaming up to present a surprise, incendiary program on This One Summer. Head to the Second Floor for a discussion about the censorship and controversy surrounding Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki’s This One Summer. Anne Logan, of the website I’ve Read This, hosts the discussion.3. Flaunt Banned BooksShop the Calgary Public Library Foundation’s Library Store and flaunt banned books. Put a sock in censorship with banned books socks, pour your favourite hot drink into the banned books mug and watch as banned book titles begin to appear, stay warm with a banned books scarf, and brighten up your restricted reading section with a banned books matchbox set. Plus, every purchase through librarystore.ca supports the essential work of Calgary Public Library and enhances programs, services, and collections.
Read more about "Stories"When Susan Calder’s husband was transferred to Calgary for work in 1996, she was happy to make the move with her young family. But, unfamiliar with her new city, she struggled to find reasons to get out of the house.“I wasn’t working when we first moved here — I was just writing, and spending time with the kids. So I really needed something to keep me active, keep me social,” she says.Her solution came during a trip to Fish Creek Library, when she picked up a copy of the Library’s program guide and noticed a listing for a book club. “I’d never been in a book club before, but I’d always been interested in the concept. It seemed the logical thing to do as a book lover,” she says.Susan fell in love with the club immediately. Not only did it give her a way to make new friends in Calgary, but she discovered that the group was full of people who shared her interest in and love of stories. They offered her a different way of looking at the written word, which helped her to improve her craft as an aspiring author.“It’s been incredibly useful to me as a writer,” she says, “because it’s a look at writing from the reader’s perspective. I can see how almost no book is loved by everybody — no matter how well written. You start to understand that it's really all a matter of taste, and you feel a lot better when people don’t like your work.”At 23 years, Susan is one of the longest-attending members of the book club. While her book club has since become too popular to accept new members, the Library offers other book discussion groups. “What’s really nice about the group is that we often disagree heartily, but there’s never any ill-will about it,” she says of her tight-knit reading community. “We respect each other, and the divergence of opinions is quite lovely. People come away with a bit more of an appreciation for the book, and each other's point of view. You feel like you’ve stretched a bit, and grown, for having read outside of your comfort zone."A New Book Club MemberLittle did Susan realize that her passion for the club wasn’t going unnoticed. Although her husband was an avid reader, she never would have imagined him wanting to join a book club. It came as a total shock when, shortly after he retired in 2007, he asked her if he could tag along to a meeting. “I’d go out on book club day, come home and tell him about some of the discussions — the people, what they had to say. I didn’t really realize that all these years I had basically been selling the book club to him.” Unsure if her husband, who mostly read murder-mystery novels, would be on the same page as her literary-loving friends, Susan was hesitant to allow him to join her, but eventually, she gave in. Luckily for both Susan and her husband, her fears never materialized. Her husband has been a member of the club for over a decade now, even volunteering to lead discussions on the occasion that the group pursues a murder-mystery.“We don’t often talk about the books before the club meets, because we don’t want to influence each other’s opinions,” she says, “We’re able to approach it as individuals. But we do sometimes like to talk about them after, and it’s a social event as well, so it gives us something extra in common that we can do together.”More PossibilitiesThe Library is about much more than books for Susan and her family. “When we moved to Calgary, the opportunities just opened up. There were more possibilities for me to engage with the Library. There was more offered to me,” she says.Aside from attending her monthly book club, she also sharpens her writing skills with workshops and writing programs, attending several each month. She and her husband frequently borrow DVDs and CDs to watch movies and listen to music, and once attended Tech Mentors for three weeks in a row to get help fixing their computer.“Right now, we’re planning a trip to Italy,” she says, “so I’ve just taken out a series of audiobooks and things to try to learn a few essential words of Italian before we go.”Susan also likes to give back to the Library, and frequently shares her talents through panel discussions and readings of her work. Now an accomplished local author, Susan discussed her latest book, To Catch a Fox, in May at the Writing as Medicine program, and will discuss her contributions to the literary art exhibit Print(ed) Word: The Salon Series, which is displayed in the Central Library's TD Great Reading Room, in August.We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories 'The Opportunities Just Opened Up' A book club at the Library was the beginning of Susan Calder's Library Story"