World Book is a collection of online encyclopedias which can teach you all kinds of things. Calgary Public Library has four versions you can choose from in the Digital Library. World Book Online for Kids is great for young readers. World Book Online Student is meant for elementary and junior high students. World Book Advanced is perfect for high school assignments. World Book Timelines is an interactive database of world events.
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Read more about "Ask our experts"Ruth Scalp Lock Ruth was born on the Siksika First Nation, east of Calgary. Her Father was Blackfoot and her mother was Cree. She was raised in her traditional culture. As a young child, she was placed in the Indian Residential School, where she suffered much abuse. She survived that experience and the following years of addiction and violence. In 1974, she experienced spiritual reawakening and chose a healing path. She worked in many helping places until she had the vision to address the legacy of her people, working for many years to establish a shelter for Aboriginal women based on a cultural approach. Ruth ran for the position of MLA in southern Alberta in 1992 for the NDP. She then ran and was subsequently elected as a Band Councillor at Siksika Nation, where she sat for 18 years. In 2014, she released her book titled My Name Is Shield Woman: A Hard Road to Healing, Vision and Leadership. Today, Ruth is a healer, community builder, and Elder. She is currently involved in the issue of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in Canada. Ruth is a voice for cross-cultural understanding and forgiveness, as the beginning of reconciliation of the past and building the future.
Read more about "Ruth Scalp Lock"CMLC Announces Artist for New Central Library’s Public Art Program International artist Christian Moeller to create three-piece sculpture and a mural that uses 11,000 booksCALGARY, AB — Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) — lead developer of Calgary’s Central Library, a $245 million fully-funded civic amenity in the re-emerging neighbourhood of East Village — is delighted to announce the public art installations for the New Central Library and to introduce the artist who’ll create them.“Our search for an artist whose work would befit a landmark facility like the New Central Library began in 2014, when we issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from local, national and international artists,” says Susan Veres, senior vice president of strategy & business development. “More than two hundred artists and artist teams from all over the world responded to the RFQ—an emphatic testament to the significance of the opportunity.”The budget for the commission was guided by City of Calgary’s Public Art Policy, which includes a “percent for public art” strategy for funding the acquisition, administration and management of public art in Calgary. To complete the public art installations for the New Central Library, the selected artist worked with a budget of $2 million which is inclusive of all fees, expenses, and fabrication costs, delivery and installation.Through a robust and multi-staged selection process which was informed by the City of Calgary’s Public Art Program, the responses CMLC received—239 in total—were first narrowed to a list of 35. The task of establishing a shortlist to then advance to a Request for Proposals (RFP) stage was guided by a Volunteer Art Committee comprising a community resident, an artist and representative from ACAD, a curator from Glenbow Museum, a rep from Calgary Public Library and a rep from Calgary Arts Development organization. Non-voting members/observers included reps from CMLC, City of Calgary Public Art Program and the NCL design team.Read the complete media release on CMLC's website.
Read more about "Stories"LinkedIn Learning for Library is a free website and app that you can use to learn on the go and at home. It’s a great resource for people looking to try something new or expand on existing skills. Courses are sorted into popular topics. Not sure which interest to pursue first? Try some of these categories of study. Business You’re just a few courses away from taking that next step in your career with free business courses on LinkedIn Learning for Library. Because you get a certificate of achievement for every course you complete in this app, you can add the experience you gain to your resume, which can help impress employers. This app has courses on project management, marketing, team building, and improving your skills with Microsoft Office. Photography Learn tips and tricks for improving your photography skills. Want to take a better family photo? Know your camera equipment inside and out after studying tech tutorials, or learn how to take your photography on the go with tips for shooting with your mobile device. If you want to turn this hobby into some extra cash, then pick up some pointers for earning money shooting stock photography. Filmmaking Are you the next Steven Spielberg? Get the skills you need to break into the world of filmmaking. Begin by learning the latest advancements in programs like Adobe Premiere Pro CC and After Effects, and work your way up to creating your first short film. Music Make sweet music with lessons for every skill level in instruments from jazz piano to banjo. Let your songwriter dreams soar with vocal lessons and tips on writing and reading sheet music. Learn to polish your product by unlocking professional music production secrets. Then, once you’ve got your act together, find out how to make money from your gigs and merch sales by taking advantage of tax and accounting tips for musicians. Art and Animation Learn how to bring your story to life on the page with classes in art and animation. Figure out how to create your own concept art for your projects, gain valuable tips and tricks from the field of animation, and learn to block out scenes with animated assets. Web Development Become a full-stack web developer with tutorials on back-end and front-end technologies. Learn to incorporate principles of accessible web design in all of your projects, or, if you’re just starting out, learn the essential ins and outs of HTML. Download LinkedIn Learning for Library today for iOS or Android.
