Dedicated and long-time Calgary Public Library volunteers, Diane Valcourt (left) and Mary Mooney, have been bringing the gift of books and reading to the residents of Southwood Care Centre every week for over 20 years!

Libraries in Residence is a unique program that brings large quantities of library books into senior care centers across the city to provide access to seniors who may not normally be able to visit the library. Every week at Southwood Care Centre, Mary or Diane wheel a cart of large print books around from resident to resident, distributing books and visiting with seniors along the way. Mary’s favourite part of volunteering with the program is “the pleasure of visiting and discussing books with so many varied people. The residents are genuinely appreciative and many don’t have much pleasure in their lives”.

It's obvious that Diane and Mary care a lot about the program and the residents it serves, taking the time to ensure each resident who would like a visit and a library book (or many!), receive one of each every week. They both believe it feels good to help others especially those who may not have the mobility needed to go outside and do the things they used to do. The time and care that Mary and Diane contribute are much appreciated not only by the residents and staff at Southwood Care, but also the Calgary Public Library who is proud to have such dedicated, long term volunteers!

Your Calgary Public Library card allows you to access free, self-paced MS Office courses. Here’s how:

• Start at our homepage, and then choose the link to e-library.
• Choose the category Job Search, Careers & Courses.
• Choose Learning Express. Once you do, I suggest that you register, so that you can start downloading content immediately.
• Choose Popular Software Tutorials and you’re off to the races!

Complete these courses at the Calgary Public Library branch of your choice, or from the comfort of your couch or kitchen table. If you still need assistance, remember you can access free computer programs and one-on-one volunteers at various library branches throughout the city. Call 260-2600 for more information!

Liam (center), and his younger twin brothers, Harris and Owen, have been participants in the Read With Me program at Calgary Public Library for three years. They work with their volunteers, Brita Wahl, Senthil Gnanasambandam and Ruth Halford, respectively, for an hour each week at a Library branch to develop their literacy skills.

Ruth and Owen have been a pair since November 2009. The boys’ father, Bryan, states, 'Owen loves Ruth. She’s amazing. She makes it fun for him to learn and he always comes back in a good mood after their sessions.’ Owen confirms this: ‘It’s fun working with Ruth and really educating. Sometimes, we do games and hard mazes and stuff like that. When we have to read, she picks books that I like and that are funny.’

Brita and Liam have worked together since September 2010. In Liam’s words, ‘It’s been good…in lots of ways. We do reading and she’ll play games with me. She’s really nice and she helps me with the words and stuff.’ Bryan adds, ‘Brita has a calm, peaceful personality, which is exactly what Liam needs, especially in his learning. She keeps him engaged and focused.’

Senthil and Harris began their match in January 2012. Bryan shared that since starting work with Senthil, Harris now loves reading and does so independently at home daily. Harris confers, ‘Senthil is really good. I really like him a lot. He really helps me a lot. I’ve improved my reading since I started working with him and now I’m figuring-out more hard words. He’s really nice and lets me pick books I like.’

All three volunteers feel the boys are benefiting from their help in the program and enjoy their sessions together. Brita says she loves working with Liam and ‘It’s been fun getting to learn something new each session…I’ve learned a lot about sharks, scorpions and Star Wars’.

Bryan is unequivocal about the help provided to his children by the volunteers: ‘We are so happy and amazed by the program and so appreciative of all the folks who volunteer.’

Thank you, Ruth, Brita, and Senthil for all your efforts and sharing your love of literacy with these children!

This contest is now closed – congrats to our winner! We hope you enjoy the show!

Monty Python's Spamalot is lovingly ripped-off from the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and will be playing at Pumphouse Theatres from January 11^th–26^th. The gala, which will take place on Friday the 11^th at 7:30 p.m., includes light refreshments after the show and a chance to mingle with the cast and crew.

Front Row Centre Players Society, one of Calgary Public Library and Sun Life Financials Arts + Culture Pass partners, has generously donated two tickets to the Calgary Public Library for the opening night gala of  “Spamalot”.

If you would like to win these tickets, all you need to do is answer these three questions in the Comments section of this blog:

1) What is your name?
2) What is your quest?
3) What is your phone number or email address so we can contact you if your name is randomly selected from the entrees as the winner of these free tickets?

*Calgary Public Library will not publish any of your personal information on this site*

Enter by midnight, Tuesday January 8th for your chance to WIN!

If you would like to learn more about the Sun Life Arts + Culture Pass and how to qualify, check out their website.

