Learn about the role libraries play in your community This program is an opportunity for school classes in Calgary to visit the Library location nearest them to see how it is a learning space and resource in their community. L ibrary staff will share resources and expertise, and lead hands-on activities to support students in building awareness of the role of public libraries in their school community. Visits are 45 minutes long and are conducted for one class at a time (maximum 30 students per class). Bookings can be made for up to two classes ( larger groups possible at Crowfoot only ), with an option to extend your stay with a 25-minute activity. Book borrowing is not included in your visit, but you are welcome stay with your class afterwards to do so. Opportunities may vary depending on community Library location and size of group. If you would like to bring a non-school group to the Library for a tour, please call Library Hotline.
Read more about "Learn about the role libraries play in your community"Volunteer Qualifications Strong interpersonal and communication skills Able to carry Library materials Have your own transportation A genuine interest in volunteering with the elderly and sharing the love of reading with others Ability to work effectively with diverse populations Volunteer Responsibilities Select, deliver and return Library materials to homebound individuals Consult with your homebound patron to arrange for mutually convenient meeting times Maintain regular contact with Library staff to discuss the homebound patron’s needs Participate in the program for a minimum of one year
Read more about "Volunteer Qualifications Volunteer Responsibilities"The outside east elevator is staffed by intercom and available 24 hours a day, allowing for easy passage through the archway, connecting people between East Village and City Hall. On the west side, there is an intercom at the doors near the Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall. Visitors with mobility challenges can use this intercom to contact security in order to use these doors. Or, continue up the sloped walkway to reach the main entrance.
Read more about "From sloped walkways and street-level entry on the west side, to an elevator on the east side, the Library is accessible for all."I live outside of Calgary and want to use Calgary Public Library’s Digital Library Complex licensing agreements mean access to Digital Resources like eBooks, digital music, online courses, and movies is excluded from non-resident borrowing privileges across Alberta, including at Calgary Public Library. We are unable to provide non-residents access to these Digital Resources. Please contact your local library to share your Digital Resource recommendations.
Read more about "I live outside of Calgary and want to use Calgary Public Library’s Digital Library"My Account Manage your contact details, access your print balance, book rooms, register for programs, and submit suggestions for titles to add to the catalogue. Learn more about My Account Borrowing Basics Find out how to borrow, place holds, renew, and return your items — as well as other hacks and insider tips. Learn more about borrowing basics
Read more about "My Account Borrowing Basics"The outside east elevator is staffed by intercom and available 24 hours a day, allowing for easy passage through the archway, connecting people between East Village and City Hall. On the west side, there is an intercom at the doors near the Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall. Visitors with mobility challenges can use this intercom to contact security in order to use these doors. Or, continue up the sloped walkway to reach the main entrance.
Read more about "From sloped walkways and street-level entry on the west side, to an elevator on the east side, the Library is accessible for all."Volunteer Resources can provide a certificate of hours or a reference letter upon request for volunteers who need a record of their Library volunteer contributions. If you need to complete community service hours, please let Volunteer Resources staff know before beginning the assignment.Please contact Volunteer Resources at volunteers@calgarylibrary.ca for work experience requests, or to ask about volunteering as a family.
Read more about "Youth volunteers must be at least 12 years old and in Grade 7 to volunteer independently."'\n ', 'Volunteer Resources can provide a certificate of hours or a reference letter upon request for volunteers who need a record of their Library volunteer contributions. If you need to complete community service hours, please let Volunteer Resources staff know before beginning the assignment.', 'Please contact Volunteer Resources at ', 'volunteers@calgarylibrary.ca', ' for work experience requests, or to ask about volunteering as a family.', '\n '
Read more about "'Youth volunteers must be at least 12 years old and in Grade 7 to volunteer independently.'"From sloped walkways and street-level entry on the west side, to an elevator on the east side, the Library is accessible for all. The outside east elevator is staffed by intercom and available 24 hours a day, allowing for easy passage through the archway, connecting people between East Village and City Hall. On the west side, there is an intercom at the doors near the Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall. Visitors with mobility challenges can use this intercom to contact security in order to use these doors. Or, continue up the sloped walkway to reach the main entrance. Once inside, there are elevators, sloped walkways, and stairways for visitors to move throughout the building. Elevators have braille buttons and an audible elevator signal, and stairs have tactile indicators on the railings, and on the floor at the top of the flight.
