The Book Truck Family is Growing

The Book Truck Family is Growing

The Book Truck family adds its newest member in January. Based on feedback from staff and patrons, we have made a few changes to the design of this new vehicle. Already a popular community visitor, this Book Truck will be anticipated miles away...it's bright RED! We have also added two speakers on the outside of the vehicle, so staff can play music when parked on location and attract even more patrons to the Book Truck.

The vehicle is currently under construction at a garage in southern Alberta. The company completing the modifications will install all the electrical systems, flooring, heating, and shelving.

Big Red (Book Truck #3) will live at Signal Hill Library when it's not busy driving around the city bringing Library services to communities and schools.

Introducing Jacqueline Miles

Jacqueline Miles is the Newcomers Services Librarian and has been with the Library for 2.5 years. Before coming to the Library, she managed the marketing and fund development of a small not-for-profit. Jacqueline believes that when she began at the Library, her strongest asset was her experience managing grants. As Newcomer Services is funded by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, that skill is being put to very good use. Currently, she’s excited to be negotiating our next three years of funding.

Becoming passionate about supporting newcomers has been easy for Jacqueline. Newcomers never ask “are libraries still relevant?” because they understand the Library’s value. Libraries are excellent settlement portals for newcomers. Jacqueline loves that the Library creates an environment where newcomers are safe to explore their new community, ask questions without anxiety, and find support.

Jacqueline promises that you can expect to see some changes in what we offer newcomers starting in April 2017! Newcomer youth will be served in innovative ways, and the Library will strengthen our existing, successful programs across the system.

Besides her love for her job, Jacqueline also really enjoys slow travel. She has driven from the Maritimes to BC, taken the train from Toronto to Vancouver, and recently completed a road trip through Oregon, northern California, and Nevada. She’s currently eyeing a few international train routes.

Learning and Growing Together

Bill Ptacek, CEO

Recently, a mom of three and Library lover posted a note on the Library’s Facebook page. It detailed her account of a family visit to a community library where her children, in their excitement to get to the books, were not quiet. She shared her concern with us about how their Library experience had dampened her children’s enthusiasm for books and future trips to the Library. She also shared her love for the Library and her hope that something could be done differently.

Well, we rose to the challenge and contacted her—Alexandra—to hear more about her story. We then regrouped and realized that we could use this opportunity to learn about how we as Library staff can more fully live out our vision.

So, with MarCom’s assistance, we’ve videotaped what we’re calling an E23 Talk between Alexandra and me in the reading nook of Engine 23. In the video, after she shares her story, I ask her for some practical suggestions about how we could have done things differently to ensure that her kids felt welcome at their community library. With incredible grace, she did just that.

Here’s a challenge for you. Listen to the invaluable input from this patron and think about how it aligns with the Library’s vision. Then think about how you might be able to implement the suggestion in your day-to-day work (whether with patrons or with colleagues). Share your ideas via The Kitchen.

We’ve posted this video on our website and social media channels and asked our patrons to share their own Library stories with us ... as well as their suggestions for improvement. We want to be a Library that can learn from critique (positive and otherwise) and grow together to serve our patrons to the best of our ability and to become the Best Public Library in the World.

Thank you for bringing the Library vision to life.

Bill

P.S. And because we can learn from one another, we’ll be asking Library employees

to “share your Library story” in the very near future. Watch for details!

“The Best There Is, the Best There Was,

the Best There Ever Will Be”

Cultural icon and cofounder of the Calgary Hitmen, Bret “Hitman” Hart is a masterful, provocative storyteller and one of the world’s most recognizable wrestlers.

Trained by his father Stu, Bret launched his career through Stampede Wrestling—a cultural phenomenon still fondly remembered today—and won heavyweight championships in both the World Wrestling Foundation and World Championship Wrestling. He is credited with revolutionizing the professional wrestling industry, and is considered to be one of the most technically proficient wrestlers of his era.

While his on-screen persona is larger-than-life, Bret lives up to his status as a role model by visiting sick children while travelling all over the globe and now acts as an inspirational speaker who frequently speaks at charity events.

Bret has proven to be a true fighter in the face of adversity, overcoming a severe concussion, a major stroke that forced his retirement, and most recently, winning his battle against prostate cancer.

A book lover and supporter of the Library, Bret is also a talented author. He spent seven years writing his critically acclaimed autobiography, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling and is currently working on a fictional novel.

On Friday, November 4, the Calgary Public Library Foundation will honour Bret Hart at the Bob Edwards Award Gala at the Fairmont Palliser. For more information, visit bobedwardsaward.ca.

The Community of Practice Public Service Wiki

The Community of Practice – Public Service (CoPPS) wiki (sharepoint > Service Delivery > Community of Practice – Public Service > Community of Practice Wiki) provides lots of useful information about service delivery at Calgary Public Library.

• All about Printing at the Calgary Public Library: curious about whether we can change the wording on our printers? If patrons can use a card scanner rather than having to type in their 14-digit account number every time? If we can get more robust printers? A wealth of printer FAQs are at your fingertips in the Community of Practice wiki!

• A review of Library Settlement Services (LSS) information is on the Community of Practice wiki! Additionally, to promote the LSS service, Services for Newcomers is recommending that we give a Library Settlement Services magnet to all new patrons whom staff identify (or who self-identify) as newcomers when they register for a membership.

If you would like to suggest information for the wiki, or you see information on the CoPPS wiki that needs updating, please send an email to: communityofpractice@calgarylibrary.ca

2017 Reading Guide

The Library’s 2017 Reading Guide will be available in community libraries in January; until then, be sure to give new patrons a copy of the appropriate 2016 Reading Guides (or an entire set)! Tip: Seniors who register may want an Adult Guide as well as a Baby/Toddler/Preschooler Guide.

Collections’ Annual Silent Auction

Collections is accepting handcrafted and seasonal items for their Annual Silent Auction! Your donations help your colleagues shop for Christmas gifts and support a worthy cause at the same time. All proceeds from this year’s Silent Auction will go to the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter.

Send your donations to Collections, 5 Floor South, Central Library, Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–4:00 pm, and leave them with Juliana, Winnie, Michelle, Kristin or Jasna. You can drop off any perishable items on December 7 before 11:00 am. Thank you for your generosity in the past and we hope to see you again this year.

Don’t forget to attend Collection’s Annual Silent Auction, December 7, 10:00 am–2:00 pm!

Remembrance Day

The Library is closed November 11 for Remembrance Day.