And if you can’t get enough of the boys from Monty Python, check out these great titles from the Calgary Public Library Catalogue:

Ram has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and taught for many years at the University of Calgary. He joined our volunteer team on January 6^th 2011 as a Computer Technology Coach at the Louise Riley Library. Ram is very popular with customers attending the drop-in coaching sessions every Monday afternoon. He hit a system record one afternoon, helping 20 customers in one session!

Ram has also volunteered for a number of special events at both the Central Library and the Louise Riley location and was a Library ambassador during our New Central Library engagement process. We also see Ram regularly here at the Memorial Park Library where he has been assisting the Calgary Public Library Foundation by processing donations. Ram has a kind manner and a delightful sense of humour. He is a real asset to our volunteer team.

Thank you Ram for all you do for Calgary Public Library!

The holidays must be coming, because the number of questions we're receiving about eBooks and eReaders is shooting sky-high! With new models on the market at lower-than-ever prices, eReaders and tablets are the go-to gift for book lovers on your list. If you are planning on buying an eReader or tablet for a lucky friend or family member (or for yourself!) take your time, and do some research into all your options. Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about eBooks at the library.

Can I borrow eBooks from the Library? 

Yes! We have thousands of eBooks in our OverDrive and Freading collections and we’re adding more every day. You can borrow them 24/7, with a valid Calgary Public Library card. The eBooks will return themselves automatically, so you’ll never have to worry about late fees.

Which devices can I use to borrow Library ebooks? 

Our eBooks work with a variety of today’s popular devices, such as:

eReaders

Kobo Glo

• Kobo Glo, Mini, Touch
• Sony Reader WiFi, Touch
• Barnes and Noble Nook

Tablets  

• Kobo Vox and Arc
• Blackberry Playbook
• iPad, iPad Mini, iPod Touch
• Microsoft Surface           
• Barnes and Noble Nook
• Samsung Galaxy
• Google Nexus
• Sony WiFi-PRS-T1
• Kindle Fire

List of devices that are compatible and incompatible with OverDrive (some of the newer devices aren’t listed here yet).

While Amazon has not made older Kindle eReaders compatible with OverDrive in Canadian libraries, you can use the Kindle Fire with OverDrive in Canada, by downloading the OverDrive Media Console app to your device. The Kindle Fire works with Freading also, with a few extra steps.

If you can cope with the teeny, tiny screen you can use your iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows smartphone to borrow eBooks. You can also use your computer or netbook.

Which eReader or tablet should I buy?

There are lots of choices this holiday season and a few things you should consider when you make your purchase:

• Cost:  If you’re buying an eReader you can expect to pay between $80 to $300, while tablets will cost you more: from $200 to $850 depending on storage size and connectivity.
• Weight: eReaders are lighter than tablets – the Kobo Mini weighs in at 134 grams, while the Apple iPad weighs 1.44 pounds. Try a friend’s if you can, or at the store, and see what feels most comfortable to you.
• Screen Size: The Kobo Mini measures only 5 inches while tablets like the Apple’s iPad are double that at 10 inches – and closer to the size of a magazine, or hard cover book.
• Screen type: Tablets have LCD screens and are back-lit, emitting their own light, but the print can be less sharp. EReaders have e-ink (electronic ink) screens that reduce glare and reflections in bright-light conditions, but rely on reflected ambient light to light up the screen. Some of the newer eReaders now offer lit screens.
• Functionality: If you want to be able to surf the Internet in addition to reading eBooks you’ll want to buy a tablet computer. (And you’ll have to access a wi-fi connection or pay every month for access to a network). With tablets you can also take pictures and video.
• Battery Life: Tablets use a lot more energy than eReaders do, due to their screen type and processing power, and need frequent charging with high-use. EReaders on the other hand can go for weeks without charging.

We have Consumer Reports in print at all our locations and you can access it online through the MasterFILE Premier database in our E-Library (have your library card ready)!

iPad with retina display

Check out these articles online for more information:

The eBook Reader Comparison Tables
PC’s World’s article: Last Chapter for eReaders?
Consumer Reports eBook Readers Buying Guide article

How can I learn about borrowing eBooks from the Library?

Check out our Getting Started information for OverDrive and for Freading online.

We also offer two great programs on getting started with eBooks at the Library:

• eBooks: A Library on the Go
  Library staff demonstrate how to download an eBook using OverDrive, and answer your questions.
• The eBook Doctor
  Drop in for one-on-one help with your eBook and E-Reader questions and learn how to use OverDrive and Freading.

Current eBook programs (Check back on Monday, December 18th for our 2013 programs -- they will fill up fast!)

What do I do if I need more help?

Call us at 403-260-2600 and our staff will be happy to help!  Or, if you have technical questions about OverDrive you can email them using this form.