Read more about "From sloped walkways and street-level entry on the west side, to an elevator on the east side, the Library is accessible for all."When Marian Erb moved to Calgary from Ireland 36 years ago, one of the first things she did was track down her community library.“As a newcomer, everything—from the architecture to the awesome expanse of Alberta skies—was new and overwhelming. The Library became a sanctuary for me, a home away from home,” says Marian.She recalls the welcoming smiles she received from Library staff on that first visit and the support given as she learned about the many resources the Library had to offer.“Staff are the Library’s most important resource,” she says. “They are the first point of contact for newcomers and ensure they have access to computers so that connections with family and friends back home is maintained as they acclimatize to their new surroundings.”While Marian shares a common language with native Calgarians, she can relate to that “lost” feeling common to the newcomer experience, when an accent can mark you as “different.” So, when she considered becoming a Library volunteer, she was drawn to working with people for whom English was foreign.“Newcomers often feel anxious in their new, unfamiliar surroundings. I remember that feeling and love to help people build confidence as they work to improve their spoken English. Volunteering in the Library’s Conversation Club allows me to reach out with friendship and find common ground…and then the words and stories start to flow.”Volunteering can be a daunting concept, but when asked what attributes aspiring Library volunteers should possess, Marian states that it’s really very simple: they need to love meeting new people, have patience, and be genuinely interested in the program they’ve chosen and the people they’re working alongside.“Volunteering at the Library allows me to do what I love, surrounded by beautiful, wonderful books in the company of friendly, like-minded people helping newcomers begin to feel like they’ve come home.”If you’d like to join the Library’s team of volunteers, please visit the Volunteers page.
Read more about "Stories Meet our Volunteers: Marian Erb Marian's work with the ESL Conversation Club helps find common ground"MEDIA RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 13, 2018Calgary, AB — The Library is the place to be this summer. Calgary Public Library invites kids, families, and teens to join the Ultimate Summer Challenge, involving more than 500 free programs at 20 libraries.Visit a Library this summer and you might be surprised at what you find: concerts, wandering magicians, exploding science experiments, dance classes, drumming circles, splatter painting, bunny obstacle courses, family yoga, tiny book making, puppy rooms, gardening, and much more. Calgary Public Library is partnering with nearly 40 local artists and community organizations to deliver free workshops, performances, demonstrations, and large-scale installations from now until September 7.The Ultimate Summer Challenge provides fun and educational experiences for everybody. The Library knows not all families can afford camps or lessons while school is out, so all 500+ programs are free. In addition to attending programs at libraries, kids and families can track their reading on Challenge Maps, while teens can complete online challenges. Everybody who registers for Ultimate Summer Challenge is entered to win awesome prizes, including iPads, Library Boss for a Day, and Chromebooks.“This year’s edition of our annual summer learning program is unlike anything we’ve done before,” said Kate Schutz, Service Design Lead, Calgary Public Library. “We’re offering free science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and math programs. Kids are sure to be surprised, delighted — and learn something new — when they visit the Library this summer.”The Ultimate Summer Challenge is part of the TD Summer Reading Club, which is a national program for kids held by Canadian public libraries. Visit calgarylibrary.ca/summer for a full list of community partners, upcoming programs (including dates and descriptions), and registration details.Calgary Public LibraryCalgary Public Library, with 630,000+ members and 20 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 14.6 million physical and digital items and with 6.8 million in-person visits last year. The awe-inspiring 240,000 sq. ft. Central Library — the newest gathering place for our city — opens November 1, 2018.- 30 -Media Contact:Mary KapustaDirector, CommunicationsCalgary Public Library403.774.7256Mary.kapusta@calgarylibrary.ca
