No. However, kids and teens can attend free programs like our Level Up! Gaming Club. View dates, times and locations on our events page.
MEDIA RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 18, 2019Calgary Public Library is proud to host Red Dress Day at Central Library on Tuesday, November 19 in partnership with Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society. The day is to raise awareness of the ongoing national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). Event attendees will have the opportunity to meet with Awo Taan staff and community advocates with a personal connection to MMIWG and be invited to take part in a Red Dress Workshop."This event will bring people from across all cultures to engage in meaningful conversations and promote awareness,” says Josie Nepinak, Executive Director, Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society.A Red Dress Workshop invites Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to sit and create a small felt doll with a red dress. Each red dress is made is to represent a missing or murdered love one. A red dress can also represent one’s support of immediate action to address this crisis. The red dress dolls are part of a growing exhibition that will be displayed at select Calgary Public Library locations in 2020.“The Library strives to be a safe space where meaningful conversations take place and community happens. I applaud Awo Taan for their Red Dress Campaign and we are proud to partner with them on this event in the hope that it will promote cross-cultural awareness, provide healing and comfort, and help fight racism,” says Mark Asberg, CEO, Calgary Public Library.Event Schedule11:00 am Opening Prayer and Remarks12:00 – 2:00 pm Red Dress WorkshopRed Dress Day at Central Library is a free, drop-in event. While the event is all-ages, there may be some sensitive subject matter. Emotional support staff will be on-site and trained facilitators will lead the workshop. Event details are available here.For more information on the Red Dress Campaign, visit awotaan.org.About Awo TaanThe Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society is dedicated to supporting the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual healing and wellbeing of women during their time of crisis and beyond. The shelter offers a full range of in-house crisis and outreach crisis, healing, prevention programs, Youth programs, Parent Link, Family wellness centre. Awo Taan provides wholistic support and guidance to women and children and families from all cultures.About MMIWGMMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and Girls) is a national crisis that requires the public’s awareness and engagement. Indigenous women and girls are at higher risk and over-represented in sexual exploitation and trafficking compared to non-Indigenous populations.The plight of Indigenous women and girls in Canada has gained international attention and in 2015, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women called on Canada to launch an inquiry and noted its “failure to provide adequate and effective responses” to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.An RCMP report, released in 2014 determined there were 1,017 homicides of Indigenous women between 1980 and 2012, revealing a rate of about 2.6 deaths a month. However, the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls noted that the 2014 RCMP report likely underestimated the true number. The inquiry also noted that Alberta had the highest number of MMWIG cases between 2015-2019. About the Red Dress CampaignOriginating from The REDress Project, as an aesthetic response, the Red Dress has become an international symbol for MMIWG. The Awo Taan Healing Lodge Society launched the Red Dress Campaign earlier this year to provide support and awareness workshops to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Community outreach has included providing trained support workers to help those affected to share their stories in the hope that it will create a stronger call to action for all Canadians to address this urgent crisis.The Calgary Public Library has partnered with Awo Taan on the November 19 public workshop and will display the final red dress exhibition in 2020. The Red Dress Campaign is funded by Alberta Culture and Tourism.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. 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 14.4 million physical and digital items and with 6.9 million in-person visits last year. The awe-inspiring 240,000 sq. ft. new Central Library — the newest gathering place for our city — opened on November 1, 2018.- 30 -Media Contact:Mary KapustaDirector, CommunicationsCalgary Public Library 403.774.7256mary.kapusta@calgarylibrary.ca
Read more about "Stories Red Dress Day Comes to Central Library on November 19"As Central Library approaches its second birthday on November 1, 2020, six Central Library patrons, visitors, and staff share their stories of the space, and reflect on how the community has made it their own in the two years since opening. Want to share your own Library Story with us? Submit it here.John Warkentin “Central is important to me because I read a lot of fiction and it’s a convenient location for me. Going to a public place for free and finding knowledge or finding a quiet moment and rest — lots of people come here just for a quiet moment and that’s a beautiful thing.” Elizabeth Cheme “Central Library is a really nice location. I love the architecture and how they mixed wood at the entrance. This is great place for me to meet my clients because I don’t work