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Read more about "Job Desk Online"Want to help your child discover the joy of reading? It’s easy to help them fall in love with literacy with these simple tips.
Read more about "5 Tips to Motivate Reluctant Readers"When it comes to learning the alphabet, preschoolers benefit from repeated exposure and varied practice with letters. If you’re looking for fun ways to incorporate the alphabet into your child’s day, these simple indoor games are easy to replicate at home and provide a variety of ways to engage with the alphabet.You’ll find both calm, quiet activities to keep them occupied, and more active games that will help them burn off energy. Ready? Let’s have fun with letters!Alphabet Connect-the-DotsThis simple activity promotes letter recognition and gets little bodies moving.What you’ll need: A long roll of art or butcher paper, or sheets of paper taped together, and crayons or markersWhat to do:To start, choose five or six letters to focus on (aim for a mix of letters they know well and letters that are more of a challenge). Using a long roll of paper and some crayons or markers, write the first letter you’ve chosen in random spots on the paper. Then move on to the next letter and do the same thing, until all the letters are written. Each letter should repeat about eight to ten times on the paper. Hand your preschooler a crayon and ask them to draw a line connecting the letters which are the same. For example, they may choose to start with the letter “G” and connect all of the “Gs” they see with their crayon. Source: Hands On As We Grow website Secret LettersWho doesn’t love receiving a secret message? This exciting activity combines the delight of revealing a hidden message with letter recognition practice. What you’ll need: White paper, white crayon, watercolour paint (or homemade paints made of jello powder or fruit juice), and a paintbrush What to do:Use a white crayon to write hidden letters or words on the paper. Hand the note to your child to paint over with watercolours. As they paint, the white wax of the crayon is revealed. See if they can read your message or tell you what letters they see appearing. Note: the message can be adapted to your child’s age and reading level. For toddlers, pictures and squiggles are fun to discover, while older children may be ready for words, phrases, or sentences.Source: Busy Toddler website At-Home Alphabet HuntLetters are everywhere: the cover of a book, a bottle of dish soap, the side of a box. This simple activity reminds little learners that there are letters all around them and promotes everyday reading. What you’ll need:Marker, pad of paper, pencil What to do: On a pad of paper, write out the entire alphabet with a marker in the style of a grocery list, with one letter on each line. Pass your little one the pad and pencil and go on a hunt around your house (or even your neighbourhood) together and have them check off the letters they find on their search. Can they find them all?Source: No Time for Flashcards website Fishing for LettersThis engaging activity fosters the imagination and helps preschoolers learn to recognize letters outside of their alphabetized order. What you’ll need: alphabet fridge magnets, extra magnet, string or yarn, cloth or fabric to act as “water," popsicle stick or wooden spoon, baking sheet (optional)What to do: Create a pretend fishing rod by tying an extra magnet to a piece of yarn at the end of a popsicle stick or wooden spoon, so that the magnet dangles like the hook on a fishing rod. Spread alphabet magnets over some cloth (using blue fabric is a fun touch to represent water) and go fishing for magnets! Tell your child to “stay on the shore” and pick up magnets without walking on the cloth. Each time they “catch” a letter, say the letter out loud together and put it on the fridge or a baking sheet. Once all the letters are caught, see if they can arrange them in order. Writing TrayWriting trays are a wonderful way to help children learn to write letters and practice fine motor skills.What you’ll need:Cookie sheet or a large, shallow container, flour or sprinkles, writing tool such as a spoon or cotton swab (optional)What to do:Spread a layer of flour or sprinkles over the tray and have your child write letters in the tray using either their fingers or a writing tool. Gently shake the tray to erase the letters and start again. This activity also works well for drawing shapes and numbers — or simply let them be creative and draw all kinds of pictures! Musical LettersThis activity is perfect for burning off energy while promoting gross motor co-ordination and quick letter recognition. Plus, who doesn’t love dancing to great music?What you’ll need:Painter’s tape, paper or card stock, marker, music your kids will dance toWhat to do:Using your painter’s tape, create letters on the floor in a random pattern. You don’t need to include every letter but can pick and choose which ones to focus on. Next write out the same letters individually on pieces of paper or card stock. To start, play the music (choose a song that will get your child dancing). As the music plays, let them move around the room and dance like crazy! Stop the music and hold up a letter. They must run to find the letter on the floor that matches the letter you’re holding up. Play the music again and repeat. Source: No Time for Flashcards website Have fun with these wonderful alphabet-learning games! Want even more great early literacy activities you can do at home? Be sure to check out our Library at Home section for more resources like these.Not yet a member? Sign up online for your free Library card to get access to the Library's online activities and Digital Library immediately.