Read more about "Stories"For immediate releaseSeptember 10, 2019Calgary, AB – The Calgary Public Library Foundation is delighted to announce a transformational gift from Calgary entrepreneur and philanthropist Susan Anderson; one of the largest gifts in the Foundation’s history. This generous donation will support early childhood literacy by enhancing the Library’s Early Learning Strategy.“The first years of a child’s life are so crucial,” says Susan Anderson. “I believe in the value of childhood education and wanted to participate in making this available to Calgary’s children to give them a strong start toward a successful future.”In recognition of this generous gift, the Calgary Public Library will name the children’s area at the Central Library the Jocelyn Louise Anderson Children’s Library in honour of Anderson’s mother, who was a school teacher.“We see kids with very diverse backgrounds coming to the Library for specialized Early Learning programs and resources,” says Calgary Public Library CEO Mark Asberg. “Donations like this help us continue to open doors for all of Calgary’s children, regardless of their socio-economic background.”The Library’s Early Learning Strategy encompasses five areas of focus: research, spaces, people, collections, and programs. Anderson’s donation will uplift each of these focus areas.Specifically, this donation will enable the expansion of early literacy programming both in Libraries and in the community; enhance collections development for babies, toddlers, and, pre-school children; and update existing Early Learning Centres to reflect current research.There are more than 90,000 children under the age of five in Calgary. Currently, 12 of Calgary’s 21 Library locations have a dedicated Early Learning Centre, with the goal to have an Early Learning Centre in every single location. Early Learning Centres provide children under the age of five a specialized space to learn through play – the best way for young minds to gain essential early learning skills.About the Calgary Public Library Foundation:The Calgary Public Library Foundation supports the Library through fundraising.We connect people and organizations who want to make a difference with the opportunity to improve our community. All donations received through the Library Foundation enhance Library collections, programming, and services.Since 2011, the Library Foundation has been working on Add In, the Campaign for Calgary’s Library. The goal of Add In is to raise $350 million dollars for the Library system. As of June 2019, we have reached 98.5% of our goal.- 30 -Media Contacts:Maegan MarshallCommunications AssociateCalgary Public Library Foundation403 774 2543maegan@addin.caNina RehillEdelman 403 630 6055Nina.rehill@edelman.com
Read more about "Stories Calgary Public Library Accepts Historic Donation for Early Childhood Learning"Calgary, AB – The Calgary Public Library is piloting a new service in partnership with Wood’s Homes to deliver mental health support for vulnerable patrons facing mental health challenges and addictions. The Wellness Desk at Central Library will provide free, professional mental health care and community referrals in real-time.“The Library is evolving to meet the needs of our city during an unprecedented mental health crisis, one which has worsened due to a pandemic,” says Mark Asberg, CEO for Calgary Public Library. “The Wellness Desk will offer a welcoming, safe, and discreet opportunity for all members of the community to seek help with mental health concerns or issues.”Central Library was chosen to host the pilot due to its centralized location, volume of visitors, and the high-needs population it serves. The Wellness Desk will provide an accessible and critical resource for those who may require immediate, specialized care while on Library premises, or those looking for information and referrals to other services. Any Library visitor will be able to take advantage of the no-cost services the Wellness Desk provides.The Wellness Desk will be staffed by mental health professionals from Wood’s Homes. They will deliver their expertise and care on behalf of patrons and their loved ones who were confronting challenges before COVID-19, help address the significant demand for support as a result of the pandemic and provide general mental health and addictions guidance.“Wood’s Homes is proud to be providing mental health services at the Central Library’s new Wellness Desk,” says Bjorn Johansson, CEO for Wood’s Homes. “Service accessibility and immediacy are contributors to improved mental health, especially in these times when many of us need and help and support. We have a longstanding reputation with the community and see this opportunity as another step in ensuring that Calgarians know we are here to help.”The pilot at Central Library will run from October 6 to December 31, 2020. The Wellness Desk will operate on a drop-in basis during afternoon and early evening hours on weekdays and weekends, adjusting service times to meet the needs of the public.For further details, visit calgarylibrary.ca/wellness.Calgary Public LibraryCalgary Public Library, with 740,000 members and 21 locations, has been inspiring the life stories of Calgarians for more than 100 years. Calgarians borrowed more than 15 million physical and digital items and visited the Library seven million times last year.Wood’s HomesWood’s Homes has long served the mental health needs of Calgarians effectively and with diligence. As a non-profit mental health centre, they provide 40+ programs and services to 20,000 children and their families annually.Media Contact:Shae PollockAccount ManagerEdelman403.817.0632 ext. 5181shae.pollock@edelman.comSylvia MacIverCommunications ManagerWood’s Homes403.270.1768sylvia.maciver@woodshomes.ca