Read more about "Stories Five New Skills You Can Learn with Lynda"As Calgary Public Library prepares for the opening of the new Central Library on November 1, we’re also saying goodbye to Central Library, our home for the past 55 years. Take a look at photos from our past and see how our beloved downtown Library has served a growing city for more than five decades.Plans for a new Central Library were in the works as early as 1954, amid a space crunch at Memorial Park Library. But after two failed plebiscites for a new library in the 1950s, the project stalled.In 1961, Mayor Harry Hays told Chief Librarian W.R. Castell that a downtown area across from city hall, slated for urban renewal, could include a new library. No plebiscite would be needed this time; the money would come from a surplus in land sales for new subdivisions. In February 1962, construction of a new downtown Library began on the site of a former service station.Central Library, in all its brutalist splendor, officially opened on June 15, 1963. Castell was thrilled. “Except for the day in January 1912 when the doors of the Library opened for the first time to the public, June 15, 1963, will be long remembered as the most important date in the history of the institution,” he said.The Library was designed by J.H. Cook and Associates, a Calgary architectural firm. Its monolithic look was typical of office buildings at the time. Inside, interior details included an orange, gold, and blue-green colour plan, teak bookshelves and catalogue cabinets, white formica tables, and blue and nutmeg carpeting.While opening day featured a speech by Lieutenant Governor Percy Page, not everyone got to hear it. Seventeen people got stuck in an elevator for 35 minutes. As Central patrons know well, elevator challenges have continued over the years.When it opened, Central Library had a children’s area in the basement, next to a newspaper reading room. The main floor housed a circulation desk and a carpeted reading lounge filled with comfortable seating, where smoking was permitted.The second floor, the reference department, offered the Library’s first-ever coin-operated Xerox photocopying machine for patrons. The third floor had music and film rooms, books on art, music, and theatre, and an art gallery operated by the Glenbow Foundation.The fourth floor was used for the storage of books and the fifth floor housed the ordering, cataloguing, and bookbinding departments. Finally, the sixth floor contained the administrative offices and a circular auditorium.In 1963, when Central Library opened, Calgary’s population was just over 275,000. Central Library had a full-time staff of 41, and Calgarians could borrow books free of charge. They used a transaction card system, filling in cards with their names and address to check out books.In the 1970s, as energy prices soared, Calgary became one of the fastest-growing cities in North America. It soon became apparent more room was needed at Central Library.In early 1971, a formal request went to the city for a much-needed extension, and construction started the following year. The six-storey addition to the north of Central Library opened in 1974.A second-floor theatre was added, and the Library was renamed the W.R. Castell Central Library. A metal sculpture was commissioned and added to what was then the front of the Library, a piece of public art by Robert Oldrich known as “Library Frieze.”Over the years, there’s been many renovations at Central Library. A dedicated Canadiana room opened on the main floor in 1967, Canada’s centennial year. In 1981, the fourth floor of Central Library’s north extension was opened to the public. With wider aisles and lower shelves, it was designed to be accessible to people with disabilities.In 1990, work started on major renovations, including an expanded second-floor children’s area, a secure room for the Local History collection, and a new main entrance at the southwest corner. In 1993, Central’s theatre was named in honour of John Dutton, the chief librarian from 1979 to 1991.In 2011, Central Library’s main floor was renovated to accommodate the new City Hall LRT platform. In 2013, a catastrophic June flood profoundly affected Alberta and Calgary, including Central Library’s lower level, where water seepage caused significant damage.In 2016, Central Library welcomed a big addition. A decommissioned fire truck was moved to the main floor. Engine 23 was retrofitted into a space for kids to play, read, learn, and listen to regular storytimes with firefighters.After 55 years in our current home, we can’t wait to welcome you to the new Central Library. Come visit starting November 1.Want to learn more? Read The Calgary Public Library: Inspiring Life Stories Since 1912 by Brian Brennan, explore the online Calgary Public Library Archives: Our Story in Pictures, and visit the Vintage Media Lab in the new Central Library.