Read more about "Stories Six Fun Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers"Always available eBooks on everything from animals and weather, to history and technology.
Read more about "Gale eBooks"Rocky Ridge Library at Shane Homes YMCA opens January 15. This express Library is focused on convenience; think grab and go, library style. The new Library — located in a northwest City of Calgary recreation facility — is the first of its kind in Calgary to operate on a self-service model. Join us for the Grand Opening of Shane Homes YMCA Thursday, February 1, 10 am – 12 pm.At Rocky Ridge Library, you can pick up hold items from an innovative system of self-service lockers, browse popular collections, including 4,000 books for kids and 2,500 adult books, and use self-checkouts to borrow materials.Mark Asberg, Director, Service Delivery at Calgary Public Library, says the express model is based on years of learning at Calgary Public Library about which services can be offered in a self-service format. The new approach helps to bring the Library into more people’s lives, Asberg says.“We want to be in spaces where our resources are as available as possible to as many people as possible,” he says. The opening follows Calgary Public Library’s 2016 move into the Westbrook CTrain Station, with Nicholls Family Library, and the new Quarry Park Library located in the Remington YMCA.Rocky Ridge Library is an open, active 3,000-square-foot space within the 284,000-square-foot YMCA. The beautiful new building, designed to complement the neighbouring landscape, is nestled between a reconstructed wetland and an existing hill that offers city and mountain views.The Library’s features include public seating, a children’s area, a study space, and free Wi-Fi. Staff will be on-site daily to attend to the Library collection and deliver free programs, including Drop-In Storytime, Words and Wiggles, and Career Coaching.As the rhythm of the new recreation centre develops, it will inform what Library programs are offered when. Already, demand for Library services at the new location is expected to be strong. The growing northwest quadrant of the city is home to Calgary’s busiest community library based on circulation, Crowfoot Library.Rocky Ridge Library at Shane Homes YMCA is located at 11300 Rocky Ridge Road NW. The Library is open from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm Monday through Friday, and 7:00 am to 8:30 pm on weekends. Not yet a Library member? Join online for free today. See you at Rocky Ridge Library!
Read more about "Stories Calgary’s First Express Library Opens in New YMCA"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."Four years ago, Henry Bastidas left his home in Venezuela and moved to Canada. Henry sought a safer place; he lived near the capital city Caracas, one of the most dangerous cities in the world.An engineer in Venezuela, Henry arrived in Calgary speaking only Spanish. He soon started an ESL program at the University of Calgary, where a friend recommended he also attend drop-in ESL classes at the Calgary Public Library. Eager to improve his English, he decided to check out the free newcomer programs.That little tip from a friend spurred Henry to get a Library card, instantly connecting him to his new city. “Back home, we don’t have libraries like this. There, a library is just storage for books,” Henry says. “Here, I love how dynamic the libraries are, all the activities they do. People are engaged and involved and I think that’s a very good thing.”The ESL classes at the Library helped Henry gain confidence in speaking English. Next, he tried out other free Library programs, including small business programs to work on his resumé and LinkedIn profile and technology programs to learn Excel and PowerPoint.Giving BackIn early 2015, less than a year after arriving in Canada, Henry applied to volunteer at Calgary Public Library. “The Library helped me a lot,” Henry says. “After I finished my courses, I decided to try to give back to this community that now I call home.”Henry began volunteering for kids’ math and coding programs, first at Central Library. “I just wanted to try and help kids a little bit with the things I know, like math,” he says. The experience helped him land his first job in Canada; with no work history here, he says the volunteer gig on his resumé was crucial.As Henry has moved throughout Calgary, he’s continued to volunteer at the Library closest to him, including Forest Lawn, Village Square, Fish Creek, and Sage Hill libraries.Today, Henry studies energy asset management at SAIT and works part-time. He continues to volunteer with Math Quest, helping students in Grades 1 to 6 use math to complete challenges throughout the Library. The after-school program makes numeracy fun — for the students, and for Henry.Energizing Experience“The kids get so excited every time they read a card and accomplish any of the quests,” he says. “I like how energetic they are. Every time I leave the Library, I feel like I did something good here. Instead of draining your energy, this gives you more energy.”