The Moms’ Stairway in Central Library honours moms everywhere. Eveline Wheatley Goodall, the donor who named this special spot, shares the story behind the name.There was no library in the small Alberta town where I grew up — a fact that seems shocking to me now. What is even more shocking is that there was no library in the school. There was a room in the school called the library, but it held typewriters. This was post World War II, in a relatively affluent town.What I did have in those early years of my life was what my mother called the blanket cupboard. Located in our house on the landing of a stairwell, it was child-sized. I remember being lifted into it to retrieve some stored item too difficult for my mother to reach. It also contained books. Once I eagerly learned to read, it was a wellspring of stories. When I finished one book I would simply hand it to my mother and she would reach another from the blanket cupboard.What did I read? The Bobbsey Twins; all the Anne books by Lucy Maud Montgomery; Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and Kidnapped. The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series likely started me on my life of paying attention and figuring things out. There were many others with titles now forgotten. A travel book, by a writer who swam the Dardanelles and climbed the Matterhorn, most likely started me on my life as a traveller.When I was about ten and in Grade 4, a miracle happened. One of the service clubs in town started a library! Using a basement room in one of the medical clinics, they simply asked the townsfolk for any books they could donate. (No magazines and no Reader’s Digest condensed books.) The library, open Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons, had one full wall of children’s books and three walls of adult books.Thursday night I was there: in the back door of the medical building, down steep stairs, a long hallway, a turn to the left, another long hallway, and in the door. The room was always full of people. Clearly, I was not the only one hungry for more books and the adventure and story and beauty of word they provided.The Moms’ Stairway in Central Library honours moms everywhere. Eveline Wheatley Goodall, the donor who named this special spot, shares the story behind the name.I have continued to love libraries and reading throughout my life. I adore fiction; my all-time favourite author is David Adams Richards. When I moved to Calgary and had my own children we regularly visited our local library, Louise Riley. Today, I borrow books and browse magazines at Nose Hill Library and attend Wordfest events at Memorial Park Library.When Calgary Public Library started work on Central Library and shared renderings, I was thrilled. I thought it was the most beautiful of buildings, the sort of architectural marvel I have longed for in Calgary. My husband and I were eager to support the new Library.As donors, the Library offered us a naming opportunity. I was instantly drawn to a wonderful stairway. This spot links the exciting and unique Jocelyn Louise Anderson Children’s Library and coffee shop, making it a logical place for moms. We chose the name “The Moms’ Stairway” to honour all of those good moms past, present, and future who encourage reading. And, of course, it is named for my Mom too, M. Oren Wheatley. After all, she was my first librarian, reaching into the blanket cupboard in the stairwell to share books.
Read more about "Stories Honouring All Moms The story behind a Central Library stairway"We can discuss Library services, present a virtual storytime, and share reading recommendations.
Read more about "Invite the Library to your school's kindergarten orientation."How does the Central Library stack up against the former building? These infographics compare the two libraries, including square footage, public seating, collections, meeting rooms, plus more. Central Library in East Village opened November 1, 2018, as the newest gathering place for our city. In its first seven months, more than 1 million people visited.
Read more about "How does the Central Library stack up against the former building?"The Moms’ Stairway in Central Library honours moms everywhere. Eveline Wheatley Goodall, the donor who named this special spot, shares the story behind the name.There was no library in the small Alberta town where I grew up — a fact that seems shocking to me now. What is even more shocking is that there was no library in the school. There was a room in the school called the library, but it held typewriters. This was post World War II, in a relatively affluent town.What I did have in those early years of my life was what my mother called the blanket cupboard. Located in our house on the landing of a stairwell, it was child-sized. I remember being lifted into it to retrieve some stored item too difficult for my mother to reach. It also contained books. Once I eagerly learned to read, it was a wellspring of stories. When I finished one book I would simply hand it to my mother and she would reach another from the blanket cupboard.What did I read? The Bobbsey Twins; all the Anne books by Lucy Maud Montgomery; Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and Kidnapped. The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series likely started me on my life of paying attention and figuring things out. There were many others with titles now forgotten. A travel book, by a writer who swam the Dardanelles and climbed the Matterhorn, most likely started me on my life as a traveller.When I was about ten and in Grade 4, a miracle happened. One of the service clubs in town started a library! Using a basement room in one of the medical clinics, they simply asked the townsfolk for any books they could donate. (No magazines and no Reader’s Digest condensed books.) The library, open Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons, had one full wall of children’s books and three walls of adult books.Thursday night I was there: in the back door of the medical building, down steep stairs, a long hallway, a turn to the left, another long hallway, and in the door. The room was always full of people. Clearly, I was not the only one hungry for more books and the adventure and story and beauty of word they provided.The Moms’ Stairway in Central Library honours moms everywhere. Eveline Wheatley Goodall, the donor who named this special spot, shares the story behind the name.I have continued to love libraries and reading throughout my life. I adore fiction; my all-time favourite author is David Adams Richards. When I moved to Calgary and had my own children we regularly visited our local library, Louise Riley. Today, I borrow books and browse magazines at Nose Hill Library and attend Wordfest events at Memorial Park Library.When Calgary Public Library started work on Central Library and shared renderings, I was thrilled. I thought it was the most beautiful of buildings, the sort of architectural marvel I have longed for in Calgary. My husband and I were eager to support the new Library.As donors, the Library offered us a naming opportunity. I was instantly drawn to a wonderful stairway. This spot links the exciting and unique Jocelyn Louise Anderson Children’s Library and coffee shop, making it a logical place for moms. We chose the name “The Moms’ Stairway” to honour all of those good moms past, present, and future who encourage reading. And, of course, it is named for my Mom too, M. Oren Wheatley. After all, she was my first librarian, reaching into the blanket cupboard in the stairwell to share books.