out of an office. I have also used one of its recording studios to record a video for a client because he didn’t have a budget to pay for a professional videographer and studio, so we made the video using the resources here. "The Library is important to me because it made me feel like I was not alone. When I came to Canada five years ago, I was still learning English, but the Library felt welcoming and safe. I was able to meet new people and find new ways to be creative. I even took a small business program which inspired me to become an entrepreneur. Right now, I’m running my own business as a marketing consultant and I’m here today doing some marketing research through the Central Library. The Library provides you with the tools to improve yourself. I like to check out DVDs that cover topics like self-awareness and empowerment, especially for women. This is the best place to get involved and even learn about Canadian culture.” René Kamguem “I visited the first day that Central opened, or maybe a few days before the opening, because I was volunteering with the Library. The architecture is very good, I really like it. The new Library is bigger and there is more space for people. There are lots of activities and events for everyone.” Hailey Mckevitt “I didn’t know about Central Library until I started nannying and the need sort of came. I started looking for nearby libraries and which locations were near the train line. I visit with the kids to help them choose their books — it’s become a big part of our time together. The kids really enjoy it. Books are a huge part of their learning and of their life. It allows them to generate their imagination and it’s nice to be able to have a new selection of books for them to enjoy.” Yusra Said “My first visit was actually two weeks ago. Central Library is very beautiful, has a lot of open space and open light so it doesn’t feel crowded, especially during this pandemic. And I really like the services. It’s a really supportive environment. I don’t have a printer at home so that’s one of the main services I use here. The other thing I use the Library for is sitting in this open space — it’s a different environment from working from home online. It’s really nice to be in an open space with other people. And Central has this beautiful view of the city from inside the Library.” Mark Schultz “I’d say Central Library has improved a lot and we are always working on new programs and different ways to serve the public. There was a bit of an adjustment with the move but it’s a beautiful space and has good people. I love the people here; the staff members and the patrons are wonderful. And we have some lovely art pieces around the Library!”
Read more about "Stories Six Library Patrons Reflect on Central Library ahead of Second Birthday"1. Love podcasts? You’re going to love our new speaker series. Podcast Live! features leading podcasters and innovators behind popular shows like “Radiolab” and “Invisible City.” Learn about and register for upcoming free events on our programs page.2. Can you imagine climbing Mount Everest or scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands? A new virtual reality program lets you do just that. VR Explorers is a program that takes kids ages six to 12 on an immersive virtual reality journey with Google Expeditions. It’s offered at Central Library; find out when on our programs page.3. You already know you can use Library resources in-person or online … but did you know the Library can also come to you? We have five mobile libraries rolling into communities around Calgary. Our Book Trucks and Story Trucks bring the Library to schools, community events, and day homes.4. Indigenous Language Revitalization camps are now part of Library programming! In partnership with the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, free beginner camps were offered in the fall of 2018, to learn Blackfoot, Cree, and Michif. The Library plans to offer more Indigenous Language programs in 2019.5. There’s fun new places just for Calgary kids! Our Early Learning Centres are designed to encourage young children to learn through play, and now there are now 12 of these Early Learning Centres at libraries around Calgary! Our newest spaces include a real helicopter inside Seton Library, plus a chance to discover dinosaurs at Country Hills Library.6. You can now use your Library card to take online music lessons — the same card that also allows you to borrow musical instruments for free. ArtistWorks for Libraries is an Digital Resource full of step-by-step video music lessons with experts. Watch videos on many instruments, including guitar, banjo, ukulele, trumpet, piano and drums.7. There’s a new way to get your news with Calgary Public Library. Our E-Library, already home to Digital Resources like Newspaper Source Plus and PressReader, now grants access to the New York Times Online. Find all our newsy online resources on this list.8. With exciting new residency programs at the Central Library, you can now learn from an artist and historian. Attend talks, events, and workshops, or schedule office hours with our historian in residence and view art by our artist in residence.PLUS your Library card gives you access to eBooks, eAudiobooks, free meeting rooms, $5 of free printing each month, hundreds of in-person programs, popular magazines, free music, language learning resources, free films, online courses … the list goes on and on! Check out our original list of 15 Library Card Perks to learn more.Not yet a Library card member? Sign up online now or visit any Library location to get your free card.
