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In Person Programming and Services
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We are thrilled to announce that we are starting to bring back in-person programs and services to the Canmore Public Library this month! Programs such as Storytimes and the Books n' Banter Book Club will once again be happening live and in person at the CPL starting in April. We have also resumed in-house services such as exam invigilations - online or print, private room bookings for the program room and meeting room, and have opened the pubic washroom once again. The Library is now open all weekday evenings until 8pm, and Saturdays until 5pm. We will remain closed on Sundays for now. Curbside services are still available by request to those who are not comfortable visiting us in person. Phone us at 403-678-2468 to schedule your curbside pickup appointment. As we continue to make the transition back to full pre-pandemic operations, we want to send a big thank-you to our patrons for their continued patience. We remain cautiously optimistic that we will be able to continue on this trajectory towards 'normalcy'!
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Your feedback is more than important to us, it is vital. As a municipal service, the Library is primarily funded by tax dollars. Your feedback is a major part of how we prove our value and show the impact we make on our community. As we slowly ease back into full library services and programs, we are asking you for your support. If you value the services that you get from your library, please take a moment to give us a review. Visit our website to fill out our feedback form and let us know what you love about the Library, and how we can improve. There are lots of other ways you can submit your feedback to us such as leaving a Google review, filling out a comment card found at the CPL, or recommending us on Facebook. We appreciate all feedback and use it when developing Library services. With your help we can make 2022 the best year yet!
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We Are Hiring - Summer Programmer
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The CPL is currently accepting applications for Summer Programmers. Applications will be accepted until April 26th, 2022. Please visit our website for the job details and how to apply.
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Library Closed April 15th
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A friendly reminder that the Canmore Public Library will be closed on Friday, April 15th for Good Friday. We will reopen Saturday, April 16th at 10am. Happy Easter!
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2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the Canmore Public Library. Although we were closed to the public for 24 weeks in the first half of the year, we still celebrated this milestone in a variety of ways. We took a trip through the history of the Library, from the letters that started it all straight through to the present day. We created and sold limited edition library memorabilia, including book bags and locally made mugs. We raised money for our endowment fund to secure the Library’s financial future, and we put together a time capsule to be opened on the Library’s 100th anniversary in 2071. Although much of our usual services and program offerings were restricted this year, we still managed to connect to our community in a variety of meaningful ways by providing curbside pickup service as well as online storytimes, book clubs, and other programs. 2021 provided many challenges for library service. With closures and capacity and gathering restrictions, our in-house visits dropped dramatically in 2021 as did our hours of operation. Our level of service, on the other hand, remained very high with numbers close to or higher than previous years. For example, we processed 8,350 more interlibrary loans (Illo's) in 2021 than in 2019, which was our last full year of normal library service pre-Covid-19. Our virtual services increased as well in 2021 with nearly 16,000 additional website visits and over 9,000 more electronic circulations as compared to 2019. Our digital communications also increased with significant growth in our newsletter and steady increases in our social media reach. Thank you to our wonderful patrons, staff members, community partners, volunteers, and our Board of Directors for helping to make 2021 such a successful year for the Canmore Public Library despite the challenges we faced - we couldn't have done it without you!
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The Friends of the Canmore Library are hosting a book sale this month! The book sale will run from Thursday April 21st - Saturday April 23rd for the general public. There will be special early bird access to Friends of the Canmore Library members only on Wednesday April 20th. Friends of the Library memberships will be available for purchase at the sale for $5, cash only. Please note that the hours for the Spring book sale are different from previous occasions. Book sale hours are as follows: Wednesday, April 20th (Friends members only): 6:00 - 8:00pm Thursday, April 21st: 3:00 - 8:00pm Friday, April 22nd: 3:00 - 8:00pm Saturday, April 23rd: 10:00am - 3:00pm *$10 fill a bag - Saturday Only* Please bring your own bag to the sale.
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Become a member of the Friends of the Library, We are convinced it is the best deal in town! - $5 for an individual membership annually
- $10 for a family membership annually
The benefits of becoming a member of the Friends of the Library include: - Early admission to book sales.
- Reduced price for special programs offered by the Friends.
- Knowing that you are supporting our amazing Library. Prior to COVID, the Friends of the Library had been donating more than $15,000 annually to enhance the Library’s programs and resources.
- The opportunity to attend the Annual General Meeting in October and to vote on business pertaining to the Friends of the Canmore Library Society.
Some ways for you to become a member: - Simply fill in the online membership form. Make an E-transfer for the amount of the membership to friends@canmorelibrary.ab.ca.
- Make a print copy of the form, fill it out, put it in an envelope with cash or cheque and bring it to the Library.
- Have one of the Library staff do the processing of your membership next time that you are in the Library.
Your membership is valid until August 31, 2022.
