Most Libraries have community meeting rooms that you can book with your library card. Visit Book a Meeting Space for more information.
What will you do? 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. Program Length: One hour weekly What’s in it for you? Be a positive mentor for a child Help children improve their self-confidence and literacy skills Strengthen creative thinking, coaching skills, and supportive communication
Read more about "What will you do? What’s in it for you?"Indigenous Voices in Library Services Nations to Nations: Indigenous Voices at Library and Archives Canada is a free multimedia e-book featuring essays and images written and curated by Indigenous staff at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). These essays offer personal interpretations of Library collection items and reflect on the unique perspectives that First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation bring to libraries. Download your copy
Read more about "Indigenous Voices in Library Services"Marje Wing was working as manager of Memorial Park and Giuffre Family Library (then known as Alexander Calhoun Library) back in 2014, when architects first shared the plans for Calgary’s new Central Library building. Standing at the back of the room, where Calgarians had gathered for the unveiling, Marje remembers feeling blown away by the plans.Fast forward four years and Marje — who is now retired — will start leading patrons through the stunning new Library this November, as a volunteer guide for architecture tours. “I’m very excited,” she says.It’s just the latest volunteer endeavour for Marje, who retired from a nearly 35-year career at Calgary Public Library in 2015. About a year later she began volunteering at the Library.“I really believe in the Library. I love what the Library stands for,” Marje says. “This is my way of continuing to contribute to the Library.”Marje has volunteered with a variety of programs, including ESL programs, Special Events, and Colossal Playdates. “There’s such a huge range of things that you can do as a volunteer. You can find a fit with whatever your interests are,” Marje says.The same reasons that drew Marje to Calgary Public Library as an employee — that it’s a democratic institution, open to everyone — continue to inspire her as a volunteer. Plus, her new gig is a lot of fun.“I get on the floor with the babies at the playdates. I work one-on-one with an ESL student. I get to do things that are so different from when I was working,” she says. “Every time I do a shift at the Library, I come away with a bounce in my step.”Azmin Poonja, Manager, Volunteer Resources, describes Marje as a passionate and committed volunteer. “She is professional, accountable, and a natural leader. Marje is a great asset to our team of volunteers,” Azmin says.Calgary Public Library is recruiting volunteers for all libraries. If you would like to join the Library's team of volunteers, please visit the Volunteers page.
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Marje Wing Marje continues a 35-year involvement with the Library by volunteering"Julia decided to make a donation to name this space in honour of her favourite pastime: reading. Now you can pull up a chair to work, study, or read while enjoying breathtaking views of the city. Don’t forget to peer down to level 3 to get a new perspective on FISH.
Read more about "Sit back, relax, and enjoy the view on the Julia Turnbull Terrace."Stories come to life with animated pictures that help young children learn to read.
Read more about "Bookflix"At the opening ceremony for Central Library on November 1, five special members joined Library CEO Bill Ptacek and Mayor Naheed Nenshi on stage. Instead of a ribbon-cutting, these people were presented with the first five Library cards issued at the new building. The five members represent more than 670,000 active Library members across Calgary.Alex Grinwis is a 17-year-old Grade 11 student who has been using Calgary Public Library since a very young age. Alex loves reading, and is also passionate about music — playing piano, guitar, ukulele, and currently learning violin. When asked what they’re looking forward to about the new building, they said: “I’m just looking forward to having such a cool space to be able to go and do homework or find new books.”Nikki Brule is the proud owner of Yummy Yogis, a small business she helped develop and grow by using the Library. Nikki does a lot of research for her business at the Library, and often brings along her six-year-old daughter. As an entrepreneur who works from home, she enjoys having a space to come to, surrounded by books, where she can work and connect with others.Mirna Khaled arrived in Calgary from Lebanon in 2015, in search of better opportunities for her children: nine-year-old twins Jalal and Julia. Mirna appreciates the accessibility of the Library as Julia has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. In Calgary, Mirna and her children visit the Library two to three times a week; they like to read, play, and meet new friends. There’s even a book about Julia, written by Mirna and Julia’s aunt, on library shelves!Frank O’Keeffe is a longtime Library member who first got his Calgary Public Library card about 50 years ago. Frank, who is originally from Ireland, is a former teacher who has written and published eight young adult novels. He recently published his first adult novel that staff members at Shawnessy Library helped to review. Frank visits the Library several times a week and brings his wife — who has Alzheimer’s — to the ESL Coffee and Conversation program, for some chitchat and good company. “As an older patron, what I get out of the Library now is companionship,” he says.Felix McLeod Saunders is just two and a half years old and is ready for his first Calgary Public Library card! His mother Maranda is excited to have a new, public space in Calgary where she and her young children can connect with their Indigenous culture and learn together. Plus, Felix is really into books.Special thanks to these five members and to everyone who joined us for the opening ceremony of Central Library!
