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.
We are currently looking for Youth Volunteers to support
Read more about "We're currently looking for volunteers for this program!"Learn how to loom bead and create some beautiful art. All supplies and looms are provided.
Read more about "Beginner Loom Beading"Help kids, ages six to 12, with hands-on STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Math) activities. The program's activities use supplies that children find at home (i.e. baking soda, vinegar, etc.) so that children can re-create the experiments and activities outside the program and reinforce learning. This program is for volunteers ages 15 and up.
Read more about "What will you do?"The Historian in Residence is a six-month paid residency that supports individual researchers working in any genre related to the social, cultural and built history of Calgary, Treaty 7 and Métis Region 3.They deliver free programs and act as a mentor to historians, writers, and researchers through individual consultations, and curate an exhibit at Central Library.Presented in partnership with Heritage Calgary.
Read more about "Chat about Calgary's past."I am a wildfire evacuee currently sheltering in Calgary Calgary Public Library is providing complimentary, non-resident memberships to anyone currently sheltering in Calgary after being evacuated from the wildfires . Non-resident memberships offer access to item borrowing and placing holds on items, printing, internet, room booking, and Library programs. Non-resident memberships expire after one year. Call Library Hotline at 403.260.2600 or visit any Library location to get your free, non-resident membership.
Read more about "I am a wildfire evacuee currently sheltering in Calgary"Our Commitment to You Employee Benefits Calgary Public Library offers a competitive total rewards package to our employees including competitive salary, benefits , and perks. We support our staff by offering a variety of valuable resources and services. From supporting a positive work-life balance to providing health and wellness resource s, we pr ioritize our team’s well-being . Health and Safety The Library is committed to the health and safety of our employees. We ensure employees are trained in proper work procedures, follow safe work practices, and co - operate in creating a safe, healthy, and productive work environment. As an employee, you’ll receive: Free and confidential services through the Employee Family Assistance Program Bike storage and on-site parking (location dependent) Employee Recognition Program Tuition Assistance to support personal development An extensive range of training programs and workshops Full time regular employees will also be eligible for Extended Health and Dental Benefits, Health Spending Account, Life Insurance coverage , and participation in the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP) Part time and On-Call employees receive a minimum of 16% pay in lieu of benefits Eligibility for benefits may vary based on your job status, work location and/or the terms of any applicable collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment.
Read more about "Our Commitment to You"A few times a month, Giselle Wong brings the Library directly to others. She’s a long time volunteer with Homebound Readers, a program for people of all ages with mobility or health concerns.The Library program is more than just a book delivery service. “It’s about companionship,” Wong says. The Calgarians she helps are delighted to have fresh books to read and a friendly face to talk to.Wong’s responsibilities include picking up holds or choosing materials, delivering those resources to elderly Library members, and returning their borrowed items. Often, she sticks around for a visit over tea. Wong enjoys those conversations; listening to stories from seniors gives her understanding into another generation, she says.The Homebound Readers program started in 1974, and continues to this day because of volunteers like Wong. Over the past 13 years, Wong has volunteered about 500 hours with the program.Wong works as a library assistant at an elementary school, and says volunteering is another way to share her deep love of libraries with others. That passion started when Wong was a youngster who spent extensive time at a public library in Ontario, learning English as a second language. “Libraries have changed me,” Wong says. “They opened my eyes to the world.”If you are interested in volunteering with the Library, please visit the Volunteers page.
