Growing up near Fish Creek Library, Lindsay Hracs would visit the pyramidal building often. “It’s just somewhere I always gravitated to,” she says.Through university — a bachelor’s and master’s degree in linguistics — Lindsay would travel out of her way to study at the Library. Today, Lindsay is a PhD candidate in linguistics, and Fish Creek Library continues to be an important part of her life.It’s now where Lindsay volunteers with the Library’s Learning Advantage program, helping an adult learner. Over weekly meetups in Fish Creek Library’s breakout rooms, Lindsay and her learner work towards her learner’s goal of attending university. These days, they’re reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and working on information processing. When the pair was matched three years ago, the learner was getting by in daily life but struggling with reading and writing."There’s so much stigma around not having perfect literacy skills that the acknowledgment of needing help is a huge hurdle in itself," Lindsay says.Patricia Stephenson, Learning Advantage Program Coordinator, says people are often shocked to learn how prevalent low literacy rates are. Data from Statistics Canada shows that 17% of adults in Canada are essentially illiterate, scoring at level one or below on a system with five proficiency levels.Through one-on-one coaching and support, volunteers with the free Learning Advantage program help others. Lindsay has seen her learner’s literacy skills — as well as her independence and confidence — blossom.For Lindsay, the meetups have become a favourite part of her week. "When you have a personal connection with someone and you can help them meet their goals, it’s just so worth it," she says.While Lindsay brings a deep interest in language and the mind to the volunteer role, such a background is not necessary."Anyone who has time and enjoys books and reading can do this, and I think they should do it," Lindsay says. "It’s awesome."If you’d like to join the Library’s team of youth or adult volunteers,
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Lindsay Hracs Helping others meet their goals inspires Lindsay to volunteer"Engine 23 has a new home Experience Engine 23 at Fish Creek Library! The decommissioned fire truck will impress your whole famil y . Engage in imaginative play through a hands-on approach to literacy skill-building and safety education. Interact and play with the fire truck and take part in all of the standard elements of the Library's Early Learning Centre s , including mobility, climbing, physical literacy, and sharing space.
Read more about "Engine 23 has a new home"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. Display space is available without charge. Preference is given to artists who live or work in Calgary. Selected artists are given one-month showings.
Read more about "Bring beauty to the Library"Volunteer Qualifications Passion for numeracy Friendly and able to interact with children Non-judgmental Good problem solving skills Physical range of mobility and flexibility to conduct activities with children Volunteer Responsibilities Support program goals Help participants one-on-one to complete quests Provide encouragement to children and parents Complete an orientation and training session Ensure a positive, comfortable and fun learning environment Abide by the Volunteer Standards of Conduct
Read more about "Volunteer Qualifications Volunteer Responsibilities"Growing up near Fish Creek Library, Lindsay Hracs would visit the pyramidal building often. “It’s just somewhere I always gravitated to,” she says.Through university — a bachelor’s and master’s degree in linguistics — Lindsay would travel out of her way to study at the Library. Today, Lindsay is a PhD candidate in linguistics, and Fish Creek Library continues to be an important part of her life.It’s now where Lindsay volunteers with the Library’s Learning Advantage program, helping an adult learner. Over weekly meetups in Fish Creek Library’s breakout rooms, Lindsay and her learner work towards her learner’s goal of attending university.These days, they’re reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and working on information processing. When the pair was matched three years ago, the learner was getting by in daily life but struggling with reading and writing."There’s so much stigma around not having perfect literacy skills that the acknowledgment of needing help is a huge hurdle in itself," Lindsay says.Patricia Stephenson, Learning Advantage Program Coordinator, says people are often shocked to learn how prevalent low literacy rates are. Data from Statistics Canada shows that 17% of adults in Canada are essentially illiterate, scoring at level one or below on a system with five proficiency levels.Through one-on-one coaching and support, volunteers with the free Learning Advantage program help others. Lindsay has seen her learner’s literacy skills — as well as her independence and confidence — blossom.For Lindsay, the meetups have become a favourite part of her week. "When you have a personal connection with someone and you can help them meet their goals, it’s just so worth it," she says.While Lindsay brings a deep interest in language and the mind to the volunteer role, such a background is not necessary."Anyone who has time and enjoys books and reading can do this, and I think they should do it," Lindsay says. "It’s awesome."If you’d like to join the Library’s team of youth or adult volunteers,
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Lindsay Hracs Helping others meet their goals inspires Lindsay to volunteer"What will you do? Volunteers help in a creative technology space at Central Library. Volunteers share their own expertise through one-on-one or small group mentoring for teens (ages 13-17). This space supports connected, social learning and is guided by the HOMAGO model (Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out) developed by Dr. Mizuko Ito. An evidence-based approach incorporates research on teen development and learning, and best practices developed by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and its partners. The technology in the room — ranging from sewing machines to robots — is there to support teens' innate creativity and can be used in many ways. The volunteer role is to inspire and engage, and to give teens a positive adult role model — someone who cares about them and what they're interested in and is always willing to lend a hand. The volunteer’s own creative or technology skills are a foundation to build from, but they will find themselves doing a wide variety of activities in this role. Program Length: Three- hour shift maximum What’s in it for you? Develop interpersonal, leadership, problem-solving, communication, and time management skills Gain experience in facilitation Meet new people Have fun and contribute to your community
Read more about "What will you do? What’s in it for you?"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. Display space is available without charge. Preference is given to artists who live or work in Calgary. Selected artists are given one-month showings.