Read more about "Stories Eight New Library Perks You Need to Know About Now"1. Love podcasts? You’re going to love our new speaker series. Podcast Live! features leading podcasters and innovators behind popular shows like “Radiolab” and “Invisible City.” Learn about and register for upcoming free events on our programs page.2. Can you imagine climbing Mount Everest or scuba diving in the Galapagos Islands? A new virtual reality program lets you do just that. VR Explorers is a program that takes kids ages six to 12 on an immersive virtual reality journey with Google Expeditions. It’s offered at Central Library; find out when on our programs page.3. You already know you can use Library resources in-person or online … but did you know the Library can also come to you? We have five mobile libraries rolling into communities around Calgary. Our Book Trucks and Story Trucks bring the Library to schools, community events, and day homes.4. Indigenous Language Revitalization camps are now part of Library programming! In partnership with the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, free beginner camps were offered in the fall of 2018, to learn Blackfoot, Cree, and Michif. The Library plans to offer more Indigenous Language programs in 2019.5. There’s fun new places just for Calgary kids! Our Early Learning Centres are designed to encourage young children to learn through play, and now there are now 12 of these Early Learning Centres at libraries around Calgary! Our newest spaces include a real helicopter inside Seton Library, plus a chance to discover dinosaurs at Country Hills Library.6. You can now use your Library card to take online music lessons — the same card that also allows you to borrow musical instruments for free. ArtistWorks for Libraries is an Digital Resource full of step-by-step video music lessons with experts. Watch videos on many instruments, including guitar, banjo, ukulele, trumpet, piano and drums.7. There’s a new way to get your news with Calgary Public Library. Our E-Library, already home to Digital Resources like Newspaper Source Plus and PressReader, now grants access to the New York Times Online. Find all our newsy online resources on this list.8. With exciting new residency programs at the Central Library, you can now learn from an artist and historian. Attend talks, events, and workshops, or schedule office hours with our historian in residence and view art by our artist in residence.PLUS your Library card gives you access to eBooks, eAudiobooks, free meeting rooms, $5 of free printing each month, hundreds of in-person programs, popular magazines, free music, language learning resources, free films, online courses … the list goes on and on! Check out our original list of 15 Library Card Perks to learn more.Not yet a Library card member? Sign up online now or visit any Library location to get your free card.
Read more about "Stories Eight New Library Perks You Need to Know About Now"A Library card is good for more than just books. Your free membership gives you access to a number of streaming services and online materials. When you get your Library card, you can save on these subscriptions: Do you subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Video? Try Kanopy instead. Stream up to 10 free movies and TV shows per month. Plus, with the newly added Kanopy Kids, you can easily find age-appropriate programming for your kids to watch. You might end up reconsidering your subscriptions to Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Prime Music after you try Freegal Music. Freegal Music will have you jamming at work and the weekends; listen to three hours of music per day and download up to five songs per week. Unlimited eBooks are available with more than Kindle Unlimited. Use Libby, your library on-the-go, to download more than 50,000 titles. Read eBooks or listen to eAudiobooks for free on your device. Subscribe to Audible? Again, see Libby. She’s the best friend you never knew you needed. Love staying-up-to-date on the world around you with The Globe and Mail, National Geographic, or The Economist? You can, for free, with your Library card. Access your favourite magazines and newspapers online with Flipster Magazines and PressReader. Love flipping through Vogue or Cosmopolitan? Stay in the know on upcoming trends and celebrities with Libby, where you can read current issues of thousands of magazines from around the world. Your total monthly savings: $73.94. Make the switch today.
Read more about "Stories Six Subscriptions You Can Save On With a Library Card"By day, Sean Brown is a software developer specializing in video game development. By night, he lends his expertise to the Calgary Public Library, volunteering for coding programs for kids and teens.It all started three years ago, when Sean graduated from university with a degree in Computer Science. He was looking to volunteer and knew the Library offered free coding programs. “It seemed like a really good fit,” he says.Sean, who had no previous volunteer experience, quickly settled into the new role. He’s now contributed more than 250 volunteer hours through different Library tech programs at Judith Umbach, Crowfoot, and Central.“I just like coming in and helping out,” Sean says. “It feels really good to go home from the end of a shift and think about all the people you helped.” Another benefit is meeting fellow volunteers, Sean says. “I’ve met a lot of really great friends from the programs.”At Central, Sean has helped two new tech programs get off to a strong start. He volunteered during the pilot for the VR Explorers program, where kids join an immersive journey with Google Expeditions using virtual reality headsets.He also volunteers every week as a Teen Tech Lab Guide for the new Open Lab program, where teens drop in and explore their interests through a range of technologies, from robots to sewing machines.Sean helps teens learn how to code using robots that can be programmed to complete actions — like somersaults and headstands — and respond to interactions. He also enjoys mentoring more experienced teen coders and sharing what it’s like to work in the tech industry.Maja Milavic, a volunteer coordinator at the Library, says Sean has excelled at each of the programs he’s volunteered with. He’s a reliable volunteer who is softspoken, kind, and easy to get along with.“He’s there for the fun, the camaraderie, for helping teens, and for supporting the Library,” she says.If you’d like to join the Library’s team of youth or adult volunteers, please visit the Volunteers page.