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Giselle Wong Giselle brings companionship and books to homebound readers"For immediate releaseSeptember 10, 2019Calgary, AB – The Calgary Public Library Foundation is delighted to announce a transformational gift from Calgary entrepreneur and philanthropist Susan Anderson; one of the largest gifts in the Foundation’s history. This generous donation will support early childhood literacy by enhancing the Library’s Early Learning Strategy.“The first years of a child’s life are so crucial,” says Susan Anderson. “I believe in the value of childhood education and wanted to participate in making this available to Calgary’s children to give them a strong start toward a successful future.”In recognition of this generous gift, the Calgary Public Library will name the children’s area at the Central Library the Jocelyn Louise Anderson Children’s Library in honour of Anderson’s mother, who was a school teacher.“We see kids with very diverse backgrounds coming to the Library for specialized Early Learning programs and resources,” says Calgary Public Library CEO Mark Asberg. “Donations like this help us continue to open doors for all of Calgary’s children, regardless of their socio-economic background.”The Library’s Early Learning Strategy encompasses five areas of focus: research, spaces, people, collections, and programs. Anderson’s donation will uplift each of these focus areas.Specifically, this donation will enable the expansion of early literacy programming both in Libraries and in the community; enhance collections development for babies, toddlers, and, pre-school children; and update existing Early Learning Centres to reflect current research.There are more than 90,000 children under the age of five in Calgary. Currently, 12 of Calgary’s 21 Library locations have a dedicated Early Learning Centre, with the goal to have an Early Learning Centre in every single location. Early Learning Centres provide children under the age of five a specialized space to learn through play – the best way for young minds to gain essential early learning skills.About the Calgary Public Library Foundation:The Calgary Public Library Foundation supports the Library through fundraising.We connect people and organizations who want to make a difference with the opportunity to improve our community. All donations received through the Library Foundation enhance Library collections, programming, and services.Since 2011, the Library Foundation has been working on Add In, the Campaign for Calgary’s Library. The goal of Add In is to raise $350 million dollars for the Library system. As of June 2019, we have reached 98.5% of our goal.- 30 -Media Contacts:Maegan MarshallCommunications AssociateCalgary Public Library Foundation403 774 2543maegan@addin.caNina RehillEdelman 403 630 6055Nina.rehill@edelman.com
Read more about "Stories Calgary Public Library Accepts Historic Donation for Early Childhood Learning"From little buddy to big buddy, Matthew has a long history with the Computer Buddies program
Read more about "Meet our Volunteers: Matthew Tse"To mark National Aboriginal History Month in June 2017, Calgary Public Library is displaying Indigenous art at four libraries.Samuel BighettySamuel Bighetty’s art tells the story of the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation in Pukatawagan, Manitoba. Using bright, beautiful colours, his artwork tells the story of hardships and change. Bighetty describes such change through the analogy of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. “It looks real ugly, walking on the ground,” Bighetty says. “A caterpillar doesn’t know it’s going to turn into something beautiful. [Then] it changes, flies around, has all the colours.” Jessica Liening-WolfeIndigenous artist Jessica Liening-Wolfe showcases her Ojibway culture through traditional beadwork and jewelry. “My mother was a former student of the residential school, so she didn’t grow up with her culture or her language, so I feel that it is up to me to go out there and regain this knowledge,” says Liening-Wolfe. Taylor McPhersonThrough her artistic journey, Taylor McPherson has reclaimed her Miawpukek identity, and is now challenging people to see past stereotypes with her work. Her self-portrait, titled “Identity,” has been displayed across Canada, and found a new home at Judith Umbach Library in June 2017. “To have people recognize my Aboriginal work really means a lot, because I feel a lot of people have been more appreciative in learning about the stories behind it,” McPherson says. Nathan MeguinisNathan Meguinis started drawing at the age of five. His artwork today reflects the deep roots of his Tsuut’ina culture and heritage. Meguinis says what makes Tsuut’ina art distinctive in style is its reflection of Tsuut’ina history and spiritual connections: a belief in one God, one creation, and everything being intertwined. He strives to give people a deeper understanding of his traditional culture through his art. “I’m hoping to enlighten people about the realities that my people faced through my artwork, and at the same time share my culture,” Meguinis says.
Read more about "Stories Indigenous Art Featured at Calgary Public Library"Tap into your artistic side and discover the fun and creativity in drawing! Gain confidence through guided drawing classes that will build your art vocabulary and expand your...
Read more about "Draw! Find Your Inner Artist (Ages 6-12)"Tap into your artistic side and discover the fun and creativity in drawing! Gain confidence through guided drawing classes that will build your art vocabulary and expand your...