Read more about "Stories Calgary Library Pilots Free Mental Health Services with New Wellness Desk"For many years, Glenna Cardinal traveled to her nearest Calgary Public Library to sign herself and her family up for their free Library memberships. Each year they came, they were told that they were not eligible for a free card, as they live outside of Calgary city limits on the Tsuut’ina Nation. Cardinal wrote letters of concern and contacted many people, but no changes were made.“At the time, free public library membership was still unavailable to Indigenous peoples living outside Calgary, unless they paid the non-resident fee, which was over a hundred dollars,” explains Mark Asberg, Calgary Public Library CEO. “This situation amounted to a fundamental institutional unfairness, in that Indigenous communities across Alberta have not had access to the free public library services available to others in almost all municipalities across the province.”Cardinal resigned herself to paying the non-resident fee in 2016, but when she went to purchase her Library membership, she was pleased to find the situation had changed. In 2016, the Government of Alberta provided libraries with funding to support free membership for Indigenous communities in their surrounding areas. When Cardinal heard about the initiative, she was keen to work with the Library to memorialize the journey to making this change, which took 104 years to implement – from 1912 to 2016.Cardinal approached the Library about working on a project to create Library cards that celebrated Indigenous women. The women featured on the cards are members of Glenna’s ancestry. These cards create a direct and tactile connection between Indigenous communities and the Library, and will inspire Library members from other communities to ask questions and learn more about Indigenous communities in Treaty 7.These new cards mark a more inclusive period of Library service in Calgary and point to an opportunity for us to work together on ensuring we all have access to life-enriching public library resources, services, and connections.Available at all Library locations as of December 4, 2019, these limited-edition Library cards are available to new and existing Library members. The cards feature photographs of Winnie Bull (nee Crowchild) and her baby daughter Elsie Bull (Jacobs), who are Glenna’s great grandmother and grandmother.Ask a staff member at your Library about switching your card to this new design at no cost.About the ArtistGlenna Cardinal grew up with one foot in the City of Calgary and the other on the Tsuut’ina Nation reserve. Her art practice is heavily influenced by the loss of her childhood home to the construction of the South West Calgary Ring Road. As a contemporary artist, she deconstructs the reserve reality that patriarchy and colonialism have created in her community. Cardinal’s work revives the matriarchal voices of her Tsuut’ina grandmothers.
Read more about "Stories Limited Edition Membership Card Now Available The cards feature Tsuut'ina artist Glenna Cardinal's family photos and her work promoting inclusion"August 19, 2019 – Calgary, AB – The Calgary Public Library is very pleased to announce that Mark Asberg has been appointed CEO effective September 1, 2019. Asberg has been with the Library for more than five years in the role of Director of Service Delivery. He was selected as the Calgary Public Library's CEO after an internal search by the Calgary Public Library Board with assistance from an executive recruitment consultant.“It is an honour to have been selected to lead such an important and inspiring organization. I am looking forward to working with the library team, partner organizations, and Calgarians to grow and expand the positive impact the Library has in the community,” says Mark Asberg, CEO, Calgary Public Library.During his time at the Library, Asberg has led a number of transformative projects and initiatives, including expanding library service to new communities, increasing participation in the library through enhanced virtual and mobile services and sustained growth in programming and outreach, and developing productive partnerships with key government and community groups, including Calgary’s school boards."When we began our search for a new CEO, the Library Board knew that we had incredible talent within the organization already. We are confident that Mark Asberg has the vision, passion and commitment to continue growing the Calgary Public Library and helping our patrons realize their potential,” says Calgary Public Library Board Chair Avnish Mehta.The Library would also like to take a moment to thank Bill Ptacek for his support during this leadership transition. Bill leaves behind a lasting legacy that has set the organization on a course for unprecedented growth and success.Calgary Public LibraryCalgary Public Library, with 722,000+ 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 Calgary Public Library announces new CEO"