Every year, our fair city plays host to the Calgary Stampede.

While most folks are familiar with the rodeo, rides, and pancake breakfasts, there’s still a lot to uncover about this local tradition.

Who started the Stampede, and why? When was the first one held? What’s the connection between the Stampede and Calgary’s “western” image?

Find out all about the Calgary Stampede by visiting our Local History Room, on the 4^th floor of the Central Library. We’ve got articles, documents and pictures, ready to satisfy your curiosity!

Yee Haw!

Want to read about the Stampede, day by day? With a Calgary Public Library card, you can read both the Herald and the Sun online. Ask our staff about Newspaper Direct Press Display, available through our e-library!

Ya Hoo!

A good friend of mine is native, and sometimes blames his lack of punctuality on his “running on native time”. Even though this remark is just a joke, it’s an example of cultural difference. There are significant differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures, and as Canadians, it’s important that we recognize and celebrate those differences.

In fact, ask any Canadian – Aboriginal or not – about Aboriginal politics and you’re sure to get an impassioned response. Should Aboriginals receive funding from the government? If so, how much? What type of programs ought to be put in place on reserves, and who should administer them? What damage has the residential school system caused to Aboriginal communities, and if we can reconcile, what’s the best way?

Aboriginals have unique medicinal, spiritual and cultural beliefs and practices. Find out more about them during Aboriginal Awareness Week.

Visit your local branch for information about Aboriginals. We’ve got everything from government documents, to biographies, to information about Aboriginal beliefs, myths and stories. Also, join us for an introduction and explanation of human rights from an Aboriginal perspective, presented by the Native Counseling Services of Alberta.

A mother is quite possibly the most influential person in one’s life.

Long before we learn to identify with friends, peers, colleagues, or anyone else, we learn to relate with mom. Indeed, the ways that our mothers manage our homes, families, and environments leave indelible marks on our personalities (and in some cases, huge lump sums in the hands of psychologists!).

Come to your local branch of the Calgary Public Library and find all sorts of resources about mothering. From pregnancy, to child development, to the teenage years and well beyond, we’ve got all sorts of materials by and for mothers, and the children who love them. Check out books and magazines about parenting. Read about the latest theories on child development through our e-library. Clap, sing, read and rhyme your way to literacy in our free storytime programs.

I’m convinced that my mother is responsible for my career at the library. Where else could I have possibly ended up working, given that she read to me while I was still in the womb!?

“A home for a bunny, a home of his own. Where would a bunny find a home? Under a rock, under a stone?”

Thanks, mom, and Happy Mother’s Day!

When the series Six Feet Under was on TV, I watched each week. I loved the drama, and was fascinated by the corpses. What’s not to love about a series that takes place in a funeral home? In fact, Six Feet Under deserves a lot of credit for bringing death and the funeral industry into a prominent position within mainstream entertainment, and for making this taboo subject a little less so. The series is full of brilliant performances from an amazing ensemble cast, and the storylines (refreshingly!) don’t pander to the audience. Get out your Kleenex for one of the most memorable series finales on record.

If you’ve never watched Six Feet Under, then stop whatever it is you’re doing and run to your local library branch!

It’s not just TV. It’s HBO!

The history of humankind is violent, to be sure. War - no matter its scale - has impacted nearly every society, at every time period. What is its function, and why (even though we decry its horrors) do we keep engaging in it?

Come to the library for an informative series of programs about war.

History of War on Wednesday May 5

Origins of World War II on Wednesday May 12

The Battle of Normandy on Friday June 4

The format of these programs varies from lecture to simulation board game, to multimedia presentation. To find out more, please visit our website.

I met Mark Hopkins at the Glenbow Museum a few months ago.

After a noon-hour talk about face-to-face meetings and what they can help us accomplish, the speaker asked whether the audience had any questions, comments, or general feedback.

Mark stood up and talked briefly about his “We Should Know Each Other” parties. They’re events that are open to anyone, hosted by Mark Hopkins himself, a self described community builder.

This Saturday, Mark will host his 50^th such gathering. All are welcome, and you can expect to meet a huge array of Calgarians – activists, politicians, artists, and everyone else! It’s your chance to get out there, broaden your social circle, make new connections and flex the social muscles that wither with too much screen time.

Join the party and meet your newest friends! Check out the links for more information!

We Should Know Each Other (Facebook event)

We Should Know Each Other (article from FFWD)