Celebrating 110 Years with 10 weeks of free special programming and events

Join us to kick-off the fun with Love Your Library Day on October 15

Calgary Public Library is celebrating 110 years of connecting Calgarians with ideas and inspiration with ten weeks of special programming, events, giveaways, and more.

The Library is planning multiple special events for visitors and sharing artifacts and stories from its 110 years of public library service. The celebrations will also serve as a launch for the Library’s new 2023 – 2026 Strategic Plan.    

“110 Together is a ten-week festival to celebrate the enduring power of the Library and share gratitude for everyone who has helped us to achieve this milestone,” says Sarah Meilleur, CEO for Calgary Public Library. “This festival honours our impressive history, and we’re also eager to share our new strategic plan and start dreaming big about the future we can build, together.”

The city-wide festivities begin on Saturday, October 15 with the return of Love Your Library Day. Love Your Library Day provides a full day of free, family programming at all 21 locations. Activities will include:  

• Free birthday treats to mark 110 Years  
• A special system-wide Family Storytime at 1:00 pm  
• Creative activity and craft stations  
• Special programming and performances, including face painting, balloon art, juggling, and magic 
• Musical performances in partnership with Stagehand  
• In-location contests and giveaways   
• And much more!  

“There is so much planned to mark this milestone — our team is working hard to create special exhibitions from our archives, shine a spotlight on some of our most popular services, reward our members with in-location surprises, and most importantly, express our thanks to the staff, volunteers, partners, supporters, and members who have made Calgary Public Library one of the most respected and popular library systems in North America,” says Meilleur.   

The Library opened Memorial Park Library, Alberta’s first major public library in 1912, and within the first year had over 9,000 members. Today, the Library has over 745,000 active members or 56% of Calgarians. The Library will be releasing its 2023 – 2026 Strategic Plan on November 7.   

To stay up to date on the plans for 110 Together, the public is encouraged to follow the fun on social media at #110Together and keep an eye on our website to learn details about upcoming special events, giveaways, exhibitions, and more. 

Love Your Library Day programming at Seton Library is generously sponsored by Hopewell.  

110 Years of Calgary Public Library  

Calgary Public Library opened its first location in 1912 on January 2, making Memorial Park Library Alberta’s first public library. The Library was made possible by a petition started by the Calgary Women’s Literary Club president Annie Davidson and a donation from the Carnegie Foundation. It opened under the leadership of Chief Librarian Alexander Calhoun. In the 110 years since then the Library has seen six Chief Executive Officers and expanded to 21 locations across Calgary. Learn the full history at calgarylibrary.ca/library-history   

Service Numbers  

• 21 locations that receive 7 million annual visits in a typical year  
• 56% of Calgarians are active Library Members​   
• 745,000 active members ​  
• 150,500 Library cardholders are under the age of 18   
• 14 million+ circulations (5 million digital | 9 million physical)​   
• 10.6 million calgarylibrary.ca visits    
• 19,000 programs delivered annually in a typical year  
• 334,500 square feet of community library space provided as of 2022