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.
Get started using the digital resources in Calgary Public Library's Digital Library with simple video tutorials. Find tutorials for our most popular digital resources, including: Libby, World Book, Learning Express, Gale Courses, Freegal Music, Flipster and more.
Read more about "Learn how to use Calgary Public Library's digital resources the easy way"The new year is a popular time to set goals for the months ahead. Let the Library help you make those resolutions stick! With hundreds of free resources, programs, and books at your fingertips, we’re confident that you can crush this year’s goals.Get activeIf taking better care of your health is on your list this year, but you know you won’t follow through with a gym membership, join us for some fun, free exercise at the Library. Put your best foot forward at Swingin’ Sundays or loosen up with Yoga at Central Library. Learn some easy new meals from our Eat Clean booklist, and research ways of improving your wellness using Health Source.Watch your walletIf money is on your mind after an expensive holiday season, sign up for free finance programs to learn how to take control of your money, curb your spending, and grow your wealth. Staff-curated titles can also help you Tighten Your Financial Belt.Learn a new languageOn Rosetta Stone, you can learn over 30 languages, including Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, and Persian (Farsi), for free with your Library card, or improve your English skills with interactive lessons. If you prefer in-person instruction, stop by an ESL Coffee and Conversation meeting, or visit the Indigenous Languages Resource Centre. Treaty 7 Language Books are also available to sign out at several community libraries.Make some memoriesLooking for a new way to spend quality time with loved ones this year? Free drop-in programs like Chess in the Library, Crack the Code, and Firefighter Storytime are fun for every age, while little learners in particular will love exploring our Early Learning Centres. Back at home, have a free movie night with selections from Kanopy. You can also check out Ancestry for free during your next Library visit to learn about the family you didn’t know you had.Read moreWe knew you would ask — and we’ve got tips to help you fit more books into your busy schedule. Can’t decide what to read first? Check out our staff-curated booklists to get some ideas to suit your interests. Make reading an event by joining a Book Discussion Group or signing out a Book Club in a Bag with friends. Save some money and cancel subscriptions — you can turn your mobile device into an eReader and audiobook player all in one with Libby and take your book everywhere you go.Sign up for your free Library card to get started!
Read more about "Stories New Year, New You with Library Resources"Give your creativity a boost at Central Library. Your free membership gives you access to bookable studios for audio and video recording, creative multimedia editing, and green screen filming.As a precaution to help limit the spread of COVID-19, creative studio booking is currently paused. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your ongoing support.
Read more about "Are you the next big YouTube, IGTV, or podcast creator? "Two years ago, Michelle Robinson started an Indigenous-focused book club called Chapters & Chat, inspired by the federal government's #IndigenousReads initiative. The book club continues to meet monthly at Forest Lawn Library, where free meeting space is available, to share coffee, snacks, and great conversation. "This book club has changed my life," Michelle says. "It shows me with each session the willingness and desire for reconciliation."We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories ‘Inclusive as we can to all people’ Michelle Robinson inspires reconciliation with her Library Story"Discover what it takes to be a true hero with the Ultimate Summer Challenge. Put your powers to the test with reading and activity challenges for the whole family.
Read more about "Are you up for the challenge?"Calgary Public Library hosts events and activities throughout June to celebrate and honour First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and culture.
Read more about "Calgary Public Library Recognizes National Indigenous History Month"Grab a bucket and scoop for this easy at-home sensory activity.
Read more about "Splish Splash"Activity to accommodate the film "Return to Vimy" for your classroom.
Read more about "See, Think, Wonder: Return to Vimy"Classes can visit Calgary's award-winning Central Library and explore its unique features and offerings.