Read more about "Stories Saying Goodbye to Central Library Photos Through the Years (1962 – 2018)"How has the Calgary Public Library made a difference in your life?We posed this question one year ago, and started sharing people’s answers through our Library Stories initiative. Calgarians told us memorable stories, about how the Library made them feel connected to their community, how it brought families closer together, and how it helped during challenging times.For Henry Bastidas, who came to Canada from Venezuela, at first, the Library was where he attended free ESL, careers, and technology programs. Today, it’s a place where he gives back and helps others, by volunteering with the popular after-school program Math Quest.Daniel Rankin and his daughter Christine were impressed to learn they could sign out instruments at Memorial Park Library, and use their new Library cards at home to download eBooks and take online courses. More importantly, they discovered the Library was a place to be together.Connections are also key for Mirna Khaled and her twins Julia and Jalal, who regularly visit Forest Lawn Library. Libraries are the perfect place to meet neighbours and friends, they say. Forest Lawn Library is also where Michelle Robinson organizes an Indigenous-focused book club that she says has changed her life.These are just a few of the stories Calgarians have shared over the past year, since the launch of the Library Stories initiative.We heard from people of varying ages, from 11-year-old Esandi Babaranda — who loves reading at the beautiful Crowfoot Library — to 90-year-old Nellie Befus, who has volunteered with Calgary Public Library for 44 consecutive years.For some people, including Stephanie Mok and Scottie Grinton, Calgary’s libraries have been a safe place they turned to during challenging times.Others credit the Library with helping shape their careers, like Val Lawton, who spent countless hours at Giuffre Family Library when starting out as a children’s book illustrator.For newcomer Boban Stojanovic, receiving a Library card at Nose Hill Library was significant. Amid an ongoing refugee claimant process, the card gave him a sense of belonging and made him feel equal to other Calgarians.The subject of our most recent Library Story, Frank O’Keeffe, first signed up for a Calgary Public Library card about 50 years ago. How he uses the Library has changed over the years, from a place to study to a place to feel companionship. Libraries, says Frank, are invaluable places in our communities.Thank you to the many people who shared their stories with us over the past year!We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories One Year of Library Stories The Library has been inspiring life stories for over 100 years. This year, we started sharing them."Our 21 libraries are all welcoming and accepting spaces, and the Library is proud to host Reading with Royalty at a different location each month. This family-friendly storytime program, supported by ATB Financial, celebrates inclusion and diversity. Local drag queen and king performers read books to children and families, sharing messages of acceptance and respect. "What I hope that kids take away from these things is just to be myself, not to treat my friend who might be different differently, and to have that respect that we are all the same, but we are all different," said Shane Onyou, a drag king perfomer for Reading with Royalty. Clayton, a 10-year-old who performs in the all-ages drag scene as Summer Cadence, comes to the program with his mom, Beckie."The fact that it teaches acceptance and like, there's drag performers actually reading, and not just, same-day-here Library staff. It makes it, like ... I don't know what the word is," said Clayton. "Fabulous?" Beckie offered. Reading with Royalty is offered in various Library locations throughout the year. No registration is required; visit the programs page to find an upcoming storytime.
