Here are a handful of great library resources to enjoy over the holiday season:

• Christmas music. Borrow CDs and make your own holiday playlist.
• Cookbooks. Yeah, that little bag is supposed to come out before you cook the bird. And if “bird” is certainly not the word in your house, then check out titles about vegetarian and vegan holiday foods.
• Programs. Holiday-themed storytimes, live music and more!
• Decorating tips. We’ve got hundreds of magazines and thousands of books, dedicated to helping your home look its very best. From DIY wreaths to knitting your own stocking.
• Presents. No, unfortunately we’re not giving them away. But, we’re suggesting that you get a library card for a friend or loved one. Give the gift of inspiration, entertainment and education, for only $12! (You weren’t really going to give her another boring pair of slippers, were you?)

Whatever you’re into, find it here at the Calgary Public Library. Happy Holidays!

I love Canada! People who are born here, I believe, have won some kind of cosmic lottery. We are extremely fortunate to live in a country that is (by and large) a free, safe and beautiful place.

Find out more about your home and native land!

Visit our e-library and choose “Canadian”. Then, check out the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, or the Canadian Encyclopedia. Use Canadian Newsstand to access hundreds of Canadian newspapers and magazines.

For those who aren’t Canadian just yet, we offer a citizenship preparations class. Check the program guide for more information!

If you’re in your local branch, then ask your librarian for assistance. We can recommend wonderful Canadian authors, and lead you to hundreds of resources by and about Canadians.

All Calgary Public Library branches will be closed on Friday July 1^st, so go out and celebrate this great land!

Not sure what to give that special someone in your life? Consider a Calgary Public Library card!

A Calgary Public Library card is the best deal in the city! For adults, an annual membership is only $12 and allows members to access books, new DVDs (and Blu-Rays!), a huge range of music and tons of free programs. It’s also a subscription to The Calgary Herald and The Calgary Sun. It’s access to one of the most highly rated language learning software products on the market today, and thousands of e-books and audio-books. It’s two hours of internet access every day, within any branch in the city. It’s the ability to borrow up to 99 items at any given time, and to have them delivered to the branch of your choice.

I could go on and on about the benefits of library membership, but I won’t. I’ll just put it to you this way:

A world of information and ideas...or another vanilla scented candle. You decide!

Okay, I can’t believe I’m actually typing this in November, but...

The Christmas season can cause an inordinate amount of stress. We’ve got to manage family visits, cooking and baking, decorating and gift giving – and all while trying to survive in less than ideal weather conditions, and while wearing ever tightening pants.

Get a jump on your to-do list and you’ll have more time to relax, as the day approaches.

The Calgary Public Library is a great place to begin! We’ve got tons of books and magazines about decorating, a huge repository of Martha Stewart’s tips and tricks, and an enormous collection dedicated to cooking. We make our Christmas books and music available well before the holiday, too!

So, put to together a master playlist of Christmas music, decide on a menu, and get this season under your firm control!

Ask our information desk staff where to find music, cookbooks, decorating magazines, and information about the history and traditions associated with Christmas.

Don’t celebrate Christmas? We’ve got lots of information and resources about other major holidays and festivals, too.

And be sure to browse through our programs! We've got holiday themed programs for children and adults, and festive live music throughout the month of December.

Why the Jack-o-lantern, and how did this custom come to be? Where did Halloween first start to be celebrated, and what’s the connection between Pagan festivals and corny costumes? Your library has the answers!

Borrow books and magazines from our collection and find inspiration for Halloween crafts, parties and costumes. (Hint: Martha Stewart reigns supreme!)

Explore World Folklore and Folklife Today on our e-library. Find comprehensive information about rituals, customs, beliefs and stories. A great source for research papers and class presentations!

Bring your little ones to Babies Go Boo Storytimes. Register here.

I love Halloween! A night of inhibition including risqué costumes, alter-egos, bad clichés, and too much chocolate! What more could you ask for?

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!