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Sean Brown Sean found volunteering to be a good fit with his interests and expertise"More Resources Blackfoot Language Resource Project from the University of Lethbridge contains audio recordings in Blackfoot, with transcripts, and others shared in English. Blackfoot Teacher’s Guide developed by Elders Reg Crowshoe, Geoff Crow Eagle, and Maria Crowshoe provides learning activities for students in grades 1-6. Empowering Spirit is a comprehensive collection of Alberta-based educational resources to support reconciliation. Four Directions Teaching is an interactive site for students grades 5 and up, and covers teachings of the Piikani Blackfoot, Haudenosaunee/Mohawk, Ojibway/Anishinaabe, Woodlands Cree, and Mi’kmaq First Nations. Guiding Voices is an Alberta Education curriculum tool for integrating First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives through your curriculum. National Centre for Collaboration shares information from an Indigenous perspective. It covers topics like biology, nutrition, history, and music. Niitsitapiisini Teacher Toolkit from the Glenbow Museum accompanies their online exhibit about Blackfoot (Niitsitapiisini) culture. Stepping Stones is a publication of the Alberta Teachers’ Association that supports teachers in learning to meet the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Foundational Knowledge competency. Ten Ideas to Learn More About Treaty 7 and Métis Culture like books, videos, and backyard adventures. Traditional Stories are available to listen to through the Glenbow Museum. These audio recordings are spoken in Blackfoot, with English transcripts provided. Werklund School of Education provides resources related to colonization, ways of life, literature, and decolonization. Books to Build On: Indigenous Literatures for Learning is an interactive web resource that is designed to assist educators with weaving Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into their teaching and learning.
Read more about "More Resources"Is your student looking for a good book to read in French or Spanish? Our Digital Library offers tons of free resources for kids who want to learn, read, and listen to books in French or Spanish. Check out our favourite tools below for supporting bilingual literacy. 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. eReading Room for Kids Find popular audio and eBooks titles for French-speaking kids in our eReading Room for Kids, including Harry Potter, Captain Underpants, and Dogman. Borrow kids’ audio and eBook titles in Spanish like Harry Potter, as well as fairy tales and science books. PressReader Read kids’ magazines in multiple languages, including French and Spanish, in PressReader. Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos Want to find cool facts about your favourite animal or learn how to make a craft in Spanish? Explore the Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos to learn new words from a visual dictionary, read articles and videos on a variety of topics, and try fun activities like making your own play dough. L'Encyclopedie Decouverte Get students excited about research and strengthen their French language skills at the same time with engaging activities in the L’Encyclopedie Decouverte, aimed at beginner French reading levels. TumbleBook Library Browse a selection of animated French and Spanish eBooks for kids that they can read, watch, or listen to in the TumbleBook Library.
