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.
Na'pis World Lauren Monroe Jr. Signal Hill Library, Oculus (2019) Appropriately adorning the well of a skylight, Monroe’s work depicts the cosmology of traditional Blackfoot storytelling. In the background, the mural maps the traditional territory of the Blackfoot people. Significant sites and landmarks are noted in both Blackfoot and English. In the foreground, constellations, animals, plants, and other beings from Blackfoot stories interact with each other. Human and animal figures appear in equal prominence, demonstrating equality among men and animals within this tradition. Though the figures are represented as traditional petroglyphs, they are cut from sheet metal, symbolic of the endurance of traditional ways. Beadwork and painted accents add colours used in traditional Blackfoot artworks to the piece. About the Artist Lauren Monroe Jr. is a painter from the Amskapii Pikanni, a band of the Siksikaisitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy). His art reflects the Blackfoot culture and his own interpretation as an artist of the culture and world around him. Active in both the culture and history of the Blackfoot People, he feels his art is a bridge to better understanding of his people and their history. He currently resides on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and is pursuing his doctorate while continuing to study Blackfoot culture.
Read more about "Na'pis World"Natalia is a Romanian-Canadian illustrator and designer based in Calgary. Working primarily in digital formats, she infuses natural textures into her work, exploring stories, characters, and environments in a distinctly cute and playful style.
Read more about "Natalia Ionescu"Learn about the role libraries play in your community This program is an opportunity for school classes in Calgary to visit the Library location nearest them to see how it is a learning space and resource in their community. L ibrary staff will share resources and expertise, and lead hands-on activities to support students in building awareness of the role of public libraries in their school community. Visits are 45 minutes long and are conducted for one class at a time (maximum 30 students per class). Bookings can be made for up to two classes ( larger groups possible at Crowfoot only ), with an option to extend your stay with a 25-minute activity. Book borrowing is not included in your visit, but you are welcome stay with your class afterwards to do so. Opportunities may vary depending on community Library location and size of group. If you would like to bring a non-school group to the Library for a tour, please call Library Hotline.
Read more about "Learn about the role libraries play in your community"A local commitment to reconciliation The Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee reviewed the 94 Calls to Action from the Federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission to determine which are actionable by Calgary's municipal government. The results are Calls to Action identified in White Goose Flying: A Report to Calgary City Council on the Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation PDF , which includes local context and alignments. The report specifies that Calgary Public Library should: "... inspire stories, and through its work with community partners including the Heritage Triangle, coordinate and collaborate on exhibits and programming about the true history and legacy of Indian residential schools, in and surrounding Calgary. Libraries and museums are among the most highly utilized and trusted public ‘gathering spaces’ in the city, therefore their reach is substantial. A two-pronged approach in (a) training City staff internally while at the same time as (b) creating outward-facing public awareness and learning opportunities for Calgary citizens, creates impact."
Read more about "A local commitment to reconciliation"1. Read from our Treaty 7 children’s book collectionHave you joined the Challenge? Kids ages 0 – 17 can register for the Ultimate Summer Challenge and track their reading with books like these from our Treaty 7 children’s book collection. Sign up at calgarylibrary.ca/summer.2. Read Stepping Stones for help understanding the curriculumStepping Stones is a publication of the Alberta Teachers’ Association Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation. It supports teachers on their learning journey to meet the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Foundational Knowledge competency in the Teaching Quality Standard. Parents and caregivers may also find the documents useful to build understanding of their child’s classroom curriculum, especially the Terminology Reference and Numbered Treaties: Treaty 7 documents. The Alberta map of Treaty Areas can also be downloaded at the link.3. Go to a museum virtuallyExplore Blackfoot culture and listen to Elders tell stories, like Sky Stories and Indigenous astronomy, through the Glenbow Museum’s Niitsitpiisini: Our Way of Life and The Virtual Museum of Canada.4. Watch Indigenous authors and illustrators on YoutubeLearn from Indigenous authors and illustrators through the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Indigenous channel on YouTube.5. Meet an ElderMeet an Indigenous Elder, attend an Indigenous Storytime and more, FREE with your Library card at our Indigenous Services page.6. Browse the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of CanadaFor grades five and up, Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada is available free in the Digital Library.7. Play games and listen to a podcastCBC Kids is a great resource for elementary school students with virtual games, online articles, video clips, and more about Canada’s Indigenous cultures. The Métis Nation of Alberta’s Youth Programs and Services team also has a podcast created by youth, for youth, called Keeping It Riel.8. Explore your own backyardAs Covid restrictions lift, explore your own backyard by visiting historic sites such as those at Blackfoot Crossing (which includes the site of the signing of Treaty 