“Henry’s strong commitment to helping students learn is a real gift to our youth volunteers that he mentors and to the children participating in our programs,” says Muneerah Vasanji, Volunteer Resources Coordinator at Calgary Public Library. “Henry stands out for his solid work ethic, patience, dedication, and leadership. Henry genuinely cares about making a tangible difference in our community and we are so fortunate to have him as an integral part of our volunteer team.”Henry had never volunteered before; it’s not really part of the norm in Venezuela, he says. “But here, I feel like it’s very important to do. Even though sometimes I have a very busy schedule, going to school and working, I always find when I make time to come volunteer I have fun.,” Henry says.Henry continues to be a dedicated Library member, recommending free programs to others and taking time to look around and pick up a new book. “The Library is my happy place,” he says. “There is always something going on, and you can find everything you are into.”We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories ‘The Library is My Happy Place’ Henry Bastidas helps others learn as part of his Library Story"Collection of sources including the Smithsonian Collection Online and Archives of Human Sexuality and Gender.
Read more about "Alberta Research Portal "In kindergarten, a child’s natural curiosity and eagerness to learn are encouraged through purposeful, play-based activities. These activities teach foundational literacy and numeracy skills, while fostering social and emotional development. Kindergarten is a great way for your child to learn what school is like while having fun, making new friends, and becoming part of their larger community. Whether your child has experienced preschool or not, there are lots of things you can do this spring or summer to help them feel kindergarten-confident this fall!Register your child for a FREE Calgary Public Library card. Get started with a Kindergarten Book Bag from your local Library, available in late April. There are no late fines and all Library programs are free. Explore TumbleBook Library to listen and read along to animated story books (in English, French, and Spanish). It also lets you play online games and watch science videos from National Geographic. This and other great eResources for kids are FREE through the Digital Library. Read books, snuggle, and sing together as much as you can. Point out the words, numbers, and letters in the world around you, wherever you are — at the bus stop, in a store, or in the kitchen. Speak, sing, read, and play together in your home language. Use pencils for writing and practice cutting with child-safe scissors. Make art and draw often. Help your child recognize their name in print. Visit your school’s playground this summer to become familiar with the school grounds and entrances. Encourage them to be a big helper at home by putting toys away and doing other simple tasks. Let your child practise dressing themselves, including outdoor clothing. Shoes with Velcro are a great beginner shoe. Let them practise opening and closing snack containers and using a water bottle. Encourage your child to go to the bathroom independently and wash their hands on their own. Practise going to bed early enough to get the recommended nine to eleven hours of sleep each night. Develop a routine of waking up with enough time you’ll need to get to school. Allow twice as much time for free indoor and outdoor play as time spent on screens. Talk about your child’s feelings around starting school. Assure them that it is normal to feel nervous and excited at the same time. Kindergarten is a big change for the whole family! Ready to register for kindergarten?Children entering kindergarten must turn five years old on or before December 31, 2021. All children must register through their designated school. For more detailed information, including where to find your child’s designated school and information for registering children who are not Canadian citizens, please visit:Calgary Board of Education Calgary Catholic School DistrictAlberta Education’s My Child’s Learning: A Parent Resource (Kindergarten)Check out these great reads to get excited and prepare for kindergarten! 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 calgarylibrary.ca/programs to register for the next live, online workshop in the series.