Read more about "Stories French and Spanish Language eResources for school-age kids"Library Named for Pioneering Calgarian Judith Umbach MEDIA RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 26, 2015Calgary, AB — Judith Umbach is an unassuming Calgarian who has done a truly extraordinary thing.By making a seven-figure gift in her will to the Calgary Public Library Foundation, Umbach is paving the way for other Calgarians to give to the Library in a meaningful way.“It’s difficult for many of us who may not have cash on hand to say, ‘I’m giving something right now,’” said Umbach. “For many people this makes it possible to leave a legacy now.”“We call Judith a best friend of the Library,” said Paul McIntyre Royston, President & CEO, Calgary Public Library Foundation. “Calgary and the Library are part of her DNA – she grew up in Calgary, spending her free time at the Library. As an adult, Judith has taken up the Foundation’s bold, audacious vision to transform Calgary Public Library into the best library in the world for Calgarians.”Umbach chaired the Calgary Public Library Board for 8 years of her 12-year tenure and now sits on the Board of Directors of the Calgary Library Foundation and chairs its Council of Champions. She was honoured today with the Library’s announcement of the renaming of the Thorn-Hill Library to the Judith Umbach Library.The naming announcement was part of a grand re-opening celebration. Patrons from throughout the community, along with Mayor Naheed Nenshi, were on hand to witness the official ribbon cutting and tour the completely renovated library.Highlights of the renovation include: a lighter, more open interior; a colourful and inviting children's area, as well as a themed collection and display; shelving complete with dedicated lighting and new easier-to-navigate end panels; and, a new laptop loan program that will, at first augment and then replace, the fixed work stations – allowing patrons to be truly connected and comfortable during their visit.As patrons enter the Judith Umbach Library, they are welcomed by a distinctive wall that honours Judith, her gift, her Calgary-focused photography, and, of course, her favourite book, Jane Eyre.The 7,697-square-foot Judith Umbach Library is located in a multi-service building along a major transportation route and serves the 80,000+ Calgarians living in the communities of Beddington, Huntington Hills, and Thornhill.Judith Umbach is a Founding Partner for Add In, the Campaign for Calgary’s Library, a bold, audacious vision to take a great library system and transform it into the best in the world for Calgarians. The city-wide campaign will build capacity for each and every community library and will include projects with a strong impact for Library customers. For more information, visit www.addin.ca.The Calgary Public Library Foundation was created in 1999 to provide an opportunity for all Calgarians to participate in building a library system for today and future generations. Its vision is to enable the citizens of Calgary to have the best public library in the world.-30-
Read more about "Stories"As a little kid in the 1980s, I had assumed public libraries only existed on television — that they were part of a dream world that was totally unattainable in my own life as a child of Chinese immigrants. But when I was eight-years-old, a friend’s mother suggested we go get some books at the Library. In Calgary? Really? We had more than just school libraries here?Roaming among shelf after shelf of books, I was hooked. I memorized the location of the Thorncliffe Library (now called Judith Umbach Library) and asked my mother to bring me back for my own Library card the following week. For a shy bookish girl, it was a dream come true.I read almost everything, but my favourite books were by Beverly Cleary, Roald Dahl, and Judy Blume. As I got older I enjoyed reading The Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley High, and other series. It was a treat to find them at the Library, since $3.95 for a book was pretty much an impossible sum of money to me as a kid.Now as a mother of three, I have become a regular Library user again. At first, I signed up for a card so I could attend a baby class at Country Hills Library with my eldest, but then I got the Library app on my phone and everything changed.It’s so easy to put books on hold through the app, and it has revitalized my reading. Last year I read 64 books, and most of those books were from the Library. I bring my kids to Country Hills Library at least every other week — sometimes more! — and they love to pick out all sorts of reading material. We take out about 20 books at a time. My girls, ages eight and seven, are big readers, and my three-year-old also loves to be read to. The Library has always represented limitless possibility to me — so many books waiting to be read — and all that reading has inspired me to write my own book manuscript, a graphic memoir on postpartum depression. While working on the book, I borrowed a lot of graphic novels and memoirs from the Library so I could get a good sense of other books in the genre. And I just want to say that whoever is responsible for acquiring graphic novels for the Library is doing an excellent job. The Library has been an invaluable resource for me both personally and professionally.Follow Teresa and view her drawings on Instagram at @by_teresawong.We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories "I Read Almost Everything" Discovering the Library was a dream come true in Teresa Wong's Library Story"Houmou Guiro is no stranger to libraries. She has visited them since she was seven years old, checking out books every few weeks. But when Houmou moved from France to Canada two years ago, she discovered a library system much different than the one she was used to.There were books to read in Calgary’s libraries, plus so much more. Houmou joined an ESL Coffee and Conversation Club to practice her English, and later signed up for an ESL Writing Club. She improved her English skills and met friends at the programs, which helped her to feel more at home in a new city.