Read and Play Kits at Quarry Park Library

Read and Play Kits at Quarry Park Library

When Quarry Park Library opens on July 2, will patrons get not only a brand new library, but also a new tool for early literacy at home. Read and Play early literacy kits are being piloted at Quarry Park Library. These special kits have been developed by the Library in partnership with the YMCA. The Imperial Oil Foundation, whose new headquarters are located in Quarry Park, will support the pilot initiative in that community, which can be replicated locally and can serve as a model for regional and national implementation.

What is a Read and Play early literacy kit? It all begins with a Trunki—a whimsical, wheeled, ride-on suitcase for children. Inside, parents and kids will find a Read and Play booklet, five books, and several toys. The booklets tell parents about the kits, give them ideas about how to engage their children with the items and activities in the Trunki, as well as explain the concept of early literacy. (For a complete list of what’s inside these 16-page booklets, see page 2.)

The Read and Play kits have themes that appeal to children’s interests and quickly engage them with the written, spoken, and sung word, as well as with movement: Dinosaurs, Moving and Shaking, Farm Animals, Nature, Fun with Food, and Things That Go.

Be sure to have a look at these innovative new early literacy kits at the Staff Quarry Park Sneak Peek on June 30, 9:00 am–5:00 pm. (See The Bulletin Board, page 4, for more information.)

The Foundation Street Team will be at Quarry Park on July 1 to help celebrate Canada Day. Our newest library will open the next day, July 2. We’ll celebrate the opening of the Quarry Park Library in the Remington YMCA in September with our partners the YMCA and the City of Calgary. (Watch The Bulletin for details.)

What’s in a Read and Play Early Literacy Kit booklet?

• A welcome page that explains early and physical literacy

• “How to Read & Play” which gives parents helpful ideas on how best to utilize the kit

• Pictures of the books and toys included in the kit (which will help parents remember what goes in the kit when the time comes to return it!)

• Tips on reading, numeracy, and literacy

• Activities, rhymes, and songs, with helpful instructions for performing the actions

• “Play and Move” games that help develop early literacy

• More recommended books to be found at the Library

• A list of online resources

• More ways to play and learn, giving parents further ideas for fun ways to develop early and physical literacy!

The New Adventures of Engine 23

The excitement was building on the morning of June 17. The New Adventures of Engine 23 wouldn’t launch until 11:00 am, but at 9:00 am Central Library patrons were already doing double takes, gasping, laughing, and posing for selfies with the 20-tonne fire truck.

By the time the launch got underway, patrons and staff sported huge smiles, and the energy in the room was palpable. All the kids in the packed house wore little firefighter’s helmets and a class from W.H. Cushing Workplace School was fully decked-out in “turnout gear,” the protective clothing firefighters wear.

Mark Asberg emceed the event, remarking, “what, you ask, is a fire truck doing in a library?” He went on to explain, “because each year we see more than half a million children walk through our doors, we are always looking for creative, fun ways to bring learning to life.”

Bill Ptacek agreed. “This couldn’t happen in any place other than Calgary, where everybody believes anything is possible and where nothing is too large or too crazy to try out. It is all about early learning for kids. Just think of the impact on a three-year-old having a real-life firefighter read to him or her aboard an actual fire truck,” he said.

Many firefighters were in attendance, thrilled to be part of this phenomenal learning initiative. Joe Zatylny, Deputy Chief of Fire and Rescue Services Support, represented the Calgary Fire Department. “We are committed to education, so as soon as the Library came to us with this exciting idea, we knew it would be extremely worthwhile to help,” he said. “It’s the beginning of a great partnership that will allow our firefighters to meet even more Calgary families.”

The Library’s Tera Johnson led a rousing storytime with assistance from Bill and Chief Joe, to the laughter of both children and adults—further demonstrating that our efforts to animate spaces in libraries can impact the entire system, across the patron spectrum.

Above: Joe Zatylny gets to know the youngest firefighters

Families are indeed making Engine 23 part of their Library experience; 84 have already attended special Engine 23 storytimes since Friday’s opening. Schools and daycares can sign up online for tours.