7), Writing on Stone, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Métis Crossing, and in downtown Calgary, the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers at Fort Calgary. Indigenous Tourism Alberta is a great resource to find out where to camp, visit, shop, and more.9. Attend a PowwowThere are thousands of Powwow held across North America every summer and they are open to everyone to attend. Remember to dress in long pants or dresses, sit in areas for spectators (not Elders, dancers, or drummers) and avoid touching regalia or picking up an eagle feather — even though they are beautiful!10. Read stories by Indigenous authorsRead together and learn from the lived experiences of Indigenous authors with a Library booklist, or check out the Prairie Indigenous eBook Collection. The first of its kind in Canada, this collection increases access to stories by Indigenous authors and writings about Indigenous culture. Check out over 200 eBook titles from publishers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.This 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 10 Ideas for Kids to Learn More about Treaty 7 and Métis Culture This Summer Books, videos, backyard adventures, and more will help enrich your knowledge of Indigenous culture and history."For Jesse Campbell, growing up down the road from the public library in the southern Alberta community of Crowsnest Pass was a big deal.“I was in there all the time,” says Campbell, now 28 years old. A former geologist, Campbell recently returned to university for medical school. “Reading triggered curiosity in me as a kid, and Ibelieve that has helped me in all aspects of life. I just wanted to be able to help other kids feel the same way.”To that end, Campbell started volunteering with Calgary Public Library a year ago, with the School Support program (formerly Homework Help). Campbell heads to Nose Hill Library once a week to help students in Grade 1 to Grade 6 with school assignments.Campbell enjoyed that experience so much, he picked up another volunteer assignment—at Crowfoot Library. With the Learning Advantage program, Campbell helps an adult develop basicreading, writing, and numeracy skills. “I like being able to have a one-on-one interaction, to sit across from someone and feel like I’m having a direct impact,” he says.Both volunteer gigs have come with a bonus benefit. “I think it’s easy to get detached from your community a little bit, and volunteering in these positions has made me feel so much moreconnected to my community,” he says.Just as Campbell’s early library experience played a defining role in his life, his volunteer work at Calgary Public Library is making a difference in the lives of others.If you’d like to join the Library’s team of volunteers, please visit the Volunteers page.
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Jesse Campbell Jesse volunteers to connect to his community"Dana Saric Committee Membership: Audit and Finance; Chair of Governance Term End: 2025 Dana discovered her love of books at the same time as she discovered her local public library. As a newcomer to Canada, reading was a way to learn a language as well as a wonderful way to explore different ideas, places, and perspectives. These days, Dana enjoys the Calgary Public Library with her young family, reading the children’s collections together and participating in the robust and sociable early literacy programming. She is a lifelong learner and looks forward to contributing to the Board some of the legal and business skills she learned along the way. Dana believes that together, we can facilitate the continued growth of the Calgary Public Library as a world-class library network with learning opportunities, connection and a sense of belonging for all.
Read more about "Dana Saric"Help a young reader in Grades 1 to 6 discover the magic of reading. Volunteers share literacy-based games and fun books and support children one-on-one to foster a lifelong love of reading.
Read more about "What will you do?"Early Learning Investment will Prepare Calgary's Children for Lifelong Learning and Success MEDIA RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 7, 2017Calgary, AB — Local children and families participating in a colossal playdate helped to celebrate the opening of the fourth and final Calgary Foundation Early Learning Centre at Crowfoot Library today.“Play is such an important part of building literacy skills for children,” says Eva Friesen, President & CEO, Calgary Foundation. “We’re so pleased to support these Early Learning Centres that allow youth to grow and learn by being creative and using their imagination at such an important stage of their lives.”Early Learning Centres are vibrant and interactive spaces that focus on play-based learning — one of the five focus areas outlined in the Library’s Early Learning Strategy released earlier this year. Each centre is built around a distinct theme, including energy and motion at Forest Lawn Library, a construction site for little builders at Signal Hill and a “Birds Eye View” that overlooks the clear mountain views at Crowfoot Library.In September, the Calgary Public Library Foundation announced the $1 million transformational investment in early learning from the Calgary Foundation and an anonymous donor. Funding from the Major & Signature Grant established Calgary Foundation Early Learning Centres at Saddletowne, Signal Hill, Forest Lawn and the new space at Crowfoot Library — the busiest community library in the city. The gift will also enhance early learning training for staff and volunteers. The Calgary Foundation is a Founding Partner of Add In—the Campaign for Calgary’s Library.