“The Library in Calgary is very awesome,” Houmou says. “In Paris, you take your books and that’s it. Here, you have services for babies, for newcomers. If you want to open a business, you have services. It’s all free and open and you can take 99 books out.”Houmou credits a resumé development program she took at the Library with helping her get her first job in Canada, at a retail store downtown. “I had a French resumé, but it’s very different how you do it in Canada. So I learned how to do it and got help to improve my resumé,” she says.She now works for a not-profit organization called PIA, which offers services and programs to francophone immigrants and refugees in Calgary. In this role, Houmou tells other newcomers about available services in the city, including all they can do with a free Library card.“I tell them ‘You have to go to the Library! It’s very good. You can take out a lot of books and a lot of everything else too,’” she says.Houmou is also an avid reader, regularly checking out French and English titles. She blogs about the books she’s reading and her life in Canada. Lately she’s been reading a lot of books about entrepreneurship and marketing, as she works on launching her own business: a French tutoring service for kids.When Houmou had her first child, Demba, she took him to a weekly Baby Rhyme Time program. “I didn’t know any English songs, so it was very good for me to meet some parents, talk about our babies, and sing with them in English. It was so cool,” she says.She brings 19-month-old Demba to Louise Riley Library or the new Central Library every few weeks, just as her family used to take her to the Library in France. “We play, we take books out, we read. He likes turning the pages,” she says. “He really likes coming here. I like the Library so much 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 'It's all free and open and you can take 99 books out' Houmou Guiro's Library Story helped her feel more at home in a new city"The more reading a student does (whether it’s over the summer or during the school year), the more opportunity they have to build and strengthen their comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking skills, background knowledge and efficiency. Research has shown that children without summer reading and learning support may lose one to three months of the reading skills they built in the previous school year. This, in addition to a disrupted and stressful school year, might leave families wondering, how can we keep reading and learning this summer, while still having fun?Join the Ultimate Summer ChallengeBlast off to free summer fun with the Ultimate Summer Challenge at Calgary Public Library. Kids ages 0 – 12 can reach reading milestones, complete activities, and attend free interactive online programs. Those ages 13 – 17 can join the Teen Takeover. Registration automatically enters you to win prizes that are out of this world! Tracking your progress online helps you earn badges and qualify for weekly prizes.Sign up for Ultimate Summer ChallengeRead aloudA great way to expose kids to books that are slightly outside their range is by reading more difficult books aloud. Generally, it is good for kids to read things at their independent level and be read to at a higher level because it helps to build vocabulary and helps makes the listener a better reader.Do something unexpectedRead in unexpected places and ways, like a tent or around the campfire. Switch roles and have kids read to you at their bedtime!ListenListening to audiobooks counts as reading too! Listening to books can be a great way to immerse yourself in a series and can make a long car trip fly by. Download kids audiobooks for free with your Library card in our Digital Library.Browse audiobooksRead before you watchRead the book before you watch the movie. Why not start a family book club this summer and invite grandparents who live far away to read the book too? Check out great online videos of Canadian author readings and illustrator demos from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.Go to Canadian Children’s Book CentreShare through a book swapKids love to read recommendations from friends. This summer ask a group of friends to bring three to five titles over for a book swap. Kids will ask each other about the books and you'll naturally get the same kind of conversations that go on in the classroom.Get recommendations from the LibraryNeed new ideas? The Library is always a good place to start looking for children’s books. Check out our recommended reads for summer.See the listThis 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 Top Tips for Reading and Learning All Summer Long The Kitchen Table Classroom: Slide into Summer"The more reading a student does (whether it’s over the summer or during the school year), the more opportunity they have to build and strengthen their comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking skills, background knowledge and efficiency. Research has shown that children without summer reading and learning support may lose one to three months of the reading skills they built in the previous school year. This, in addition to a disrupted and stressful school year, might leave families wondering, how can we keep reading and learning this summer, while still having fun?Join the Ultimate Summer ChallengeBlast off to free summer fun with the Ultimate Summer Challenge at Calgary Public Library. Kids ages 0 – 12 can reach reading milestones, complete activities, and attend free interactive online programs. Those ages 13 – 17 can join the Teen Takeover. Registration automatically enters you to win prizes that are out of this world! Tracking your progress online helps you earn badges and qualify for weekly prizes.Sign up for Ultimate Summer ChallengeRead aloudA great way to expose kids to books that are slightly outside their range is by reading more