You can find books by searching the Library Catalogue. We also have staff recommendations and resources such as Novelist which can help you find the perfect read. Overdrive and the Overdrive APP Libby which offer a selection of eBook and eAudiobooks which you can access from home!
Last week, the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the discovery of the remains of 215 children buried at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.This national tragedy must be acknowledged.As noted in the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and the City of Calgary’s White Goose Flying Report, Calgary Public Library has an obligation to share the truth about residential schools and the ongoing, intergenerational trauma they caused.June is National Indigenous History Month, and the Library has planned a range of programs and events. In advance of our opening ceremony on Friday, June 4, we will be sharing information and resources about residential schools on our social media and website. I encourage you to read these materials, ask questions, and learn.We will also be sharing mental wellness and community resources to support those who have been personally impacted by residential schools.Learning the truth is an important first step to healing our community and we hope to honour all residential school victims and their families through this work.Sarah MeilleurInterim CEOLinks and ResourcesHonouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of CanadaPublished in 2015, this summary report from the Federal Truth and Reconcilation Commission includes details on the history and legacy of residential schools as well as 94 Calls to Action. White Goose Flying: A Report to Calgary City Council on the Indian Residential School Truth and ReconciliationThe 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 this White Goose Flying report and include local context and alignments.Indigenous Peoples Atlas of CanadaThis digital resource has Indigenous perspectives shared through maps, artwork, history, and culture. You can find more information about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It was created for Grades 5 and up. Library BooklistsTitles recommended in these lists help continue the conversation around truth and reconciliation.Residential Schools: Books for ChildrenResidential Schools: Books for TeensResidential Schools: Books for AdultsOrange Shirt Day 2020Orange Shirt DayIndigenous Canadian HistorySupport systems and resourcesIndian Residential Schools Crisis Line This phone line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience. Call 1-866-925-4419.Elbow River Healing LodgeThe Elbow River Healing Lodge offers a full range of primary care services and visiting specialists to First Nations (Status and Non-Status), Métis, and Inuit people and their families.
Read more about "Stories Truth and Reconciliation Resources A response to the discovery at the grounds of a previous Kamloops Indian Residential School"Through a series of webinars, Library resources and book recommendations, The Kitchen Table Classroom helps parents and caregivers with tips and tools they can use to support learning from home. Understand reading levels, get infrequent readers in middle grades excited to read, prepare younger kids for kindergarten, and much more with help from The Kitchen Table Classroom. Education specialists provide advice through online programs (you can register for the latest through our
Read more about "Welcome to The Kitchen Table Classroom"My Account Manage your contact details, access your print balance, book rooms, register for programs, and submit suggestions for titles to add to the catalogue. Learn more about My Account Borrowing Basics Find out how to borrow, place holds, renew, and return your items — as well as other hacks and insider tips. Learn more about borrowing basics
Read more about "My Account Borrowing Basics"Available Library Services Browsing physical collections Printing and copying* Wi-Fi Desktop and Chromebook access* Study space* Public meeting room bookings at select locations Eating and drinking in public areas Indoor seating for groups Interior book returns and exterior return chutes Early Learning Centres and access to small toys Wellness Desk Third-party poster displays Third party events *All locations except Rocky Ridge
Read more about "Available Library Services"Aspiring entrepreneurs can find free resources and practical knowledge. In the Arthur J.E. Child Foundation Business Library, discover resources to enhance your business. Arthur J.E. Child was a voracious reader who acquired a substantial personal library collection. He was also an avid promoter of business education and competence. Book the Field Law Meeting Room , a free community space, for your next entrepreneurial meeting, building connections between Calgarians.
Read more about "Aspiring entrepreneurs can find free resources and practical knowledge."'\n ', 'Read and listen to picture books in 65+ languages, including English, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Punjabi, Tagalog, Arabic, German, and Russian.', 'Download the LOTE4Kids app from the ', 'Apple App store', ' or ', 'Google Play store', '.', '\n '
Read more about "'World language storybook readalouds for children'"Open office hours with the Elders Elders are available for drop-in discussions at the Children's Lodge during the dates and times listed. Visitors are not guaranteed a private visit during drop-in hours, so we recommend booking a meeting if you have a specific request. Elder Adrian Wednesday, August 7: 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Wednesday, August 14: 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Wednesday, August 21: 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Wednesday, August 28: 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Elder Clarence Thursday, August 8: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Thursday, August 29: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Read more about "Open office hours with the Elders"The DAISY Standard Audiobooks on CD are available as the DAISY Standard, allowing readers to move around the text efficiently and flexibly. Listeners can jump from page to page, bookmark specific pages, and also go directly to a specific page. One CD can contain up to 30 hours of material; however it cannot be played on a regular CD player. The Daisy Reader is a simple, easy-to-use digital talking book player. Digital readers can play Daisy, MP3 and CD formats. iPads are also available for your use.