Read more about "Stories Honouring All Moms The story behind a Central Library stairway"'\n ', 'Artists, community groups, and organizations are invited to submit their work (all mediums including photography) for consideration to be displayed at community libraries. Artwork provides educational and cultural enrichment, encourages lifelong learning, and connects communities.\xa0Display space is available without charge.\xa0', 'Preference is given to artists who live or work in Calgary. Selected artists are given one-month showings.', '\n '
Read more about "'Bring beauty to the Library'"Join the Calgary Public Library for stories and play adventures outside, facilitated by the Library's Play Professor. Join us in the park at 6033 Madigan Drive NE.
Read more about "Pop-up Play with the Library - Big Marlborough Park"A Design Thinking Approach to Crisis Response Demonstrates Transformative Approach to Revolutionizing Public LibrariesCalgary, AB – The Urban Libraries Council announced Calgary Public Library as one of 10 Top Innovators during the 2020 Innovations Celebration held virtually on December 11. The annual Innovations award program recognizes and raises the visibility of cutting-edge programs, strategies, tools, techniques, and ideas from ULC’s member library systems across the U.S. and Canada.Calgary Public Library’s Design Thinking Approach to Crisis Response was selected by a panel of expert judges from 260 submissions in 10 categories that showcase creative thinking and imaginative applications of library resources. Calgary Public Library won in the category of Organizational Change and Strategic Management, with award winners being recognized for their level of ingenuity, the outcomes achieved and the ability for other libraries to adapt and implement their work. “This year’s winners have quickly taken bold moves to ensure that the library continues to serve the needs of the people in their community – especially those most vulnerable including children, stressed families, isolated seniors, and struggling small businesses,” said Urban Libraries Council President and CEO Susan Benton. “In the 10th year of our Innovations Initiative, we received the most dynamic and cutting-edge submissions to date. We celebrate Calgary Public Library for creating an initiative that will positively impact their community and serve as a model to public libraries throughout North America.” The Library closed its doors on March 16, and it would be 126 days before all locations reopened at regular hours. The Library had to respond to the crisis and ensure a continuity of service, but also position the organization for the future. With a unique operational structure in place to prioritize design thinking, the Calgary Public Library was able to quickly pivot in the face of COVID-19 and employ the fundamentals of this approach to respond to community needs during the pandemic, create a safe and rapid path to reopening, and launch long-term service innovations. "Calgary Public Library is proud to be the recipient of this award, particularly as it recognizes the work of our entire team mustering a coordinated, impactful, and timely response to a community-wide crisis,” said Mark Asberg, CEO for Calgary Public Library. “This response involved rapid prototyping and piloting and continuous iteration and learning. Leveraging our team's strengths in strategically aligned design thinking, a key success was keeping the post-pandemic future front of mind in responding to present day needs: deliberately contemplating how what we are building today is preparing us for a different library world that will not simply be a return to the traditions of the past." The rapid implementation of multiple supports allowed Calgary Public Library to safely pivot and reopen services to address immediate needs, while establishing infrastructure that will enhance services long-term. The Library provided insight and knowledge to dozens of other library systems, including health and safety measures, communication methods, reopening models, and new service ideas. The full award submission can be viewed at A Design Thinking Approach to Crisis Response. All 2020 ULC Innovations entries can be viewed at urbanlibraries.org. About Calgary Public Library Calgary Public Library, with 740,000 members and 21 locations, has been inspiring the life stories of Calgarians for more than 100 years. Last year, Calgarians borrowed more than 15 million physical and digital items and visited the Library seven million times.About Urban Libraries CouncilThe Urban Libraries Council is an innovation and impact tank of North America’s leading public library systems. ULC drives cutting-edge research and strategic partnerships to elevate the power of libraries as essential, transformative institutions for the 21st-century. More than 150 urban member libraries in the U.S. and Canada rely on ULC to identify significant challenges facing today’s communities and provide new tools and techniques to help libraries achieve stronger outcomes in education, digital equity, workforce and economic development, and race and social equity.