difficult books aloud. Generally, it is good for kids to read things at their independent level and be read to at a higher level because it helps to build vocabulary and helps makes the listener a better reader.Do something unexpectedRead in unexpected places and ways, like a tent or around the campfire. Switch roles and have kids read to you at their bedtime!ListenListening to audiobooks counts as reading too! Listening to books can be a great way to immerse yourself in a series and can make a long car trip fly by. Download kids audiobooks for free with your Library card in our Digital Library.Browse audiobooksRead before you watchRead the book before you watch the movie. Why not start a family book club this summer and invite grandparents who live far away to read the book too? Check out great online videos of Canadian author readings and illustrator demos from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.Go to Canadian Children’s Book CentreShare through a book swapKids love to read recommendations from friends. This summer ask a group of friends to bring three to five titles over for a book swap. Kids will ask each other about the books and you'll naturally get the same kind of conversations that go on in the classroom.Get recommendations from the LibraryNeed new ideas? The Library is always a good place to start looking for children’s books. Check out our recommended reads for summer.See the listThis 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 Top Tips for Reading and Learning All Summer Long The Kitchen Table Classroom: Slide into Summer"Whether it’s physical books, online resources, or just a change of scenery, Megan Powell has found what she needs at the Library.As a small business owner, Megan uses various free Library resources to help build and grow Little Dot Creative, a branding and website studio.“I know that if there’s a problem, I can find something at the Library to gain knowledge and solve it,” she says.Megan has been turning to the Library for many years. Her childhood was filled with storytimes at Southwood Library, followed by checking out picture books with her family and hauling them home.She remembers a giant bin for Library books in the hallway of her house, and the joy that came from picking a new book each night before bedtime.“The Library has always been a part of my life, and it has just continued on into adulthood,” Megan says.Gaining New KnowledgeDuring an internship in university, Megan needed to use InDesign, a software program she had little experience with. She used her Library card to access Lynda.com, a free Digital Resource full of short online expert-led video courses, covering software and topics like web design and business skills.“I learned how to use InDesign and all the Adobe programs, including Photoshop and Illustrator, which are now used daily in my business,” she says.When Megan needed a solution for organizing her company’s financials, she put the book Profit First on hold, read it, and adopted new strategies. “There are so many amazing free resources that have helped me in my business and career,” she says. Megan occasionally brings her work to libraries, including Quarry Park and Central Library. She enjoys how the atmosphere is different from a co-work space or a coffee shop.‘So Many Resources’As an organizer with the Rising Tide Society’s Calgary chapter — a free group for creative entrepreneurs — Megan uses larger bookable meeting rooms to host events and co-work days.“Knowing that we have a free resource to be able to do that is amazing,” Megan says. Plus, she adds, the beauty of Central Library makes it an ideal place for a group of creatives to congregate.At those gatherings, Megan is quick to gush about the benefits of a free Library card, from more than 100 online resources to weekly Small Business Tuesdays programs to easily accessible eBooks and eAudiobooks.“I just don’t think people know that there are so many resources and so many things attached to the Library,” she says.Amid the isolation and stress that can come with running a small business, Megan says she has found support at the Library.“It’s reassuring and comforting to know that these resources are available at your fingertips, completely free to you,” she says.We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories ‘Amazing Free Resources’ Megan Powell’s Library Story began when she started her business"A Library card is good for more than just books. Your free membership gives you access to a number of streaming services and online materials. When you get your Library card, you can save on these subscriptions: Do you subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Video? Try Kanopy instead. Stream up to 10 free movies and TV shows per month. Plus, with the newly added Kanopy Kids, you can easily find age-appropriate programming for your kids to watch. You might end up reconsidering your subscriptions to Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Prime Music after you try Freegal Music. Freegal Music will have you jamming at work and the weekends; listen to three hours of music per day and download up to five songs per week. Unlimited eBooks are available with more than Kindle Unlimited. Use Libby, your library on-the-go, to download more than 50,000 titles. Read eBooks or listen to eAudiobooks for free on your device. Subscribe to Audible? Again, see Libby. She’s the best friend you never knew you needed. Love staying-up-to-date on the world around you with The Globe and Mail, National Geographic, or The Economist? You can, for free, with your Library card. Access your favourite magazines and newspapers online with Flipster Magazines and PressReader. Love flipping through Vogue or Cosmopolitan? Stay in the know on upcoming trends and celebrities with Libby, where you can read current issues of thousands of magazines from around the world. Your total monthly savings: $73.94. Make the switch today.
Read more about "Stories Six Subscriptions You Can Save On With a Library Card"