Libraries in Residence
Read more about "Take your Library out into the world"Calgary Public Library now has five mobile libraries that are rolling into communities around the city!Three vehicles are Book Trucks, bringing books, movies, and other Library services directly to the community. Our Book Trucks stop at regularly scheduled locations, and are also available to visit school or community events. Come aboard the Book Truck to get a free Library card, browse and borrow items, return items, or attend seasonal children’s programs.The fleet of libraries on wheels also includes two Story Trucks. These vehicles are designed to bring literacy activities directly to young children at day homes in select neighbourhoods. Library staff share stories, songs, and rhymes with children, through the Library Month at Your Day Home program.For our newest Story Truck, the Library worked with Mo Willems, children’s author and creator of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and many other beloved titles.“The fact that the Story Truck team is leaving the building and going directly to the kids means they rock that much more!” Mo Willems says.Want the Story Truck to visit your day home? Requests can be made via this form. You can also request a Book Truck visit for your community event or school.
Read more about "Stories Meet the Library’s Newest Story Truck"Every year, Library staff are recognized by their peers for their kindness, dedication, and the skill they bring to their work with the Kudos Awards. Library staff can nominate their peers for awards in eight different categories.
Read more about "Kudos to our Library Staff"Your Library card gives you free access to device borrowing, printing, creative spaces, and programs — not to mention our entire collection of books, movies and music.
Read more about "There are so many reasons to become a member"Visit the Library or watch a video in your first language to learn about free membership, borrowing computer use, and printing, as well as resources that can help you get settled in your new home.
Read more about "The Welcome to the Library program supports newcomers to Canada. "The Book Truck is a mobile public library that brings books, movies, programs, and Library services to the community and gets people of all ages excited about reading. Remember, in order to have the best Book Truck visit possible, we recommend that your event have reserved parking available for the Book Truck, and a safe way for people to approach the vehicle.
Read more about "What’s a Book Truck?"The Alberta government covers non-resident fees for people living in Indigenous communities to access public libraries throughout Alberta. People living on First Nations and Métis Settlements in Alberta can get a full Calgary Public Library membership by visiting any Calgary Public Library location and speaking to staff.
Read more about "I live on a First Nation or Métis Settlement in Alberta."'\n ', 'Your free ', 'Calgary Public ', 'Library card is an important step in finding ', 'support ', 'in Calgary. ', 'At the Library, you can ', 'borrow books', ', mo', 'vies, and music', ', use computers', ' and ', 'Wi-Fi, ', 'print documents, ', 'attend programs to ', 'practise', ' your English skills', ', and get ', 'connected ', 'to newcomer services agencies ', 'who can help', ' you', '. It’s all free!', '\xa0', '\n '
Read more about "'Welcome to Canada and the Library'"At the opening ceremony for Central Library on November 1, five special members joined Library CEO Bill Ptacek and Mayor Naheed Nenshi on stage. Instead of a ribbon-cutting, these people were presented with the first five Library cards issued at the new building. The five members represent more than 670,000 active Library members across Calgary.Alex Grinwis is a 17-year-old Grade 11 student who has been using Calgary Public Library since a very young age. Alex loves reading, and is also passionate about music — playing piano, guitar, ukulele, and currently learning violin. When asked what they’re looking forward to about the new building, they said: “I’m just looking forward to having such a cool space to be able to go and do homework or find new books.”Nikki Brule is the proud owner of Yummy Yogis, a small business she helped develop and grow by using the Library. Nikki does a lot of research for her business at the Library, and often brings along her six-year-old daughter. As an entrepreneur who works from home, she enjoys having a space to come to, surrounded by books, where she can work and connect with others.Mirna Khaled arrived in Calgary from Lebanon in 2015, in search of better opportunities for her children: nine-year-old twins Jalal and Julia. Mirna appreciates the accessibility of the Library as Julia has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. In Calgary, Mirna and her children visit the Library two to three times a week; they like to read, play, and meet new friends. There’s even a book about Julia, written by Mirna and Julia’s aunt, on library shelves!Frank O’Keeffe is a longtime Library member who first got his Calgary Public Library card about 50 years ago. Frank, who is originally from Ireland, is a former teacher who has written and published eight young adult novels. He recently published his first adult novel that staff members at Shawnessy Library helped to review. Frank visits the Library several times a week and brings his wife — who has Alzheimer’s — to the ESL Coffee and Conversation program, for some chitchat and good company. “As an older patron, what I get out of the Library now is companionship,” he says.Felix McLeod Saunders is just two and a half years old and is ready for his first Calgary Public Library card! His mother Maranda is excited to have a new, public space in Calgary where she and her young children can connect with their Indigenous culture and learn together. Plus, Felix is really into books.Special thanks to these five members and to everyone who joined us for the opening ceremony of Central Library!