Read more about "Bring beauty to the Library"Volunteer Qualifications Junior and senior high school students (Grade 7 to Grade 12) Reliable, a positive attitude, good literacy and computer technology skills, and enjoy working with younger children Coding knowledge is a bonus but not a requirement Volunteer Responsibilities Attend volunteer training and orientation session Be a positive role model for participants Follow the guidelines set out by the program coordinators Ensure that the participants have an enjoyable learning experience
Read more about "Volunteer Qualifications Volunteer Responsibilities"Available at six locations, the Questionarium is a dedicated space for children ages 6 – 12 to enjoy books for their reading levels, engage with programs, and explore activity tables, interactive furniture, and designed spaces.
Read more about "Learn and grow at the Questionarium"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"More Indigenous language resources, as well as programming that preserves Indigenous culture and heritage, will soon be available at the Calgary Public Library. The Indigenous Languages Resource Centre will help protect, preserve, and promote Indigenous culture, thanks to $1 million in funding from the Government of Alberta.Located at Central Library, this will be the third centre of its kind in Canada, where anyone, with their free Library card, can access language learning, storytelling, elder guidance, and other materials.The project, which builds connections, supports lifelong learning and deepens understanding of community, is launching at the same time the United Nations declared 2019 as the Year of Indigenous Languages.“The Calgary Public Library is thrilled to acknowledge and support the United Nations’ 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages theme,” said Alayna Many Guns, Indigenous Service Design Lead for the Library. “Language nurtures identity, enhances spirit, and most importantly improves communication amongst families and communities.”More information about programming in the Indigenous Languages Resource Centre will be announced soon.
Read more about "Stories Indigenous Languages Resource Centre to be created at Central Library"Helping your school-age child with their science lessons at home? Check out our curated list of free digital resources from our Digital Library to help supplement their study sessions, keep their hands busy with science experiments, or spark their curiosity with fascinating science topics they’ll want to learn more about. Use your free Library membership to access these great apps and resources. No Library card? No problem. Sign up for free online and start using it now. Flipster Flipster is a platform for reading digital magazines that can be accessed on most devices. It offers a wide variety of magazines, including educational magazines for kids. Try searching these magazine titles: Is your child crazy about pandas, lions, or other zoo animals? Check out the Zoobooks digital magazine for full issues to satisfy their current animal obsession. (Ages 8 – 12) Make learning exciting with Brainspace, an augmented reality science and technology magazine for kids. Your child can make the articles come to life through interactive elements that can be unlocked on each page using a smartphone or tablet. Discover articles on scientific topics in other fun and educational magazines kids love to read, like Owl, Kayak, and Faces. PressReader PressReader gives you unlimited access to digital editions of newspapers and magazines from around the world. Find issues of popular science magazines for kids. They can explore animals from all over the globe in Wild and Canadian Geographic Kids, or discover the world of innovation, science, and technology in Whiz. National Geographic Kids National Geographic Kids is a database of articles, photos, videos, and eBooks for kids filled with interesting facts and information about our world. Explore the Science and Tech section to watch videos and read books about all kinds of cool topics, like robots, natural disasters, and outer space. World Book Online for Kids World Book Online for Kids is an online learning platform developed for young users. Children can explore a variety of topics in easy-to-read articles, images, and videos. You can also solve puzzles while learning fun facts. For young scientists who learn by doing, it also has easy science experiments you can do at home. Why do airplanes fly? How does temperature affect motion? Use the super-simple Science Project section to find out. (Ages 6 – 8) Your beginner baker can explore the science of yeast with this easy kitchen experiment. Once you log in to World Book Online for Kids, choose Science Projects and then Microscopic Life. All you’ll need is a cookie sheet, some water, a spoon, and a lamp to get a hands-on look at how bats use sound to see. Go to Science Projects > How bats use sound to find this activity. (Ages 8 – 12) What's your favourite animal? Discover where they live, what they eat, and how they sleep with the World of Animals section. (Ages 5 – 9) Kanopy Kids Kanopy is a free movie and TV streaming app with a section just for kids. Your children can watch their favourite cartoon characters and educational shows from any device. Season 3 of Science Max brings concepts like gravity, friction, and hydraulics to life in fun videos. Tune in to see an antacid rocket, a pumpkin drop, a mousetrap boat, and air surfing. (Ages 8 –12) Science Reference Centre The Science Reference Centre lets kids learn about famous scientists and research topics in applied sciences, biology, chemistry, earth science, energy, and astronomy, and offers great curriculum support for teachers. Looking for science experiment ideas? Check out their selection of science experiment books by searching for titles such as Science Experiments with Food and full-text experiment guides like the Egg in a Bottle experiment. Gale Virtual Reference Library eBooks Online Find full-text eBooks for learners of all ages in the Gale Virtual Reference Library on subjects including coding, business, science, and travel. Kids love DK Eyewitness books. They cover a range of topics, like animals, history, geography, weather, technology, and more. No need to place a hold; you can start reading them right away!
Read more about "Stories Science eResources for ages 6 – 12"Learn a new language or improve your English skills with interactive lessons.
Read more about "Rosetta Stone Library Solution"Learn the coolest moves of today and how to showcase your own unique style! The basics of several forms of urban dance will be introduced and participants will learn a short...
Read more about "Creative Explorers: Hip Hop"