You can learn about and register for programs for children of all ages here. To see which programs you are already registered for, click here
You can have three of these early readers checked out at a time.
Read more about "eBooks for Beginning Readers"Recommended reads from the Filmmaker in Residence CONTRA's film practice is informed by stories that are surreal, otherworldly, and led by unlikely heroes. Examples of these stories are highlighted in recommended titles on this booklist. Browse the list
Read more about "Recommended reads from the Filmmaker in Residence"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"There are many benefits to reading as a family Reading together as a family is a great way to connect, get to know one another, and start bigger conversations about our world and ourselves. Make the most of your Family Reading Kit experience with these tips for reading with your family. You can help your child advance their reading comprehension skills faster by using the dialogic reading technique. Learn how. You’re never too old to enjoy being read to. According to the Kids and Family Reading Report conducted by Scholastic in 2017, listening to stories read by others can have these benefits, and more. Children who are read to score an average of 10 points higher on standardized reading tests. Children ages 6 – 11 who read out loud to their grown-up become avid readers. Children spend five times more time outside school as they do in school. Reading that happens beyond the classroom has a big impact! 57% of kids who are frequent readers see their caregivers reading 5 – 7 days per week. Children who take turns reading, or ask questions and make sound effects while reading are more likely to be frequent readers. 85% of children ages 6 – 14 who have been read aloud to say they love it! Reading together as a family increases bonds gives us opportunities to connect and share new ideas with each other.
Read more about "There are many benefits to reading as a family"History of Forest Lawn Library Forest Lawn Library was added to the Calgary Public Library system in 1962, when the village of Forest Lawn was annexed by the City of Calgary. Originally the Forest Lawn Association Library, it was started by a group of engaged citizens and first located in the Bow River School. At the time of annexation, the location had collected more than 152,000 volumes, had 45,000 dedicated borrowers, and an annual circulation of over 867,000! This location has moved many times — first to the Marks Building on 17 Avenue in 1962, then in 1965, to a shopping centre down the road. On July 16, 1973, its current location opened at 4807 8 Avenue SE. Significant renovations were completed in 2004, nearly doubling the size of the location to 10,500 sq. ft. The location is currently the only Library with two Early Learning Centres; the Forest Lawn Library Nature Playground opened in 2017, followed by the indoor ELC, “Explore Energy,” in 2018. Photo: Calgary Public Library Archives, Our Story in Pictures
Read more about "History of Forest Lawn Library"1. Use your Calgary Public Library card to access free eBooks. It’s easy to download eBooks onto a computer, smartphone, or tablet using our Digital Resources, including Libby, Overdrive, Gale Virtual Library, Read Alberta eBooks, and TumbleBookLibrary (just for kids). Happy reading!2. Love podcasts? You’re going to love audiobooks. Nothing makes your daily commute — or a long road trip — better than having the perfect audiobook to accompany you. 3. Did you know there are more than 60 free meeting rooms available at libraries across Calgary? Book a space for your business, not-for-profit, study group, book club, or event.4. Early Learning Centres! These free spaces, located in 12 libraries around Calgary, are designed to encourage young children to learn through play. Whimsical and wonderful, your kids are never going to want to leave the Library.5. It’s Sunday, you’re ready to hit print on your final paper for the semester. But oh no, you’re out of ink and your printer won’t stop jamming. What do you do? Come to the Library, of course! All Library members receive $5 of free printing each month. You’ll never be in another jam with a Library