Read more about "Stories Introducing the new Central Library’s First Five Members"Calgary Public Library is piloting new programs and services at libraries across the city, in anticipation of launching them at the new Central Library. This testing helps ensure all our libraries are imaginative and innovative spaces, while simultaneously giving us an opportunity to prepare for our newest building. Here’s a glimpse at some of the features:FurnitureCentral Library will feature 17 different categories of chairs to sit in, with over 2,000 public seats in total! You’ll find lounge chairs for reading, study seating with access to power, chairs of all sizes for children, café chairs, and more — all chosen with flexibility, durability, and accessibility in mind. Chairs, tables, desks, and shelving units have been tried out in libraries across Calgary, including pods at Saddletowne Library. This type of seating is great for small groups, as it’s sound absorbing and includes power outlets.Library SchoolSince March 2018, elementary school students have been coming to Central Library for Cenovus Campus Calgary Library School. At Cenovus Library School, students, their teacher and parent volunteers use the Library as their classroom for a week of hands-on, inquiry learning. Cenovus Library School launches at the new Central Library in November 2018, for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12. Whether experiencing the hands-on Questionarium, exploring resources in the Calgary’s Story collection, or meeting artists in residence and Library staff experts, students and teachers are sure to be inspired by five floors of story at Central Library.Early Learning CentresCalgary Public Library is excited for our littlest members to explore our newest Early Learning Centre this November. The Library’s 12 Early Learning Centres are vibrant and interactive spaces designed for young children to learn through play. Successful features have been duplicated from one space to the next, while fresh elements are tested at each new centre. At Central Library, the focus will be on full-body play. A full-body play structure was tried out at Crowfoot Library, with the Bird’s Eye View Early Learning Centre. Both centres are designed for kids to climb, crawl, explore, and imagine!Room Booking SoftwareCentral Library features over 30 free bookable meeting rooms for members. They’re perfect for your next book club meeting, study group, or business gathering space. How do you book rooms, you might wonder? In Quarry Park Library, staff and Library members have piloted a new room booking software. The software is simple to use, with a device outside each bookable room. On the device, you can see all upcoming bookings for the day, have the option to complete day-of bookings, and easily unlock the meeting space for your booked time — all with your free Library card.Create SpaceCentral Library will feature a Create Space, a place for community members to collaborate and engage in dialogue with others. The Create Space — tested at Memorial Park and Central libraries — showcases the diversity, originality, and inventiveness of the community. Mad Libs YYC edition, leaving an encouraging coffee sleeve, blackout poetry, and writing on typewriters are a few examples of activities sampled. The Create Space provides members with whimsical and playful experiences, plus community interaction and collaboration. Come create with us at Central Library this fall.
