The Calgary Public Library’s collection includes many books written by talented authors right here in Alberta. Here are two titles in our collection which I’ve recently enjoyed:

Bonfire: The Chestnut Gentleman by Susan Raby-Dunne

Told from the perspective of his horse Bonfire, this is the story of Canadian poet John McCrae’s experiences during World War I which ultimately led to the writing of the famous poem In Flanders Fields. Bonfire provides an accurate account of the conditions which faced both soldiers and the animals that served alongside them in the battlefields of Europe from 1914-1918. Amidst the chaos and destruction of the conflict an unbreakable friendship is formed between McCrae and his war horse which would last until the very end.

Great for those interested in history, horses or both, this well-researched offering from local author Raby-Dunne is well worth the read.

Rose’s Move by Graham McComiskey

Definitely one I’d pick for story-time with the kids, Rose’s Move tells the story of Rose, a flower who has grown too big for her bed and must make the transition to a new home. Told by McComiskey with charming style, Rose’s move is a great way to introduce young children to the concept of change and new experiences in their lives.

Complete with beautiful illustrations by Janice Blaine, (also local!) Rose’s Move is a wonderful choice to share with the whole family.

This post is dedicated to a queer artist whom I love with all my heart - one Beric Manywounds, who continues to challenge my views about men, women, sex, gender, and love. May you revel in your sexuality; may you find a love that makes your heart sing!

The Calgary Public Library is proud to celebrate diversity in our community. Whether that diversity is ethnic, linguistic, cultural, or sexual, we have materials and programs that allow for various views and voices to be heard and understood. This September, like every other, we wish you a very happy PRIDE. Celebrate the fact that families come in a glorious variety of forms, and so do sexual preferences and practices.

Visit your library for books by and about gays, lesbians, transfolk, queers, and all of their many allies. Find materials that might help you come out - or dialogue with a child (or parent!) who just has. Borrow books about planning your gay wedding, or browse some of our gay audience magazines. If you’re writing a paper about sex, sexuality, gender, or gay issues, be sure to check out our e-library databases for academic and peer reviewed journals.

And if you’re free this Sunday, September 2, then head downtown to take part in Calgary’s PRIDE parade.

As for me, I don’t identify as gay. But I’ve got rainbow striped knee-high socks that have been waiting in fashion storage for nearly a year, and I’ll be wearing them with pride, in celebration of all the gays I’ve known and loved (and a few of the lesbians I’ve had crushes on, too).

From drag racing to drag queens, the Calgary Public Library has resources about everything you’re into!

Flash mobs: Individuals suddenly congregate to stage a protest, perform a dance routine, buy a certain type of product, or anything else, and then just as suddenly, they disperse and become individuals again. Flash mobs are difficult to control and nearly impossible to predict, but with the ubiquity of smart phones, they’re fairly easy to organize. Have you ever taken part in a flash mob?

CPL’s Youth Advisory Council is organizing a flash mob, and we want you to take part! You don’t have to be a youth, or flashy, or in the mob. You just have to be willing to come out and participate! Join us at 7 PM in the John Dutton theatre at the Central Library, on Monday March 26^th, to help us plan the event.

And in the mean time, check out the facebook event listing.

Time flies when you’re writing over 300 blog posts. WOW!

It was springtime in 2009 when I sat (actually, “jittered” is a more accurate description) in my boss’s office, elated to hear that my request to write a blog had been accepted and that, best of all, I would be able to maintain exclusive responsibility over it. How exciting!

300 posts later and I haven’t suffered writer’s block, yet. I’m really fortunate to work in an environment that offers constant stimulation, and an endless array of topics. It’s true that the Calgary Public Library has everything you’re into, as you may have read on various ads throughout our city.

So, this is just a quick note to say thank you for reading Slice of Calgary. I hope you’ll continue to check back for book reviews, information about library programs, and lots more.

Cheers!

Have you ever wondered about what a life coach or career coach can do for you? It’s a whole lot more than just cheering you on and patting you on the back.

Coaches motivate clients to explore different viewpoints and strategies, and crucially, to take action. They foster personal responsibility and accountability, too.

Often times, your family is too biased to give you objective advice; likewise, your friends or co-workers may worry about hurting your feelings. Coaches are removed enough to allow for more objectivity, but they’re invested enough to keep you accountable, and to help you celebrate your successes. Coaches keep you honest and on track, and they help you broaden a variety of skill sets. Coaches work with individuals and teams, and relationships with a coach can be long or short term.

Interested in finding out more? Calgary Public Library is pleased to be offering free 15-minute coaching sessions, on February 8^th and 9^th.

Click here to find out more!

Today's post comes to Slice of Calgary from one of our resident Eco-Action bloggers, Shannon C. Enjoy!

Growing up in Taber, Alberta, Malcolm Lim started playing violin and piano at age six. Three years later, when he was given the choice of instrument to learn at school, he made a beeline for the drums and never looked back.

Fast-forward a few decades and that continuing passion for percussion has offered Malcolm a busy life in the somewhat rarefied career path of working musician. His studies and his teaching have taken him around the world from Calgary to Colorado, California, New York City and Brazil.

These days Malcolm teaches percussion at Mount Royal University’s Conservatory of Music, is co-director, along with wife Barbara Oliveira-Lim, of the Calgary School of Samba and he’s CEO of Rhythm Mastery, an organization that provides team based collaborative problem solving and leadership programs. According to Lim, “you can fire up more cylinders with music than if you approach problems more theoretically.” The learning through drumming approach allows people to break down barriers and get past the usual defenses, while also illuminating the dynamics behind work teams. “If there’s a festering boil, then we can pop it, deal with it and get past it.”

For the past four years Malcolm also worked as a substitute Reference Assistant at the Central Library, first in the Business, Science and Social Sciences department and now in the Arts department. His music background is valuable when referring customers to great works of music, finding scores and rare recordings and answering musicology questions.

Malcolm graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Music in Orchestral Performance. But he went to McGill thinking he’d be a doctor: “I think I was still adopting the general attitude around me that music is not a way to make a living, so I was headed for med school because I was good in science. I only went into music after reading Joseph Campbell’s line, ‘When you follow your bliss...doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else.’” Music certainly is bliss to Lim: “It’s the best way to express spirit, to manifest it. You’re creating sound out of nothing. It’s a miracle. All of it’s a miracle.”

What are your hobbies, and interests?

Wing Chun Kung Fu, eating (Sushi, Chinese, pasta, Greek, Lebanese, French, soups), snare drumming, and existential humour.

What’s your favourite book, author or genre?

In the last couple years, if memory serves, I read fiction: horror, gothic, science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, and winners of the Man Booker Prize. I also read non-fiction: science, memoirs, continental philosophy, developmental psychology, leadership and management, and religion. I like it all! I’m a genre glutton.

What are you reading right now?

A collection of Brazilian “Cronicas.” They are a genre of really short pieces, 1-3 pages.

Favourite Movie?

Little Miss Sunshine.

What are your passions?

Gluttony and lust.

If you were a tree (or animal) what kind of tree (animal) would you be?

Sloth week 1, Cheetah week 2, in alternating shifts.

What makes you happy?

A happy wife.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Still being married after almost 10 years.

What is your motto?

Wake Up, Grow Up, Show Up.

If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you want to have with you?

A priest, a rabbi and an atheist.

The Library is 100 years old this year. What is your vision for the Library of the future?

If the orchestra of today is like a museum of musical works, then the library of tomorrow could be a museum of reading experiences, so let’s keep hard copies of books around in addition to e-books!