"I want to help kids read. I grew up having trouble and now I can't imagine a life without books!"

"I want to enhance my teaching skills."

"I feel like I'm in a fortunate position in life and want to give back

to the community. I like to say 'If not me, then who?' "

"I remember having a reading buddy in elementary school and

how helpful that was. I hope that I am able to have a similar impact

on someone else's life"

"I think it is meaningful to do something good with my spare time."

Why do you volunteer?

Congratulations to our Volunteer Award Winners for 2010:

25 Years of Service- Robert High

Career Coaching- Janeen Scott

Computer Buddies- Julia Schade

Computer Technology- Liela Chan and Peggy Jubien

ESL Conversation Club- Barry Simpkins

Homebound Readers- Carol Sinclair

Homework Help- Kim Koch

Libraries in Residence- Nellie Wojtaszek

TD Read With Me- Joan Buhr

Reading Advantage-Fiona Pinnel

Reading Buddies- Charanpreet Gill

Spanish Conversation Club-William Jiménez

Family Award- Carlos Vidal Wu and Susana Lui Colan

John Dutton Volunteer of the Year:

Gloria Rasmussen

Gerry Meek, CEO of Calgary Public Library, with Gloria Rasmussen and Jamie Niessen, Chair of the Calgary Public Library Board.

In honour of National Volunteer Week, April 18 - 24, 2010, the Calgary Public Library is celebrating our volunteers!

National Volunteer Week is the biggest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in our country. We want to celebrate the achievements and hard work of all the volunteers around you! Calgary Public Library Board will be honouring our dedicated library volunteers with our annual Volunteer Recognition Event on April 23rd. Thank you to our amazing volunteers!

Please take the time this National Volunteer Week to recognize the 12.5 million volunteers nationwide by saying thank you. In the last year, they gave 2.1 billion hours of their time, energy and skills to the benefit of our community services, shelters, hospitals, sports teams, environment, political movements, disaster relief, international aid and development agencies and arts and culture scene to name a few. They are the selfless individuals who demonstrate their genuine compassion for the well being of others and in support of essential causes, by taking action and by making a difference.

Minister Lindsay Blackett has prepared a special video message for National Volunteer Week that talks about the importance of volunteers in our community.

Click here to watch the video!

With welcoming smiles and genuine empathy, Clara Galvan and Arturo Gutierrez have a way of setting people at ease. The husband and wife team are the motivating force behind the Spanish Conversation Club at Fish Creek. Instantly charming and disarming, Arturo and Clara are blessed with ebullient personalities and caring natures. Helping Spanish language learners to flourish and gain confidence comes naturally for them!

Part of their success lies in the fact that they have been on the other side of the table as well. Clara and Arturo began as participants in the ESL Conversation Club shortly after emigrating from Mexico. Through the ESL Conversation Club, they honed their English language skills and made new friends along the way.

When Spanish Conversation Club started up at Fish Creek Library, the two were a natural fit as volunteers. The move from participant to volunteer was seamless. Clara and Arturo had been inspired to give back and to enrich their community in their own way.

We at the Calgary Public Library would like to take this opportunity to thank Clara and Arturo for their heartfelt contribution. With their assistance, Spanish Conversation Club has been a great success!

Since Fall 2003, Mary Craig has contributed 165 hours to a number of volunteer programs at the Calgary Public Library. From ESL Conversation Club to Proctoring, her presence is felt across the system. However, what sets Mary apart is that she may be the nicest volunteer you will encounter at the Calgary Public Library.

In the ESL Conversation Club, Mary's pleasant demeanor makes her an extremely approachable individual. This is of the utmost importance in this program as a positive, nurturing environment helps participants to build confidence in their English language skills. Moreover, participants draw upon Mary’s devotion and loyalty to the program – bolstering their own enthusiasm. These traits, in conjunction with her extensive experience as a teacher, have proven invaluable to the ESL Conversation Club at the Central Library.

Yet to Mary, her motivations for volunteering are simple: it’s because she enjoys it. The volunteer opportunities at Calgary Public Library offer unique interactions with a variety of individuals; the happiness and enlightenment Mary derives from these interactions fuel her own passions. Mary Craig is the embodiment of a stellar volunteer. Through her commitment and contributions she has made a tremendous difference in the lives of others!

The Living Library works exactly like your local Calgary Public Library - readers can borrow a "book". The difference is, books in the Living Library are human beings: "living books", with whom the reader can have a conversation.

This unique program enables readers to ask the questions they have always wanted to ask; while books are given the opportunity to share stories about their personal experiences in a safe and welcoming environment. This enables individuals to actively contribute to building inclusive communities of understanding.

We are currently looking for Living Book Volunteers for our March 2010 programs and beyond.

As a Living Book, all you need is yourself - no more, no less. By being available to answer questions about your life will help readers understand you and your experiences better.

To find out more about the program, or to become a Living Book, please contact us by e-mail livinglibrary@calgarypubliclibrary.com or by phone at 403.221.2094.