Read more about "Stories Top Tips to Get Ready for Kindergarten The Kitchen Table Classroom: A Series to Support Learning from Home"2010s 2011: East Village is chosen as the location of the new Central Library on July 24, 2011. 2012: Saddletowne Library opens on January 3, with an official celebration on January 14, 2012. 2014: Bill Ptacek is appointed as the new CEO. 2015: Thorn-Hill Library is renamed Judith Umbach Library to recognize the contributions of Calgarian Judith Umbach to the Library system. 2016: Nicholls Family Library opens on April 23 and Quarry Park Library opens on July 2, 2016. The Book Trucks start visiting communities without a local Library. 2017: Sage Hill Library opens on June 16, 2017. The Musical Instrument Lending Library launches at Memorial Park Library. 2018: Rocky Ridge Library opens on January 15, 2018. Alexander Calhoun Library is renamed Giuffre Family Library to recognize the Giuffre family’s legacy in the community and their support of the Library. Memorial Park Library is designated a National Historic Site. Central Library, at 616 Macleod Trail South, closes on October 25, 2018. The new location in East Village opens on November 1, 2018, at 800 3 St SE. 2019: Seton Library opens on January 14, 2019. Mark Asberg is appointed as the new CEO.
Read more about "2010s"The world outside may be chilly, but there are still so many ways to enjoy winter – both cozy at home and out in the snow! For the month of February, Chinook Blast invites you to bring the whole family to check out local artists illuminating our winter weekend nights with light installations around downtown Calgary.Winter Froth (photographed above by @laurenmneves) is part of Chinook Blast. The balloon installation and selfie booth created by Calgary Party 50 that is on display right outside of Central Library on February 26 — 28 and Stephen Avenue Place on February 19 — 22.That’s not all there is to do for free during the snowy days of February! Here are some more fun and easy ideas for family winter activities that you can access from home with your FREE Library membership. Don’t have a Library card? Sign up online and start using it immediately.Check out this winter fun booklist for kidsThese staff-picked titles will inspire you and your kids to bundle up and explore the wonderful world of winter.Listen to cozy winter playlists on FreegalLet music create a cozy atmosphere in your home with Freegal. Explore playlists curated just for winter vibes or find songs by your favourite artists. Stream up to three hours per day of free music and download up to five songs per week.Watch shows about winter fun on Kanopy KidsStream kids’ TV shows for free on Kanopy Kids! Right now, they have a Winter Fun playlist full of winter-themed episodes of kids’ TV shows, like “What Will Little Bear Wear?” and “Lemonade in Winter.”Learn about what winter is like for Indigenous PeoplesRead about various Indigenous seasonal traditions and what it’s like to live on the Land during the winter by exploring the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada.Learn about winter birds with Birds of the WorldDid you know that some types of birds can only be seen during the winter in Calgary? Dress warmly and go birdwatching in one of Calgary’s parks, then use Birds of the World to learn about the birds you saw.Chinook Blast Book Launch with Radical BooksJoin us during Chinook Blast for a virtual program of author readings and a book launch, featuring eight local authors. A moderated Q and A will follow the readings. The event takes place Saturday, February 27 at 2:30pm.
Read more about "Stories Free Winter Fun with the Library and Chinook Blast"Access free Wi-Fi to finish assignments, or use free spaces to chill with friends.
