HBO’s The Wire is a critical and unflinching look at the social problems within the streets of Baltimore. The Wire has an enormous cast: corner boys, teachers, police, journalists, city staff and many others populate its violent and shocking scenes. We witness corruption and back-room deals, the abject failure of the public education system, the dissolution of traditional forms of print media, and a vicious drug trade that leaves hundreds of dead in its wake.

So, why would you want to watch something so ostensibly disheartening? Because this is a series that has been critically acclaimed and touted as nothing short of “literature”. If it is literature, it’s Dickensian, to be sure. Narratives are played out in long arcs, and the pay off for viewers typically comes at the end of a 13 hour season. The Wire’s writers are not afraid to eliminate major characters, either. In fact, several of my favourite characters eventually “get got” and wind up being shot by enemies or close associates.

Once you’re beyond the initial shock of the violence and foul language, you’re immersed in a world that’s totally unlike the one you likely inhabit now. The acting is superior and the stories are gripping.

Check out The Wire today! Use your library card to place a hold, and we’ll deliver the DVDs to a branch of your choice.

Have you caught the bug? I’ll admit that I have. Initially, I wasn’t interested in anything that transpires at Buckingham Palace, but now that William and Kate have wed, and her dress has finally been revealed to the world, I find that I’m getting swept up in the royal excitement. I even curtsied to my lunch date today!

If the “wedding of the century” has got you curious about the royal family and its history, then make a stop at your local library branch. We’ve got lots of books about British history and the monarchy. You can even use Encyclopedia Britannica (online) to gather information about who’s related to whom, and browse pictures of the crown jewels.

Whether or not you care about Kate’s dress, the fact is that today, we’ve had the opportunity to witness history. Find out more about it, and about everything else you’re into, here at the Calgary Public Library.

It Gets Better is a collection of short letters and testimonials written by gays, lesbians, transgendered people, and their allies. I’ve been waiting to get my hands on a copy, because I’ve heard a lot about it already, and because so many of my friends and loved ones are gay.

It Gets Better is a response to a series of troubling incidents (mainly in the United States) wherein young gay individuals have taken their own lives, or been killed, as a result of being gay.

When I was a high school student, the occasional utterance of “hey, faggot!” was as severe as it got, but these days, we hear of disturbing amounts of taunting, bullying and even torture of gay individuals – many of them in their tender teenage years.

If you know a gay teen who may be struggling to overcome self-doubt, anguish, loneliness, or isolation, then recommend this book to him or her. It’s not a catch-all solution to bullying, but it just may offer a bit of comfort to a young person who doubts that things can or will get better.

Poems are strings of words that rhyme.

(I guess that’s not true all the time.)

Poems have shape and poems have form -

unless you want to flout the norm.

Poems are written; poems are read.

They live on paper and in your head.

What training does a poet need?

She need only love to write and read.

You’re a poet – yes it’s true!

So, let those poems come out of you!

But make yours sound free-flowing and loose.

Or you’ll end up like me:

a little too “Dr. Seuss”.

April is National Poetry Month! Come and celebrate with us! If you love poetry, then maybe you’ll be interested in the following:

• Our e-library contains a complete collection of Shakespeare’s sonnets (and plays, too!).
• The fourth floor of the Central Library contains a huge range of poems and corresponding critical analysis.
• Each branch contains a range of poetry for children.
• We have a Writer in Residence who can give you critical feedback about your work.
• We have an Aboriginal Writers' Circle and a Creative Writing Club that is open to all.
• On April 26th, we'll be hosting readings by three notorious poets, over the noon hour.

And now, for this post, the end has drawn near.

…and you’ll not hear me rhyme until April next year!

This year, it’s the one hundredth annual International Women’s Day! Come and celebrate at the Calgary Public Library!

Our 2011 speakers’ panel includes Lynn Donaldson, interior designer; Donna Kennedy-Glans, founder of Integrity Bridges Inc.; Nina Rahal-Kharey, head designer of House of Nonie, and Lesley Scorgie, author of Rich by Thirty.

As a special treat, all of our registrants will receive a free lunch!

You don’t have to be a woman to attend. You just have to know, respect, or love one.

While you’re here, why not check out our resources? We’ve got print and electronic materials about women’s health and sexuality, the history of feminism, entrepreneurship for moms, and lots more! Come and get inspired!

We are women, hear us roar, in numbers too big to ignore!

Celebrate Black History month at the Calgary Public Library! Check out this link to see who’ll be performing at the Central Library on February 11^th.

And then...

Use your library to find music (CDs and concert DVDs!) by black artists. We’ve got extensive collections of hip hop, soul, jazz, and more! Borrow books by famous black novelists, or read biographies about black activists, politicians, and athletes. Find out about issues that affect black people and black communities, by using our academic research databases. Did you know that the Calgary Public Library has magazines for and about black people and black interests? Check out Essence or Ebony, for example. Ask your librarian how to find these resources! We’re always happy to help!