A recent CBC news article caught my attention, because of this staggering, sobering statistic: every hour, for the forseeable future, 20 people will be diagnosed with diabetes.

Whether you’re concerned about preventing or managing diabetes, check out the Calgary Public Library’s collections – both print and digital. Our cookery section has a huge range of books; our health and wellness section has information about the body, fitness, medications, and treatments. From home, access our e-library for a huge range of articles from encyclopedias, magazines, and authoritative medical journals.

Your doctor is not your only source of information! Empower yourself by making a trip to your local library!

At my favourite thrift store last year, I was beckoned by a T-Shirt featuring a shamrock and boldly declaring: “Kiss me, I’m Irish”. I knew that I had to have it! I also knew that it would lay in wait for almost a year, until March 17^th, whereupon I could unearth it and wear it proudly – if only for a few short hours.

But, what is the significance of the shamrock? Who is St. Patrick and why is he celebrated? For the answers to these questions, I turned to one of my favourite databases, World Folklore and Folklife Today.

Is there a custom, festival, mythological character, celebration or folktale that you’d like to know more about? Would you like to impress your friends with your extensive knowledge of Irish history and lore – (over a pint of green beer, of course)?

Use this wonderfully comprehensive database to find out more!

From our e-library, select Social Sciences and Education. From there, select World Folklore and Folklife Today. Browse by subject, geographical region or folktale and you’ll find that you’ve got access to hundreds of full length books!

Cheers!

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.

For the vast majority of human history, the availability of light controlled our daily activities. Obviously, you can’t chop wood in the dark! But with the advent of electricity, we’ve been able to stretch our days, and carry out our business on our time, rather than the Sun’s. That progress is all well and good, until you consider how much electricity is used daily, just to keep lights on – even when they don’t need to be. On March 27, at 8:30 PM, participate in Earth Hour and turn off your lights!

Earth Hour is celebrated all around the world! If you’ve never participated, let 2010 be your first year!

Check out the Earth Hour website, for more information.

Want to get an idea of just how much electricity you're using? Visit your local library branch and borrow a kill-a-watt meter.

Even though it’s been thousands of years since he lived (or did he?), Jesus remains one of the most intriguing and influential - (dare I say “controversial”?) - figures in Western history. Nearly every aspect of his life has been debated – from whether he lived at all, to what his spiritual, moral, political and theological beliefs may have been. Is “gentle Jesus, meek and mild” really the case, or was Jesus more of a radical figure?

Browse our catalogue for books about Jesus. You don’t need to have a devotional stance towards Jesus to find him fascinating. Read about Jesus because the art, architecture and icons created in his honour are simply beautiful. Read about him because the history of the Western world has been so strongly influenced by Christianity. Or, read for my favourite reason: because the story of a dying and rising god is as old as ancient Egypt!

There’s a whole lot more to the Jesus story than loaf splitting! Check out our religion collection today!

Did you know that the Calgary Public Library offers Career Tours? Groups or individuals can come to the third floor of the Central Library and learn about the books, CDs, DVDs, databases and other tools we have, to assist in searching for jobs. Tours typically take between 75 and 90 minutes, and are in ever-increasing demand. Many people don’t realize the wealth of information that can be found here. We have the city’s largest collection of career-related materials, encompassing self-assessment tools, occupational profiles, business directories, and much more!

If you’d like to arrange for a Career Tour, please call (403) 260-2782 for more information. Additionally, why not check out our Careers and Employment Resources blog? Here you'll find information about upcoming programs and new career books.

Good luck in your search!