Read more about "The DAISY Standard"Get on the path to find a job, build your own website, start a business, improve your English, write your book, brush up on your computer skills, prepare for college, and more. Cardholders have free access to courses with their Library card. Once registered, the Library is unable to drop or transfer you from a course. Please read the course requirements carefully prior to registering for a course.Not sure how to start? Watch the tutorial in Niche Academy: Gale Courses tutorial
Read more about "Free, interactive, instructor-led online courses. "As Calgary Public Library moves into the new Central Library in East Village, we’re also saying goodbye to Central Library, our beloved downtown home for more than 50 years. In this month’s Library Stories, longtime staff, volunteers, and patrons reflect on their favourite memories and spots at Central Library. What’s your favourite memory of Central Library? Share in the comments at the bottom.Maureen Proctor, Library VolunteerPictured at Engine 23 on the main floor“This fire truck is my favourite part of Central Library. It’s just such a welcoming thing for children, for people of all ages. It’s always the first thing I look at when I come to Central. I come here to volunteer, mostly with the Library’s Special Events team, including events at the John Dutton Theatre. I’ve volunteered at various libraries since 2002, starting with the TD Read with Me Program. I still volunteer with the program and am mentoring an eight-year-old girl."I started volunteering because I wanted to give back. I like the fact the Library is open to everyone, people from all walks of life. The Library provides really incredible services — and the price is right! I’m excited about everything at the new Central Library, especially the Maureen Proctor Reading Nook. I’m volunteering to lead tours at the new Central Library, and I can’t wait.”Susanna Hartmann, Customer Services ClerkPictured at her desk on the third floor“This move, it’s like when you give up a family home. This has been my home for 35 years. This was my first job in Canada when I came from Hungary, and my only job since, my life. So, this is really like leaving a family home — the only home you’ve ever known, behind, and starting all over again. It’s very exciting, but you know, it’s just as sad at the same time."There are so many memories. We had so many friendships develop here. We had parties, we had baby showers, and welcomed new family members. We had retirement parties and Christmas celebrations. I built my life here. If I could say just one thing to this building, it would just be ‘I love you.’ I love you, I love you! I will never forget you. It is very sad for me to leave this place, but I know it will be good, and I know our new home will awe everybody."Jerry Fawcett, Civic Literacy LibrarianPictured in the Law section on the third floor“The third floor at Central has been my home for much of my Library career [since the fall of 1989, after starting at what is now Judith Umbach Library]. Many patrons come to the Library trying to deal with difficult life circumstances, which frequently touch on legal matters. Providing basic information or informed referrals often can get them started towards resolution."I am frequently reminded how simply listening, showing compassion, and making appropriate referrals can make a difference in someone’s day. I hope the new Central Library will continue to be a place where people who need help feel welcome and safe.”Gerry Burger-Martindale, Senior Transition LeadPictured near the east windows on the third floor“I’ve worked on the third floor since 1982, and it used to be such a dark floor. On the east side there were what we always assumed were fake window frames, with horrible 40-year-old Mylar covering the glass. The old Remand Centre and courtrooms were smack up against the east side, so you’d think it was one building. Then, when they were removing those buildings (moving to the new courthouse and renovating for Bow Valley College), they removed those buildings and left us standing — and suddenly there was light!"Morning light is so amazing in Calgary. In short order we started picking off the Mylar … and we could see out to the east. Now the seats in the east windows are the most popular."Unfortunately, only the third floor benefitted in this way, as we were the only floor with the “fake” windows, except for the women’s washroom on the north side — from where you could see beautiful sunrises, but someone was concerned about our modesty and covered it up with Mylar!”Bill Dyck, PatronPictured at his favourite reading nook on the third floor“I come to the library just about every day. It’s quiet, it’s a place to go — plus, I mean, books! I usually finish one or two a day, but always at least one. I read about 300 books a year, and if I were to buy them, they’d be hugely expensive. And if you buy it, so what? Then you own a book, but you only really read it once, maybe twice if it was really good. You can always check out a book again if you want to. Or come sit and read."This is just a really nice, quiet, private spot where you can sit and nobody bothers you. You can relax. It’s peaceful. It’s consistent. You know when it’s open, no surprises. And when I finish the books, I like going to [listen to] the author speak. Just about anybody can write a book, but why did you write this book? Why did you need to tell this story? Why write about aliens? What were you thinking? As a reader, you wonder. That’s the kind of stuff I want to know.”Kevin Allen, Incoming Historian in ResidencePictured in the Local History Room on the fourth floor“I started work here in 1989 when I was 18 as a Sunday circulation employee. I worked here all throughout my university years and early career — always part time. I eventually gravitated toward the magazine and