Read more about "Stories 5 new Central Library Features You Can See In Your Local Library"The new year is a popular time to set goals for the months ahead. Let the Library help you make those resolutions stick! With hundreds of free resources, programs, and books at your fingertips, we’re confident that you can crush this year’s goals.Get activeIf taking better care of your health is on your list this year, but you know you won’t follow through with a gym membership, join us for some fun, free exercise at the Library. Put your best foot forward at Swingin’ Sundays or loosen up with Yoga at Central Library. Learn some easy new meals from our Eat Clean booklist, and research ways of improving your wellness using Health Source.Watch your walletIf money is on your mind after an expensive holiday season, sign up for free finance programs to learn how to take control of your money, curb your spending, and grow your wealth. Staff-curated titles can also help you Tighten Your Financial Belt.Learn a new languageOn Rosetta Stone, you can learn over 30 languages, including Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, and Persian (Farsi), for free with your Library card, or improve your English skills with interactive lessons. If you prefer in-person instruction, stop by an ESL Coffee and Conversation meeting, or visit the Indigenous Languages Resource Centre. Treaty 7 Language Books are also available to sign out at several community libraries.Make some memoriesLooking for a new way to spend quality time with loved ones this year? Free drop-in programs like Chess in the Library, Crack the Code, and Firefighter Storytime are fun for every age, while little learners in particular will love exploring our Early Learning Centres. Back at home, have a free movie night with selections from Kanopy. You can also check out Ancestry for free during your next Library visit to learn about the family you didn’t know you had.Read moreWe knew you would ask — and we’ve got tips to help you fit more books into your busy schedule. Can’t decide what to read first? Check out our staff-curated booklists to get some ideas to suit your interests. Make reading an event by joining a Book Discussion Group or signing out a Book Club in a Bag with friends. Save some money and cancel subscriptions — you can turn your mobile device into an eReader and audiobook player all in one with Libby and take your book everywhere you go.Sign up for your free Library card to get started!
Read more about "Stories New Year, New You with Library Resources"Requesting items Requests may take four to six weeks to arrive. Please allow three weeks before checking the status of a request. For time-sensitive requests, consider using your TAL Card or ME card (available from your local library) for in-person access to post-secondary, public, and special libraries across the province. If there is a charge, staff will contact you before processing the request. Requests for titles that have yet to be published will be cancelled. If you wish to suspend a request, please talk to Library staff.
Read more about "Requesting items"Whether it’s physical books, online resources, or just a change of scenery, Megan Powell has found what she needs at the Library.As a small business owner, Megan uses various free Library resources to help build and grow Little Dot Creative, a branding and website studio.“I know that if there’s a problem, I can find something at the Library to gain knowledge and solve it,” she says.Megan has been turning to the Library for many years. Her childhood was filled with storytimes at Southwood Library, followed by checking out picture books with her family and hauling them home.She remembers a giant bin for Library books in the hallway of her house, and the joy that came from picking a new book each night before bedtime.“The Library has always been a part of my life, and it has just continued on into adulthood,” Megan says.Gaining New KnowledgeDuring an internship in university, Megan needed to use InDesign, a software program she had little experience with. She used her Library card to access Lynda.com, a free Digital Resource full of short online expert-led video courses, covering software and topics like web design and business skills.“I learned how to use InDesign and all the Adobe programs, including Photoshop and Illustrator, which are now used daily in my business,” she says.When Megan needed a solution for organizing her company’s financials, she put the book Profit First on hold, read it, and adopted new strategies. “There are so many amazing free resources that have helped me in my business and career,” she says. Megan occasionally brings her work to libraries, including Quarry Park and Central Library. She enjoys how the atmosphere is different from a co-work space or a coffee shop.‘So Many Resources’As an organizer with the Rising Tide Society’s Calgary chapter — a free group for creative entrepreneurs — Megan uses larger bookable meeting rooms to host events and co-work days.“Knowing that we have a free resource to be able to do that is amazing,” Megan says. Plus, she adds, the beauty of Central Library makes it an ideal place for a group of creatives to congregate.At those gatherings, Megan is quick to gush about the benefits of a free Library card, from more than 100 online resources to weekly Small Business Tuesdays programs to easily accessible eBooks and eAudiobooks.“I just don’t think people know that there are so many resources and so many things attached to the Library,” she says.Amid the isolation and stress that can come with running a small business, Megan says she has found support at the Library.“It’s reassuring and comforting to know that these resources are available at your fingertips, completely free to you,” she says.We want to know how the Library has made a difference in your life. Submit your own Library Story online.
Read more about "Stories ‘Amazing Free Resources’ Megan Powell’s Library Story began when she started her business"Support Library programs and services while gaining valuable expertise.
Read more about "Volunteer at the Library"We connect people and organizations who want to make a difference with the opportunity to improve our shared community. All donations cultivate innovation and bring the Library to those who need it most.Since 2011, the Library Foundation has raised more than $60 million in support of the Calgary Public Library. Our 21,500 donors are helping to build a stronger Calgary.
Read more about "The Calgary Public Library Foundation supports the Library through fundraising."