Read more about "Book a Central Library School Tour"Join Kelly as she discusses her novel, Letters to Singapore, which follows a new immigrant…
Read more about "Books & Ideas with Kelly Kaur"Shelly
Read more about "Book a virtual one-on-one consultation"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"When Calgary mom Mirna Khaled’s young daughter Julia felt she could not relate to picture books because none of the characters were in a wheelchair like her, Mirna helped write Julia her own book.Julia is an eight-year-old who has cerebral palsy. Her mother Mirna wanted people to "see her, not the wheelchair," so she and Julia’s aunt, Rawan Khaled, wrote and illustrated a book about Julia and her cousin Annabella, called Julia and Bella.The story is about Julia getting bullied at school and her headband being stolen. Annabella helps Julia feel better, including buying her a new headband.Mirna hopes the story will educate other kids about why Julia is in a wheelchair, and teach them that a wheelchair is "not something to be ashamed of.""I wanted her to see someone like her," Mirna said.Julia and Bella is on the shelves at libraries throughout Calgary, including Forest Lawn Library, where the Khaled family frequently visits. Julia personally put copies on the shelves at Forest Lawn Library last fall."I couldn’t believe it," Mirna said when she learned that Julia’s book would be on Library shelves.Mirna, Julia, and Jalal, Julia’s twin brother, moved to Calgary in June 2015 from Lebanon. Mirna, a single mother, wanted a better education and more opportunities for her children.In Lebanon, Julia was not allowed to go to school because the school didn’t have the resources to support her, even though Mirna was an assistant principal. Mirna said people in Lebanon would look at Julia with pity, but in Canada they smile at her and encourage her.The mother and daughter have a close bond, and Jalal loves to help his mother take care of Julia. "My brother is strong, nice, and he helps," Julia said.Julia’s personality changed drastically after the family moved to Canada. Before moving to Canada, Julia was non-verbal. Mirna said she will never forget the day that Julia started speaking to strangers and having a conversation with them.Now Julia initiates conversation with people and always has a smile on her face. She can string together full sentences, in both Arabic and English, and she loves to read books. "Education is her weapon to face the problems in life," Mirna said.The Forest Lawn Library was a big part of Julia’s advancement in reading and learning, Mirna said. Since they moved to Calgary, Julia and her family regularly visit the Library."[The Library] is a safe place to educate and play with your kids," Mirna said. "The Library is the perfect place to meet your neighbours and friends. It’s easy to come here, it’s accessible."Moving to Canada, Mirna had a dream to raise awareness about cerebral palsy. She wants people to know that Julia "can do everything that you do but in her own special way."Mirna created a Facebook page to get the word out about Julia. She is now selling the book, Julia and Bella, and handmade headbands at markets around the city to raise money for a future surgery to enable Julia to walk.Mirna has always had faith in Julia advancing. "I know that she is a smart girl," she said. "I know she can do it. I know she can learn."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 Perfect Place to Meet Your Neighbours’ Julia Khaled is breaking down barriers with her Library Story"If you are searching for a job, considering a career shift, or want to improve your job and career skills, Job Desk can help. Calgary Public Library partnered with Bow Valley College to provide one-on-one personalized career and job search guidance. Job Desk is available to anyone with a free Library membership.Book a 25-minute appointment and meet with a career coach online to address your specific questions. Coaches can help you identify where to search and apply for employment, review your resume or job application, or guide you through a career change. They can also refer you to other services that will help you continue your job search and career path. If you are new to Calgary’s job market or simply overwhelmed and not sure where to start, an appointment with Job Desk can help you get started.Here’s what to expect when you meet with the Library’s Job Desk.Professional career coachesYou will meet with a career coach from Bow Valley College. Their training and experience mean they come with broad job search and career building knowledge. Ask them anything! A few areas they specialize in include employment for newcomers and identifying your personal employment goals.Personalized guidanceJob desk appointments are one-on-one, which means the discussions, referrals, and advice are just for you. Coaches want to know about your personal job and career situation. They can work through a specific question or topic, or if you aren’t sure where to start, they can help you develop a personalized plan to move forward.Booking an appointment is easyOnce you book an appointment, you will get confirmation details with information on how to sign in to your appointment online. If you have documents that you would like to discuss in your appointment, the appointment confirmation also includes an email address where you can send your resume or other documents ahead of time for the career coach to review. If you aren’t able to send those documents ahead of time, don’t worry! Have them available for your appointment and your career coach can review them with you during your session. Book the next available appointment or schedule one as far in advance as you would like. You can see available time slots in the online calendar.How to prepareMeetings are 25 minutes long, so it’s helpful to have an idea of what you would like to work on to make the most of your time. That could be a specific job application, reviewing your resume, improving your interview skills, or advice on career transition. Your initial meeting can also be an introduction to the Job Desk. The career coaches will work with you to get you started.If 25 minutes won’t be long enough, you can book the meeting right after for an extended session. You are also always welcome to book another appointment later to continue the discussion or get coaching on something new.More job and career services at the LibraryCareer Basics online programsWorkshops for resume development, networking, interview skills, and career transitions are offered each month in partnership with Bow Valley College. Each session is 1.5 or two hours and you can sign up for as many or as few as you would like.Register nowDigital LibraryOur Digital Library has several tools that are specific to job search and careers. They are all free to use with your Library membership. A few of the resources are Career Cruising with interactive education and career planning tools, Choices Explorer to help plan for the future, and Job & Career Accelerator to explore career options. LinkedIn Learning and Gale Courses also offer training and certificate programs for those looking to upgrade their skills.Funding for Job Desk provided by the Government of Alberta.
Read more about "Stories How the Library’s Job Desk Can Help Advance Your Career or Job Search Book an online appointment with a career coach now."