Read more about "Stories Calgary Public Library Receives the 2020 Innovation Award"A Design Thinking Approach to Crisis Response Demonstrates Transformative Approach to Revolutionizing Public LibrariesCalgary, AB – The Urban Libraries Council announced Calgary Public Library as one of 10 Top Innovators during the 2020 Innovations Celebration held virtually on December 11. The annual Innovations award program recognizes and raises the visibility of cutting-edge programs, strategies, tools, techniques, and ideas from ULC’s member library systems across the U.S. and Canada.Calgary Public Library’s Design Thinking Approach to Crisis Response was selected by a panel of expert judges from 260 submissions in 10 categories that showcase creative thinking and imaginative applications of library resources. Calgary Public Library won in the category of Organizational Change and Strategic Management, with award winners being recognized for their level of ingenuity, the outcomes achieved and the ability for other libraries to adapt and implement their work. “This year’s winners have quickly taken bold moves to ensure that the library continues to serve the needs of the people in their community – especially those most vulnerable including children, stressed families, isolated seniors, and struggling small businesses,” said Urban Libraries Council President and CEO Susan Benton. “In the 10th year of our Innovations Initiative, we received the most dynamic and cutting-edge submissions to date. We celebrate Calgary Public Library for creating an initiative that will positively impact their community and serve as a model to public libraries throughout North America.” The Library closed its doors on March 16, and it would be 126 days before all locations reopened at regular hours. The Library had to respond to the crisis and ensure a continuity of service, but also position the organization for the future. With a unique operational structure in place to prioritize design thinking, the Calgary Public Library was able to quickly pivot in the face of COVID-19 and employ the fundamentals of this approach to respond to community needs during the pandemic, create a safe and rapid path to reopening, and launch long-term service innovations. "Calgary Public Library is proud to be the recipient of this award, particularly as it recognizes the work of our entire team mustering a coordinated, impactful, and timely response to a community-wide crisis,” said Mark Asberg, CEO for Calgary Public Library. “This response involved rapid prototyping and piloting and continuous iteration and learning. Leveraging our team's strengths in strategically aligned design thinking, a key success was keeping the post-pandemic future front of mind in responding to present day needs: deliberately contemplating how what we are building today is preparing us for a different library world that will not simply be a return to the traditions of the past." The rapid implementation of multiple supports allowed Calgary Public Library to safely pivot and reopen services to address immediate needs, while establishing infrastructure that will enhance services long-term. The Library provided insight and knowledge to dozens of other library systems, including health and safety measures, communication methods, reopening models, and new service ideas. The full award submission can be viewed at A Design Thinking Approach to Crisis Response. All 2020 ULC Innovations entries can be viewed at urbanlibraries.org. About Calgary Public Library Calgary Public Library, with 740,000 members and 21 locations, has been inspiring the life stories of Calgarians for more than 100 years. Last year, Calgarians borrowed more than 15 million physical and digital items and visited the Library seven million times.About Urban Libraries CouncilThe Urban Libraries Council is an innovation and impact tank of North America’s leading public library systems. ULC drives cutting-edge research and strategic partnerships to elevate the power of libraries as essential, transformative institutions for the 21st-century. More than 150 urban member libraries in the U.S. and Canada rely on ULC to identify significant challenges facing today’s communities and provide new tools and techniques to help libraries achieve stronger outcomes in education, digital equity, workforce and economic development, and race and social equity.
Read more about "Stories Calgary Public Library Receives the 2020 Innovation Award"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"Get help from Library experts, who can provide research services to individuals, organizations, and large and small businesses.
Read more about "ResearchPlus"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"They believe, as the Library does, that arts and culture should be made available to everyone, regardless of their means. Sun Life has been a partner of Calgary Public Library since 2012, funding the Sun Life Arts + Culture Pass*. Calgary Public Library is grateful for Sun Life Financial's continued investment in the Library and to arts and culture in our city.
Read more about "About Our Partner"This program is an opportunity for school classes to visit the Library location nearest them to see how it is a learning space and resource in their community. L
Read more about "Learn about the role libraries play in your community"Pick up your copy at any Calgary fire hall or Calgary Public Library location.
Read more about "What is Engine 23? "