card.6. Read your favourite magazines for free with Digital Resources like Flipster Magazines. Flipster gives you access to Time, People, Us Weekly, Maclean’s, Canadian Geographic, Today’s Parent, and many more. Plus our Digital Resource National Geographic Virtual Library gives you access to every edition of National Geographic since 1888. Wow.7. You can use your Library card to borrow musical instruments! The Musical Instrument Lending Library at Memorial Park Library has instruments including guitars, ukuleles, banjos, mandolins, violins, keyboards, and bongos. Plus, the Library offers a variety of free programs to help you learn a new instrument or develop your skills, and there’s also a Practice Room at Memorial Park Library —perfect for aspiring musicians — that can comfortably accommodate two people. What are you waiting for? Start learning a new instrument today.8. Programs, programs, and more programs... and they’re all free. Calgary Public Library has programs for babies, families, kids, teens, adults, seniors, newcomers, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking for learning and enrichment. Discover a world of free programs with Library Connect, our program guide, or search our programs online to find what you’re looking for. We ♥ programs!9. More into listening to music than learning to play it? Stream free music on Freegal, a music service with nearly 13 million songs. Download five free songs per week and listen to three hours of streaming per day.10. Looking to learn another language? The Library has got you covered. Get free access to language learning Digital Resources including Rosetta Stone Library Solution and Pronunciator.11. Love learning? So do we! Take free online courses at LinkedIn Learning and Gale Courses. The interactive, instructor-led online courses cover topics like business skills, web design, photography, graphic design, and much more.12. Attention all movie buffs! Access more than 30,000 films for free with Kanopy. Watch award-winning documentaries and acclaimed films, rare and hard-to-find titles, must-see classic films, Canadian cinema selections, and an array of foreign language films.13. Book clubs are a great way to meet and create lasting connections with people who have similar reading interests to you. Start a new book club or take your existing one to the next level these free resources.14. Read thousands of popular newspapers, including local and international newspapers in multiple languages, with PressReader. Read on your browser or mobile device… no more ink-stained fingers for you!
Read more about "Stories 14 Library Perks You Need to Know About Now"Photographs tracing the redevelopment of the East Village, considered Calgary’s oldest and newest neighbourhood.
Read more about "The East Village Story"It is up to you to find meaning in a story. The goal isn’t to walk away with a solution or answer, but to be self-reflective: what is the story trying to teach you?
Read more about "Listen to understand.""Calgary Public Library is committed to eliminating racial and social equity barriers. We stand with the communities we serve against racism and injustice." – Sarah Meilleur, CEOLinks and ResourcesThe Library is a signatory for the Urban Libraries Council’s Statement on Race and Social Equity. Children's Books on Racism on OverDriveChildren’s books on racism and prejudice as well as information about the history of African Americans in the US, including books about Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, and Rosa Parks. Black Lives Matter Reading List on OverDriveA reading list to help you stay informed about the history of systemic racism in America and the work of those who are trying to make a change. An Essential Black Lives Matter Film List on KanopyIf you're feeling overwhelmed by the news and want to take action, take the first step and deepen your understanding of racism and the experiences of Black people in America with these powerful and timely documentaries from Kanopy. The Skin We're In Reading List on OverDriveThis list of adult fiction books addresses racism as a topic.I Hope You Get This Message Reading List on OverDriveTeen reads about racial equity, social justice, and diversity.