Read more about "Stories Library Stories: Meet Summer Cadence A Reading with Royalty performer and a Calgary family share what this program means to them"Francis Melting Tallow Francis Melting Tallow was born in 1936 on the Siksika Nation to Matthew and Nancy Melting Tallow. His father was from Kainai, his mother Siksika. His childhood name was Bluebird, and later in life, he was given the name Red Bull. Francis was raised by his uncle, Jack Big Eye. Francis learned a lot from Jack, including how to care for cattle and horses, which lead to his lifelong love for ranching and rodeo. He has broken a lot of horses! Jack did not attend residential school, so he had a strong base in traditional culture, which he passed on to Francis. During his childhood, Indigenous families came from all over Western Canada to work at the coal mines in Siksika, where the common language was English. Francis attended Crowfoot Residential School from 1942-1954. His traditional background and command of the English language prepared him as an interpreter and leader among his friends and schoolmates. After graduation, Francis attended business school in Edmonton, and then joined the Canadian Air Force for three years. He then returned to the cowboy life before becoming the first employee of Siksika Administration, beginning the operation with half a pencil! After seven years, Francis studied Social Work at the University of Calgary. He then went to work in Thompson, Manitoba at the nickel mine, before moving to Winnipeg where he worked for Native Alcohol Services and Stony Mountain Penitentiary. Returning to Calgary and Siksika, Francis worked for the Indian Association of Alberta and helped form the Treaty Alliance. Francis has six children and more than twenty grandchildren. He lives with his wife Ruth Scalplock in Cluny. He has many horses and is an avid hunter. Francis wants to see a world where there is a real awareness of Indigenous culture and history, and the effects of colonialism. He hopes for a full rollout of Indigenous control of Child Welfare, the settling of Land Claims, and a time when Indigenous and Western ways live together.
Read more about "Francis Melting Tallow"The Beginning USAY Youth Artists Collective Shawnessy Library (2021) This sculpture represents the Treaty 7 creation story of Turtle Island. After consultation with Treaty 7 Elders regarding various creation stories, a team of Indigenous women were inspired to interpret that story into a layered glass sculpture. The sculpture contains seven panels of glass that each represent the seven sacred teachings, as well as one component from the story. The animals, people, and Napi are all shown on their panels in the way they were interpreted by the artists to play a vital role in the creation of Turtle Island and the sacred land of Indigenous people. The sculpture itself is composed of tempered, sandblasted glass which has been set into rough cut cedar. Many Indigenous people utilize cedar as a sacred medicine, and it is viewed as a way to cleanse and bless areas, which is why it was used in this piece. The glass ensures that the sculpture filters the natural light in the space and interacts with the space in which it exists. The intention is to view an Indigenous story while seeing the books and stories surrounding it. It represents the ways we all can share our voice in unity and cohesion, without obscuring one another. Although the story is widely published, the artists received permission to share the artwork from the creation story but not the story itself. Those interested are encouraged to reach out to local Elders to find out more about how Indigenous people tell their creation stories.
Read more about "The Beginning"Our 21 libraries are all welcoming and accepting spaces, and the Library is proud to host Reading with Royalty at a different location each month. This family-friendly storytime program, supported by ATB Financial, celebrates inclusion and diversity. Local drag queen and king performers read books to children and families, sharing messages of acceptance and respect. "What I hope that kids take away from these things is just to be myself, not to treat my friend who might be different differently, and to have that respect that we are all the same, but we are all different," said Shane Onyou, a drag king perfomer for Reading with Royalty. Clayton, a 10-year-old who performs in the all-ages drag scene as Summer Cadence, comes to the program with his mom, Beckie."The fact that it teaches acceptance and like, there's drag performers actually reading, and not just, same-day-here Library staff. It makes it, like ... I don't know what the word is," said Clayton. "Fabulous?" Beckie offered. Reading with Royalty is offered in various Library locations throughout the year. No registration is required; visit the programs page to find an upcoming storytime.
Read more about "Stories Library Stories: Meet Summer Cadence A Reading with Royalty performer and a Calgary family share what this program means to them"