Read more about "Stories Introducing the new Central Library’s First Five Members"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. "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"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"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"Marje Wing was working as manager of Memorial Park and Giuffre Family Library (then known as Alexander Calhoun Library) back in 2014, when architects first shared the plans for Calgary’s new Central Library building. Standing at the back of the room, where Calgarians had gathered for the unveiling, Marje remembers feeling blown away by the plans.Fast forward four years and Marje — who is now retired — will start leading patrons through the stunning new Library this November, as a volunteer guide for architecture tours. “I’m very excited,” she says.It’s just the latest volunteer endeavour for Marje, who retired from a nearly 35-year career at Calgary Public Library in 2015. About a year later she began volunteering at the Library.“I really believe in the Library. I love what the Library stands for,” Marje says. “This is my way of continuing to contribute to the Library.”Marje has volunteered with a variety of programs, including ESL programs, Special Events, and Colossal Playdates. “There’s such a huge range of things that you can do as a volunteer. You can find a fit with whatever your interests are,” Marje says.The same reasons that drew Marje to Calgary Public Library as an employee — that it’s a democratic institution, open to everyone — continue to inspire her as a volunteer. Plus, her new gig is a lot of fun.“I get on the floor with the babies at the playdates. I work one-on-one with an ESL student. I get to do things that are so different from when I was working,” she says. “Every time I do a shift at the Library, I come away with a bounce in my step.”Azmin Poonja, Manager, Volunteer Resources, describes Marje as a passionate and committed volunteer. “She is professional, accountable, and a natural leader. Marje is a great asset to our team of volunteers,” Azmin says.Calgary Public Library is recruiting volunteers for all libraries. If you would like to join the Library's team of volunteers, please visit the Volunteers page.
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Marje Wing Marje continues a 35-year involvement with the Library by volunteering"Get settled at the Newcomers Desk Drop in to the Library to get support from newcomer-serving organizations. Meet with staff for needs assessment and referrals, document translation, language training, child support, education and skills training, employment, community connections and more. Newcomers Desk is presented in partnership with Immigrant Services Calgary, Calgary Catholic Immigration Society , and Calgary Immigrant Women's Association who connect recent immigrants to government agencies, organizations, and community members to help them build new lives in Canada. Newcomers Desk is generously supported by the RBC Foundation. Central Library Hours Mondays: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (CCIS) Tuesdays: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (ISC) Wednesdays: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (CCIS) Thursdays: 10:30 am – 7:00 pm (ISC) Fridays: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm (CCIS) Central Library Newcomers Desk is located in room 3-19B. Country Hills Library Hours Tuesdays: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (CCIS) Crowfoot Library Hours Wednesdays: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (CCIS) Forest Lawn Library Hours Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm (CCIS) Saddletowne Library Hours Mondays: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (ISC) Tuesdays: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (CCIS) Alternate Wednesdays starting June 14, 2023: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm (CIWA) Seton Library Hours Saturdays: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm (CCIS) Shawnessy Library Hours Tuesdays: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm (CCIS) Village Square Library Hours Mondays and Wednesdays: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm (CCIS) Alternate Thursdays starting June 22, 2023: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (CIWA)
Read more about "Central Library Hours"Sound the alarm! Engine 23 will open at Fish Creek Library in fall 2023.
Read more about "The new adventures of Engine 23"