Read more about "Stories Race and Social Equality Resources"This App Gives You Access to Hundreds of Video Tutorials for Free Become a pro at something without ever needing to leave the house (or even get off the couch). LinkedIn Learning for Library has a huge library of expert-led video tutorials that can help you launch that YouTube channel, take perfect photos, learn to code, or write a hit song. You can even get the app on your phone so you can learn something new anytime, anywhere. Here are a few of our favourite courses that you can access for free. All you need is a library membership to get started (no library card? Get it online and start using it immediately).AnimationEver imagined yourself working in an animation studio? You’re just a few clicks away from getting started in Animation. This course teaches you the basics of how to animate a 2D animal walk cycle, but Lynda offers courses on 3D animation and more advanced techniques as well.PodcastingYou’ve got an idea you want to share with the world, but you’re not sure how to get started. Why not learn how to Produce a Podcast? This course will introduce you to the information and equipment you need to get started so you can begin self-producing your podcast from anywhere. SongwritingWriting a great song isn’t always as easy as it looks, but it can be easier with a little instruction. Whether you’re just writing for fun or an aspiring musician, you’ll find proven tips and tricks to up your lyrical game in this course on Songwriting.Playing GuitarHave an instrument that’s collecting dust? Take music lessons for a variety of instruments, like Acoustic Guitar, or amp up the energy in your house with some Rock Guitar lessons. You can go at your own pace and take the lessons anywhere with you (we think playing the guitar on the front porch sounds like a nice way to spend an afternoon).YouTubingStarting a YouTube channel is one thing but creating engaging content that gets views can be a challenge. Led by viral video creator Ash Blodgett, YouTube Tips Weekly teaches you everything from how to properly host a giveaway to how to monetize your channel. If you’ve got the equipment and the passion, this course is your launch pad to YouTube success.GamingHave you considered turning your love of gaming into a career? This course on Careers in the Gaming Industry will teach you the concepts and skills required to be successful in the modern game industry — whether you want to build and finance your own game or land a job at a triple-A studio, with an indie team, or in mobile gaming. PhotographyYou don’t need an expensive camera to start expressing yourself through great photos. Whether you’re an aspiring influencer or casual photographer, learn how to up your smartphone photography game with this course in Mobile Photography. If you want to create amazing visual art with your camera, check out this course in Creative Photography Techniques. CodingGet started in a powerful coding language with Python for Students. If you’re interested in automation, game development, or web programming, dive into this introductory Python course designed specifically for high school students. By the end, you’ll have the tools and knowledge to build a complete Python project. Want even more free things to do at home? Be sure to check out our Library at Home section for more resources like these.Not yet a member? Sign up for your free Library card and start using it immediately.
Read more about "Stories LinkedIn Learning for Library for Teens"Playing “Gallery Games” is a great way to make viewing art a fun and engaging process for children and can help foster visual literacy skills. Many of these games can be played one-on-one as well as in a group. Try playing them while viewing art in person, reproduced in books, or in an online exhibition. All Ages Shape DetectiveNotice and draw the shapes and symbols you see in an artwork on small cards. Children can work alone or in pairs to find shapes in the artwork. For younger children, this activity can be done as a large group to find simple geometric shapes, such as circles and triangles. Line HuntNotice and draw specific lines from the artwork on small cards. Children can work alone or in pairs. Ask a volunteer to act out his or her line through body movement while the rest of the group tries to figure out which line in the artwork is being represented. Painting in ActionAn artist (one of the children) arranges the other children to become the artwork. Children use their bodies to become lines, shapes, colours, as well as objects in the work like rocks, trees, buildings and figures. The artist can guide them to where they need to stand and make suggestions for how to move their body. This is a great activity to learn about space in a painting, like the foreground, middle-ground, and background. Ages 6-9 ArtWordA caregiver or educator writes descriptive words on small cards, one word per card. Some descriptive words examples are smooth, rough, warm, gloomy, bounce, surprise, lonely, etc. Have children choose one card from the pile and try to find a piece of artwork that best matches their word. Encourage them to explain their choice. What will you choose?Divide children into groups and assign a space to each group of children. For example, laundromat, grocery store, school, museum, kitchen, office, restaurant, library, hospital, etc. Each group then must choose five pieces of artwork that they believe would best fit in their assigned space. For example, a group assigned “kitchen” might choose a painting of a bowl of fruit. The group presents their choices and explains why those were chosen above the others. Amazing Shrink Machine Imagine shrinking down to the size of your thumb. You are now able to enter right into the artwork. Where would you enter the picture? Where would you travel? How far could you go? What would get in your way? What sounds can you hear? What can you taste? What can you smell? Art CharadesA child chooses an artwork without telling the group which one. Without speaking, they describe the artwork (lines, shapes, colours, and objects) through movements and actions. The rest of the group tries to guess the work. Older Children and Teens (9 – 17) EliminationImagine that the next place this group of artworks will be exhibited is very small and one of the artworks must be removed. Which one would you choose and why? Be prepared to defend your choice and explain your reasoning. Personal TasteChoose one of the artworks that would appeal to each of the following characters and describe why it would attract them: an elephant, a mosquito, a dancer, a baby, or a teacher. Curator GameAsk children if they know what a curator is. Explain the job of a curator, which is to select and defend artworks to be exhibited in a gallery. In small teams, children are assigned a work of art (or to be more challenging, they choose one they already like). Children then place themselves in the role of the curator and write down some positive statements about the artwork and a statement on why it is included in the gallery. The 33rd annual Children’s Art Exhibition, created by students at Wildflower Arts Centre and North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre, is online at the Calgary Public Library! Enjoy art created by nearly 100 students, ages 3 to 17, in sculpture, drawing, and mixed media.