The exhibit will remain at Central Library until New Central Library opens later in 2018, when it will move over to one of the community libraries.

Above: Storytime with Bill Ptacek, Tera Johnson, and Joe Zatylny

Design Advisory Groups

If you have questions about how a Library program runs, why something is done a certain way or ideas about how to make a program better, contact the Design Advisory Groups!

These nimble teams are comprised of Librarians and LA9 staff from Service Delivery, Selectors, and Service Design Support. They are organized according to the priority areas of the Library’s 2015–2018 Strategic Plan. If you have questions or ideas about a program or service in one of these areas, please email the advisory group, using the Outlook Address Book:

• A List Digital/Civic Literacy Advisory Group

• A List Early Literacy Advisory Group

• A List Newcomers Advisory Group

• A List Readers Advisory Group

• A List School Age Advisory Group

• A List Teens Advisory Group

In addition to gathering ideas and feedback from their colleagues, the Design Advisory Groups will also champion new programs and services in community libraries.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask your manager for further information.

You can find the terms of reference and advisory group placements on Sharepoint:

CPL Sharepoint > Service Design > Public Documents > Advisory Groups.

Casino Volunteers Needed

The Calgary Public Library Foundation is seeking volunteers for their upcoming Casino Days fundraiser. Our Casino dates are Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27 at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino. Funds raised go back into supporting great initiatives at the Library.

No experience is necessary; you will be trained onsite prior to your shift. If you are interested and available to volunteer, please contact Katie Radke at katie.radke@calgarylibrary.ca

Available Shifts

Friday, August 26

11:00 am – 7:30 am

• Spare (you would be on-call, but would need to come in if required)

7:00 pm – 4:00 am

• Alternate General Manager

• Banker

• Chip Runner

• Spare (you would be on-call, but would need to come in if required)

11:00 pm – 4:00 am

• Count Room (counter) 2 spots available

Saturday, August 27

11:00 am – 7:30 am

• Spare (you would be on-call, but would need to come in if required)

7:00 pm – 4:00 am

• Spare (you would be on-call, but would need to come in if required)

11:00 pm – 4:00 am

• Count Room (counter) 1 spot available

Role Descriptions

• General Manager: works closely with the casino facility games manager to supervise all aspects of the casino

• Alternate General Manager: assumes the duties of the General Manager in their absence

• Banker: supervises the cash cage, cashiers, and chip runners. This includes documenting all cash cage transactions and ensuring the security of the chips and cash in the cash cage.

• Counter: flowing bills through count room machines, counting, and logging cash

New Central Library Service Plan

Service Design is working hard to have innovative, creative, and “Best-Public-Library-in-the-World” programs ready when New Central Library opens in 2018! Watch Bill Ptacek’s video update on this initiative to learn all about it! Some highlights include:

• New Central Library is a 280,000 square foot building, with 42 bookable spaces, a 360-seat theatre, a giant welcoming gallery, and more. Just the size and the scope of the building is inspiring.

• We want to make sure that the future programming in New Central Library will be as exciting and dynamic as its architecture.

• We want New Central Library programming to reflect the innovative things we are doing in other libraries in the system.

• The Service Design team is developing a model for the first six months of programming in the building. The Library has also brought in a consultant, Andrew Brown, whose job is to lead the Service Design team in creating the menu of programs and services. Service Design will be engaging staff throughout the system to get input into future programs and services.

Look for more details on planning New Central Library’s programs in the July 8 issue of The Bulletin!

Bulletin Board

Stampede Parade Day

To catch the after-parade traffic, Central Library is opening at 11:00 am on Parade Day, July 8.

Think Big: Why Does the Brain Want What It Wants?

Why did I eat that entire bag of cookies? Fries with that? Uh ... sure! We all strive to make good decisions—but sometimes our brains take control and hijack our choices. Join Think Big host Jay Ingram and brain experts from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary in a discussion about decision making, motivation, and addiction.

June 24, 6:00 pm | Central Library