Read more about "Draw! Find Your Inner Artist"Val Lawton is an illustrator who has worked on more than 30 books. Ever since she was a kid, she dreamed about becoming an artist — and credits Calgary Public Library with helping her get there.“I owe Calgary Public Library a great deal, as it was there that I did all my research, where I discovered who my favourite illustrators are, where I determined what my favourite illustration style is, and where I researched the business side of the children’s book publishing industry,” she says.That journey started in 2000, when Val was a stay-at-home mom of a toddler son and infant daughter. A friend of Val’s was secretly writing a book, which she sold to a New York City publisher. Val remembers feeling encouraged when her talented friend told her, “If I could draw like you, I’d be illustrating books.”It was the push she needed. Val decided to start pulling together an art portfolio and market herself as a children’s book illustrator. To do that, she spent hours and hours at the Giuffre Family Library (then known as the Alexander Calhoun Library), poring over the children’s book collection.Val took out books illustrated by Quentin Blake, Simon James, and Charlotte Voake, and used them for inspiration as she practiced her own art over and over again. (Quentin Blake, best known for illustrating books written by Roald Dahl, remains Val’s favourite illustrator.)During her kids’ naptime or after their bedtime, Val would draw. “You just have to slog away at it,” she says. “With those practice pieces, I would find some pieces that I thought were particularly good, and I’d put them in my portfolio. Then I learned how to start approaching publishers.”For that, she used the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market book in the Library’s collection, a directory with hundreds of listings for publishers. “Slowly but surely, I got the odd job here, then something would snowball into something else,” she says.Val’s illustrations start with pencil outlines in scratchy, black India ink. She lets that sit overnight, then paints with watercolours. Val describes her style as whimsical but not saccharine. “I like not too much detail. Sometimes I’ll do faces that only have eyes. You have to sort of fill in the blank. It’s a relaxed kind of style, not too fussy.”That’s the style Val has long found herself drawn to in other books. “I like illustrations that aren’t too clean, aren’t too polished, leave a little bit up to the imagination,” she says. “I just found my kids seemed to gravitate to that style of illustration as well, so that’s always what’s appealed to me.”Val went on to work full-time as an illustrator, specializing in children’s books. Seeing her illustrations in published books feels “out of this world,” she says. “It’s very exciting.” Her work as an illustrator opened other doors, too, like working as an artist-educator in classrooms through the Royal Conservatory’s Learning Through the Arts program.As the publishing industry changes, Val increasingly works on self-published projects. She enjoys the connections it brings. “I get to work with the author, the person who has actually created the story, whereas in the traditional world of publishing I never meet the author,” she says.One of those self-publishing projects happened a few years ago, with the Calgary Food Bank. Val illustrated the book Emma and the Food Bank, of which proceeds support Calgary Food Bank services and programs. That led Val to her newest gig, a part-time role with the organization as Food Industry Coordinator. Val continues to illustrate part-time, and continues to be an avid and appreciative Library user.“I just think the public Library is the greatest resource on the planet,” she says. “It’s astounding what it does.”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 Greatest Resource on the Planet’ Val Lawton Library Story's helped her share her art with the world"Library Donors Invest in Local History and Invite Calgarians to Do the Same MEDIA RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 24, 2018Calgary, AB—Local history supporters and cultural philanthropists Walt and Irene DeBoni announced a $1 million gift to Calgary Public Library in support of the Library’s local history collection today."Walt and Irene are passionate advocates of Calgary’s history, and have supported the Library’s local history collection for a number of years," said Christine Gingerick, Donor Relations Manager at the Calgary Public Library Foundation. "As we enter Historic Calgary Week, we are delighted to share that the Library has chosen to honour the DeBoni’s with the naming of Calgary’s Story at the new Central Library."Calgary’s Story, presented by Walt and Irene DeBoni, brings Calgary’s and Southern Alberta’s history and heritage to life. Through collections, programs and a digital kiosk, visitors will be able to dive into some of the many stories from Calgary’s past, explore their family history and see photographs of what Calgary looked like at the turn of the century. The feature area will be located on the fourth level of the new Central Library, which Calgarians can explore when the new Central Library opens on November 1, 2018."The Library is a community resource accessible to all, and as history-lovers, it means so much to us to share our story within its newest location," says Walt DeBoni. "We want to invite Calgarians to share their stories by leaving their mark on the new Central Library as a part of the Windows of Opportunity Campaign."Calgarians can choose from three distinct levels of supporting the Library through the Windows of Opportunity Campaign; $100, $2,018 and $5,000. Each level offers different benefits, and all three include adding an inscription to a new Central Library window frame. All donations will support life-changing programs and services at libraries across Calgary. For more information, visit mylibrarywindow.ca.Walt and Irene DeBoni are Founding Partners of Add In — the Campaign for Calgary’s Library, a bold, audacious vision to take a great library system and transform it into the best in the world. The Calgary Public Library Foundation has surpassed $326 million of its $350 million goal for Add In.Calgary Public Library FoundationAdd In — the Campaign for Calgary’s Library, is the largest public campaign for a public library in Canadian history. The $350 million campaign will enhance and support a system of community libraries across Calgary and is inspired by the new Central Library, which will open its doors to the world in 2018. To learn more about Add In and the Calgary Public Library’s vision to create the best public library in the world for Calgarians, visit addin.ca.Calgary Public LibraryCalgary Public Library, with 630,000+ members and 20 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 14.6 million physical and digital items and with 6.8 million in-person visits last year. The awe-inspiring 240,000 sq. ft. Central Library — the newest gathering place for our city — opens in November 2018.–30 –Media Contacts:Rachael TernerManager of CommunicationsCalgary Public Library FoundationC: 403.680.0626rachael@addin.caMary KapustaDirector, CommunicationsCalgary Public LibraryP: 403.774.7256mary.kapusta@calgarylibrary.ca
Read more about "Stories"