Read more about "Stories Gallery Games for Caregivers and Educators"A viewing and exploration of three short films exploring the topics of racism, sexism, MMIWG and hardships faced by indigenous women. The viewing will be accompanied by a drumming...
Read more about "National Indigenous History Month: Stardale Film Trilogy Screening - The Road, Shadows in Time and A Light in the Shadow"1. Read from our Treaty 7 children’s book collectionHave you joined the Challenge? Kids ages 0 – 17 can register for the Ultimate Summer Challenge and track their reading with books like these from our Treaty 7 children’s book collection. Sign up at calgarylibrary.ca/summer.2. Read Stepping Stones for help understanding the curriculumStepping Stones is a publication of the Alberta Teachers’ Association Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation. It supports teachers on their learning journey to meet the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Foundational Knowledge competency in the Teaching Quality Standard. Parents and caregivers may also find the documents useful to build understanding of their child’s classroom curriculum, especially the Terminology Reference and Numbered Treaties: Treaty 7 documents. The Alberta map of Treaty Areas can also be downloaded at the link.3. Go to a museum virtuallyExplore Blackfoot culture and listen to Elders tell stories, like Sky Stories and Indigenous astronomy, through the Glenbow Museum’s Niitsitpiisini: Our Way of Life and The Virtual Museum of Canada.4. Watch Indigenous authors and illustrators on YoutubeLearn from Indigenous authors and illustrators through the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Indigenous channel on YouTube.5. Meet an ElderMeet an Indigenous Elder, attend an Indigenous Storytime and more, FREE with your Library card at our Indigenous Services page.6. Browse the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of CanadaFor grades five and up, Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada is available free in the Digital Library.7. Play games and listen to a podcastCBC Kids is a great resource for elementary school students with virtual games, online articles, video clips, and more about Canada’s Indigenous cultures. The Métis Nation of Alberta’s Youth Programs and Services team also has a podcast created by youth, for youth, called Keeping It Riel.8. Explore your own backyardAs Covid restrictions lift, explore your own backyard by visiting historic sites such as those at Blackfoot Crossing (which includes the site of the signing of Treaty 7), Writing on Stone, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Métis Crossing, and in downtown Calgary, the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers at Fort Calgary. Indigenous Tourism Alberta is a great resource to find out where to camp, visit, shop, and more.9. Attend a PowwowThere are thousands of Powwow held across North America every summer and they are open to everyone to attend. Remember to dress in long pants or dresses, sit in areas for spectators (not Elders, dancers, or drummers) and avoid touching regalia or picking up an eagle feather — even though they are beautiful!10. Read stories by Indigenous authorsRead together and learn from the lived experiences of Indigenous authors with a Library booklist, or check out the Prairie Indigenous eBook Collection. The first of its kind in Canada, this collection increases access to stories by Indigenous authors and writings about Indigenous culture. Check out over 200 eBook titles from publishers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.This 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 10 Ideas for Kids to Learn More about Treaty 7 and Métis Culture This Summer Books, videos, backyard adventures, and more will help enrich your knowledge of Indigenous culture and history."New programs for all ages open for registration on October 18. Baby Rhyme Time registration opens October 17.
Read more about "There's something for everyone"Sarah Houle
Read more about "Flowers for My Ancestors: A Métis Story"