Read more about "Teens"When it comes to learning the alphabet, preschoolers benefit from repeated exposure and varied practice with letters. If you’re looking for fun ways to incorporate the alphabet into your child’s day, these simple indoor games are easy to replicate at home and provide a variety of ways to engage with the alphabet.You’ll find both calm, quiet activities to keep them occupied, and more active games that will help them burn off energy. Ready? Let’s have fun with letters!Alphabet Connect-the-DotsThis simple activity promotes letter recognition and gets little bodies moving.What you’ll need: A long roll of art or butcher paper, or sheets of paper taped together, and crayons or markersWhat to do:To start, choose five or six letters to focus on (aim for a mix of letters they know well and letters that are more of a challenge). Using a long roll of paper and some crayons or markers, write the first letter you’ve chosen in random spots on the paper. Then move on to the next letter and do the same thing, until all the letters are written. Each letter should repeat about eight to ten times on the paper. Hand your preschooler a crayon and ask them to draw a line connecting the letters which are the same. For example, they may choose to start with the letter “G” and connect all of the “Gs” they see with their crayon. Source: Hands On As We Grow website Secret LettersWho doesn’t love receiving a secret message? This exciting activity combines the delight of revealing a hidden message with letter recognition practice. What you’ll need: White paper, white crayon, watercolour paint (or homemade paints made of jello powder or fruit juice), and a paintbrush What to do:Use a white crayon to write hidden letters or words on the paper. Hand the note to your child to paint over with watercolours. As they paint, the white wax of the crayon is revealed. See if they can read your message or tell you what letters they see appearing. Note: the message can be adapted to your child’s age and reading level. For toddlers, pictures and squiggles are fun to discover, while older children may be ready for words, phrases, or sentences.Source: Busy Toddler website At-Home Alphabet HuntLetters are everywhere: the cover of a book, a bottle of dish soap, the side of a box. This simple activity reminds little learners that there are letters all around them and promotes everyday reading. What you’ll need:Marker, pad of paper, pencil What to do: On a pad of paper, write out the entire alphabet with a marker in the style of a grocery list, with one letter on each line. Pass your little one the pad and pencil and go on a hunt around your house (or even your neighbourhood) together and have them check off the letters they find on their search. Can they find them all?Source: No Time for Flashcards website Fishing for LettersThis engaging activity fosters the imagination and helps preschoolers learn to recognize letters outside of their alphabetized order. What you’ll need: alphabet fridge magnets, extra magnet, string or yarn, cloth or fabric to act as “water," popsicle stick or wooden spoon, baking sheet (optional)What to do: Create a pretend fishing rod by tying an extra magnet to a piece of yarn at the end of a popsicle stick or wooden spoon, so that the magnet dangles like the hook on a fishing rod. Spread alphabet magnets over some cloth (using blue fabric is a fun touch to represent water) and go fishing for magnets! Tell your child to “stay on the shore” and pick up magnets without walking on the cloth. Each time they “catch” a letter, say the letter out loud together and put it on the fridge or a baking sheet. Once all the letters are caught, see if they can arrange them in order. Writing TrayWriting trays are a wonderful way to help children learn to write letters and practice fine motor skills.What you’ll need:Cookie sheet or a large, shallow container, flour or sprinkles, writing tool such as a spoon or cotton swab (optional)What to do:Spread a layer of flour or sprinkles over the tray and have your child write letters in the tray using either their fingers or a writing tool. Gently shake the tray to erase the letters and start again. This activity also works well for drawing shapes and numbers — or simply let them be creative and draw all kinds of pictures! Musical LettersThis activity is perfect for burning off energy while promoting gross motor co-ordination and quick letter recognition. Plus, who doesn’t love dancing to great music?What you’ll need:Painter’s tape, paper or card stock, marker, music your kids will dance toWhat to do:Using your painter’s tape, create letters on the floor in a random pattern. You don’t need to include every letter but can pick and choose which ones to focus on. Next write out the same letters individually on pieces of paper or card stock. To start, play the music (choose a song that will get your child dancing). As the music plays, let them move around the room and dance like crazy! Stop the music and hold up a letter. They must run to find the letter on the floor that matches the letter you’re holding up. Play the music again and repeat. Source: No Time for Flashcards website Have fun with these wonderful alphabet-learning games! Want even more great early literacy activities you can do at home? Be sure to check out our Library at Home section for more resources like these.Not yet a member? Sign up online for your free Library card to get access to the Library's online activities and Digital Library immediately.