“Thanks to Calgary Foundation and its anonymous donor, we have opened four new Early Learning Centres in the last four months,” said Ellen Humphrey, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Calgary Public Library Foundation. “We want to create a world-leading library model for Early Learning, which includes an Early Learning Centre in every library in the city, but we can’t do it alone.”Through the Library Foundation, the Library is seeking $20 million of philanthropic investment in early learning to support the Library’s Early Learning Strategyopens a new window, which focuses on spaces, people, collections, programs and research. There are more than 89,000 children under the age of five in our city, and research shows that healthy development in early childhood sets the course for a child’s future.To support early learning at the Library, visit addin.ca/early-learning.Calgary Public LibraryCalgary Public Library, with 600,000+ members, 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 15.8 million physical and digital items and with 6.7 million in-person visits last year. Preparations are underway for the awe-inspiring 240,000 sq. ft. New Central Library, to open in late 2018.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 support a system of community libraries across Calgary and activate and enhance the New Central Library. 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 FoundationSince 1955, Calgary Foundation has been nurturing a healthy, vibrant, giving and caring community that values diversity and supports all people. We build a community where citizens are engaged, and where a strong and sustainable charitable sector serves the current and emerging needs of Calgary and area.- 30 -Media Contacts:Mary KapustaDirector, CommunicationsCalgary Public LibraryP: 403.774.7256mary.kapusta@calgarylibrary.caRachael TernerManager of CommunicationsCalgary Public Library FoundationC: 403.680.0626rachael@addin.caJanice FranceyCommunications AssociateCalgary FoundationC: 403.617.1998JFrancey@calgaryfoundation.org
Read more about "Stories"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."Homebound Readers
Read more about "Take your Library out into the world"Councillor Kourtney Penner Committee Membership: City Councillor, Ward 11 Term End: 2024 Kourtney has always been an avid reader. As a kid, she loved library day in school, book fairs, and visits from what we now call the Book Truck. It’s no surprise that she studied English Literature in university. Now she enjoys attending and hosting events at the Library, bringing her own children to experience reading and playing, and taking out books (and occasionally returning them on time). Kourtney sees Calgary Public Library as an innovative civic institution, leading the way with both programming and building design. She is keen to support the continued value that Calgary Public Library delivers to Calgarians and encourage ongoing initiatives, especially those focused on youth, seniors, marginalized populations, and low-income Calgarians.
Read more about "Councillor Kourtney Penner"Calgary Public Library is piloting new programs and services at libraries across the city, in anticipation of launching them at the new Central Library. This testing helps ensure all our libraries are imaginative and innovative spaces, while simultaneously giving us an opportunity to prepare for our newest building. Here’s a glimpse at some of the features:FurnitureCentral Library will feature 17 different categories of chairs to sit in, with over 2,000 public seats in total! You’ll find lounge chairs for reading, study seating with access to power, chairs of all sizes for children, café chairs, and more — all chosen with flexibility, durability, and accessibility in mind. Chairs, tables, desks, and shelving units have been tried out in libraries across Calgary, including pods at Saddletowne Library. This type of seating is great for small groups, as it’s sound absorbing and includes power outlets.Library SchoolSince March 2018, elementary school students have been coming to Central Library for Cenovus Campus Calgary Library School. At Cenovus Library School, students, their teacher and parent volunteers use the Library as their classroom for a week of hands-on, inquiry learning. Cenovus Library School launches at the new Central Library in November 2018, for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12. Whether experiencing the hands-on Questionarium, exploring resources in the Calgary’s Story collection, or meeting artists in residence and Library staff experts, students and teachers are sure to be inspired by five floors of story at Central Library.Early Learning CentresCalgary Public Library is excited for our littlest members to explore our newest Early Learning Centre this November. The Library’s 12 Early Learning Centres are vibrant and interactive spaces designed for young children to learn through play. Successful features have been duplicated from one space to the next, while fresh elements are tested at each new centre. At Central Library, the focus will be on full-body play. A full-body play structure was tried out at Crowfoot Library, with the Bird’s Eye View Early Learning Centre. Both centres are designed for kids to climb, crawl, explore, and imagine!Room Booking SoftwareCentral Library features over 30 free bookable meeting rooms for members. They’re perfect for your next book club meeting, study group, or business gathering space. How do you book rooms, you might wonder? In Quarry Park Library, staff and Library members have piloted a new room booking software. The software is simple to use, with a device outside each bookable room. On the device, you can see all upcoming bookings for the day, have the option to complete day-of bookings, and easily unlock the meeting space for your booked time — all with your free Library card.Create SpaceCentral Library will feature a Create Space, a place for community members to collaborate and engage in dialogue with others. The Create Space — tested at Memorial Park and Central libraries — showcases the diversity, originality, and inventiveness of the community. Mad Libs YYC edition, leaving an encouraging coffee sleeve, blackout poetry, and writing on typewriters are a few examples of activities sampled. The Create Space provides members with whimsical and playful experiences, plus community interaction and collaboration. Come create with us at Central Library this fall.
Read more about "Stories 5 new Central Library Features You Can See In Your Local Library"