newspaper department, stored in the basement, that was tragically flooded back in 2013. That was heartbreaking for me because I had spent so many years walking through those stacks."When I started Calgary Gay History Projectopens a new window in 2012, I went back to magazines and newspapers and luckily pulled a bunch of citations before they were washed away. These included old issues of Macleans and Chatelaine magazines from the 1960s, as they were among the first publications to feature articles sympathetic to gay and lesbian people. Of course, I spent a lot of time in this Local History Room."I think there’s something really important in large urban centres about the big, downtown library as a repository for researchers and access to information in general. I feel like the Central Library historically, and hopefully into the future, will be that place for Calgarians.”David Plouffe, Library VolunteerPictured at the Idea Lab on the fifth floor“My relationship to Central Library has been that of a living book, a volunteer, and as an Idea Coach. Central Library is also the place I pick up my books when I work downtown."As an Idea Coach, I always ask this question: what seed might we plant together today that can make the most difference to your idea? Planting that seed and encouraging the minds of Calgarians is what being an Idea Coach is all about."Moving from this space over to the new Central Library, I think people will not only be drawn into the space, but in awe of it. Even better is that it’s a space for patrons, whether they’re reading, using the computers, or visiting the Idea Lab. Being an Idea Coach, I think the space will help stimulate new thoughts and ways of thinking.”Richmond N’goran, PatronPictured on the fifth floor“I come here three times a week, sometimes more. I come here to use a Chromebook, or sometimes I take books from the third floor. If you’re looking for a certain book, people are always there to help you find it. And if it’s not in, they’ll let you know about other books. I like to do homework here, because there’s all the necessary things I need."I usually come here from school. I’m studying English now at SAIT, and in the winter I will start my main program, Architectural Technologies. I came to Calgary almost three years ago, from Ivory Coast, and did not know any English. I like all the services provided at the Library. If you can’t get a Chromebook here on the fifth floor, you can go to the third floor and use a computer for two hours. I also read eBooks online, and I like that 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 'There Are So Many Memories' Patrons, volunteers, and staff talk about their favourite spots in the old Central Library building"Scottie Grinton is a longtime Library member, a voracious reader who upped his visits when he became a father and started bringing his young son. Then in the mid ’90s, with his marriage on the rocks, the Library took on new meaning to him.“The Library deserves a bunch of credit for contributing to the saving of my sanity and my spirit,” he says.Scottie says he’s not the kind of guy that escapes to bars and clubs. Instead, the Library became his refuge.“It was a place I could go and feel safe and I could take time for myself, both in terms of escape, like reading fiction, and in terms of the sort of things I needed to keep my head on straight, like looking up counselling services,” he says.Scottie visited Nose Hill Library a few times a week. During those visits, Scottie remembers smiling Library staff who would always say hello. He found joy being in a comfortable place and devouring works of fiction. “There’s nothing safer than a book,” he says. Scottie gravitated to a diverse assortment of genres: cheesy spy thrillers, science fiction, classics he never read in high school (like Lord of the Flies), and summer reads.“I was lost,” he remembers. “When a marriage breaks down — even if a marriage ending is a good thing — your foundation is shaken up. I was looking for a place where I could feel emotionally safe and secure, and I found that at the Library.”Looking back now, Scottie says time, work, and creativity helped him get through a tough divorce. He also focused on being a good dad, and that meant lots of time spent reading with his son.In later years, when Scottie and his son moved to a south Calgary neighbourhood, the Giuffre Family Library (formerly Alexander Calhoun Library) became their home Library. “I really like this location because there’s an intimacy here,” he says.Scottie sees immense value in libraries, for being buildings full of books and resources, and welcoming places for people. “There’s such a need for community, for people coming together,” he says. He considers libraries valuable public spaces, quite unlike anywhere else in the city.Today, Scottie’s life is much different than it was in the ‘90s. He is happily remarried and works as a Realtor and a part-time actor. His wife, also a Realtor, is a writer with two books on the Library’s shelves.Now a grandpa, Scottie is proud that his three young grandchildren love reading. And Scottie still enjoys escaping into a good read; he loves plays, science fiction, mystery, and biographies, and is currently raving about The Essay.We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories ‘A Safe Place’ Scottie Grinton's Library Story helped him find hope during hard times"'\n ', 'Your free ', 'Calgary Public ', 'Library card is an important step in finding ', 'support ', 'in Calgary. ', 'At the Library, you can ', 'borrow books', ', mo', 'vies, and music', ', use computers', ' and ', 'Wi-Fi, ', 'print documents, ', 'attend programs to ', 'practise', ' your English skills', ', and get ', 'connected ', 'to newcomer services agencies ', 'who can help', ' you', '. It’s all free!', '\xa0', '\n '
Read more about "'Welcome to Canada and the Library'"