Read more about "Stories Six Fun Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers"After attending a 50+ Coffee and Conversation group, Rudy Wagner and his wife Mary Jean decided to keep the conversation going. Now, using a free, bookable meeting room at Signal Hill Library for the past eight years, it’s more than just a casual coffee group — members attend lectures together, share in weekly tai chi lessons, and more, all for free at the Library.Rudy Wagner, eight years with the group“It’s such an interesting group, and as long as we have the space at the Library to do it, I’m happy to make it happen. My wife and I supply the coffee, and the group supplies the conversation! Some of them bake, and so we’ll get to try different foods from different countries around the world. It’s the variety that I love. I used to be a principal at public schools in Toronto, so I’ve been working with the community my whole life, and I just love meeting new people. It’s the companionship. We have new people join us every time, there are no strict rules. People come when they can, there’s no fee. It’s just a place for people to get together and chat.”Mary Jean Wagner, eight years with the group“Our grandchildren were getting older and starting to head off to school, so we weren’t so occupied with them anymore, and I wanted to meet other people. Where we live, there are a lot of people our son’s age. We moved from Toronto to live near him and help with the two grandchildren, but we had difficulty meeting people our age. And I really wanted to make new friends, because it can be hard to meet new people as you get older. So, this was a perfect opportunity for us. We feel that we’ve made friendships here, and others have done the same. The Library makes it easy for us to continue doing what we’ve always loved to do.”Pal Aggarwal, eight years with the group“We came to Calgary from Germany in 2011, my wife and me, and my wife was just coming to the Library for some books. Then she saw this group here and started talking to them. Now we’ve been coming here every week, ever since we came here. It’s a real cosmopolitan group, you see people from all different countries, you have different subjects to talk about, that’s the best part. We are a big group, but there are four of us couples, and now we have each other [over] every once in a while, for dinner at our home. We meet every two weeks at somebody’s house for drinks, it’s nice. We are all very friendly to each other. It’s a real inspiration, it gives you a positive feeling, and I appreciate that.”Elaine Lee, seven years with the group“The best part of this group is that people who feel isolated or don’t know too many people have a place to go. They have a community, and they know that they have something to look forward to each week. It keeps them active. That’s the beauty of the group, they open up to you. It’s not just a weekly meeting, they become like family for those who come on a regular basis. Getting to know them has really been my greatest honour and pleasure, because I really feel like I can bring them joy, and to see them interact with one another and to see how the group has grown brings me so much joy as well.”Jeffrey Quo, two years with the group“I had joined a Library reading club … actually, I joined two. I used to be a computer engineer, but after I retired, I had to find a way to kill the time. That group forced me to read some books which I would never have thought to involve myself in; it forced me to expand my interests, same as this group. I find it quite interesting. I needed to find some new focus in my life. Before I retired, I only focused on my job. Now I need to change my lifestyle. So reading, or making a new friend, that’s important for me. I enjoy that about this group. In this hour we always have lots of new people join us, and we get the chance to know new friends.”Shirley Lutz, two years with the group“It’s fun, it’s free, it’s close by, and the people here are just so warm and friendly. I love the conversation because I get to learn more about the people around me. It’s an interesting group we have, because we have so many different nationalities here. A lot of our people don’t come from around here, and it exposes me to other cultures and ideas, which I really enjoy. Today I just met a new lady who joined us from Vietnam, so I’ve been getting to know her, and she says she’ll be coming back. It’ll be great to have her join our group.”Tam Dang, first-time visitor to the group“I just retired, so I have a lot of time on my hands. So I started to wonder, where can I go? When we work, we wake up, go to work, we come home, we sleep. We have the same routine. But since then I’ve become so bored. I miss having a place to go. Every day I saw my friends and had conversations with them, but now it’s so empty. So that’s why I am looking for a group a bit older, with the same feelings as me. In this group, I can be with people the same age and in the same situation as me. Even though I’ve only seen them this first time, people have already explained to me: we are friends now, and we can talk.”David Stratford, two years with the group“I find the people in the group to be so funny — their little explanations of their lives, where they come from and what they do day to day. They really are absolutely wonderful people to be around. I try to make them laugh, and mostly I can do that. Some can’t hear as well as they used to, so you may have to tell your joke a couple of times. I call us the crumblies — I say I’m going to go visit with the crumblies, because frankly we’re all falling apart a little bit. But I love to be a part of that. We’re all here, we all try, we don’t give up. We’re just trying to live this section of our life fully. If you want to stay young, then you have to think young, and you’ve got to laugh.”
Read more about "Stories ‘To Know New Friends’ Older patrons are using the Library in a new way to create their Library Story"Find the support you need to succeed in school.
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