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Board Member Name: Soulafa Al-Abbasi. How long have you been a board member?I was appointed to the Board by the new Town Council in October 2021. What is your position on the Board of Directors? Vice-Chair. What made you decide to join the Board? I wanted to be part of a committed cohort who steward this important community-focused mission: A Canmore Public Library that acts as a gateway to the world-of-ideas and as an institution that contributes to the well-being and health of our community while bringing people together. I also heard great things about Board culture,its sensitivity to diversity,and was impressed with its well-established committees and Board governance policies. Kudos to past and present Board members! Why are libraries important to you? The Arab poet, Al-Mutanabbi, said,“The worthiest companion throughout time is a book.” Libraries offer us that and much more, books and beyond: They are safe havens, inclusive, equitable, essential, and full of treasures. The Canmore Public Library is where my two children go twice a week to pick books for us to read as a family and grow their sense-of-curiosity and their love-for-reading. We’re grateful to have access to such a vibrant and important hub in our community. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Super Soul: A soulful power that would reverse all acts of injustice and discrimination and restores humanity, respect, equity, inclusion, and dignity to individuals, communities, institutions, and systems. Soulafa's Board Pick It used to be My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk; in fact, I love most of his books. He sees beauty in melancholy and has a talent to describe settings that remind me of my childhood and upbringing. But, now, my favorite book is the one that comes to me at the right time, at the right place, by the right author, and, sometimes, is recommended by the right person. Meaning: Books that appear in my life exactly when I need them to reflect on, and enrich, my state-of-being and matters-of-thought in that moment in time. Books have that power. It’s magical. Examples of such magical finds: The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham, Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel García Márquez, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera.
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Did you know that there are over 100 authors who call Canmore their home? We are so excited to shine the spotlight on local authors for our newsletter subscribers! We are happy to introduce Jordan Bartlett as our Local Author Spotlight for April. While she currently lives in the Bow Valley, Jordan was Born in New Zealand, and raised both there and in Canada. She is a Speech Language Pathologist, with a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and a Masters of Science in Speech and Language Pathology. A life-long lover of literature, Jordan has spent the last three years working on her first novel, Contest of Queens, to add to the world’s library. Watch the book trailer here, and read our interview with Jordan below! What advice would you give to any committed writer? It seems obvious, but 1) start writing 2) make time to write, and 3) set a goal. It's an easy thing to say, "I'd like to write a poem/short story/novel" but writing takes time and you need to set that time aside for yourself (especially if you're like me and like to overload your schedule). It can also feel daunting at times so having a realistic daily goal helps you to break it down into bitesize pieces. I found it easiest to have a dedicated time every day that was specifically time to write. For me, this was first thing in the morning (and I'm not a morning person!). I'd set my alarm for 6am and from 6 to 7am I would write. It didn't have to be perfect, and some days were harder than others, but at least I had more on the page than I had the day before (even if it was just a paragraph). I also gave myself a word limit per day of 1000 words. That gave me something to aim towards that was tangible. You'd be surprised how easy it is to hit 1000 words before 7am when you get into the habit of doing it every day! Like with anything, it gets easier with practice, but you have to put in the work! Also, keep in mind that at the end of the day, writing is an act of creation and it has to bring you joy, so be gentle with yourself. If you sleep in, skip a day, don't hit your word limit, be kind to yourself and try again tomorrow. What literary pilgrimages have you gone on? I've gone on a few in the UK. There's something so magical about going to the spot that inspired your favourite stories, or having a beer at the same pub as your literary idol. England especially is filled with the echoes of the literary greats I grew up reading. I visited J.R.R.Tolkien's grave in Oxford; Paddington station, Platform 9 3/4, Peter Pan's statue and the Globe theatre in London; the Eagle and Child pub where the Inklings had their pints and discussions (C.S.Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were among the Inkling's more famous members); I visited a number of Harry Potter related book and movie set sites (such as Alnwick castle, Elephant House in Edinburgh, and the Shambles in York), and bought a wand at Harry Potter land in Universal Studios in Florida. My next trip will hopefully include a visit to Shakespeare's home town, a run in with Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, and a cup of tea with Winnie at the Hundred Acre Wood. How do you come up with names for your characters? I've always been fascinated by the power of names, and as a Speech Language Pathologist I'm a bit of a word nerd. Names can tell you so much or so little about a character, so why not inject them with some meaning? I get inspiration from a variety of sources and I think it depends on who I'm naming how I come up with their name. For example, in Contest of Queens the name of the Queen Griffin had to be majestic, so I played around with one of my favourite Greek Goddess' names and Athena became Thenya. Whereas a bully character in my novel is named Mallard Wetler, and I called him that simply because it means "Wet Duck" which made me smile ("Mallard" being duck, and Wetler... is self explanatory). Some names came about because I liked the sounds arranged in that order: "Brovnen Claustrom" just sounds like a stuffy upper class man and he is; and some names came about because I wanted to pay homage to the character's inspiration: For example, my head inventor Bruna Leschi and her son Phillip Leschi are named for the founding father of Renaissance architecture Filippo Brunelleschi. My two main characters both have public names (Jacqueline and Cornelius) and private names (Jacs and Connor), and I love the idea of those name reflecting how others see them versus how they see themselves. What is your favorite genre to read, and why? I love fantasy- and I write fantasy. I think for the most part I like to read fantasy because you get to visit these unbelievable worlds and still relate to a character's journey. I love that idea that you can soar with a dragon but still understand Eragon's desire to belong, or you can get swept away through a magical wardrobe and still relate to the struggles of having siblings (although thankfully my brother isn't as foolish as Edmund). I think the reason why I like to write fantasy is because you can make up your own rules. You're not bound to our world as strictly and so the world you shape can better reflect any messages or themes you want to share with your reader. My world for example is a matriarchy simply because I had a lot of things to say about gender equality and the points were easier to make and much more obvious when the gender roles were reversed.
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Books N' Banter Book Club
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Books N’ Banter Book Club is returning to in-person meetings! This will now be a hybrid in-person / online program - you can still join via Zoom should you choose. Registration Required. Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 26th from 7:00 – 8:00 pm in the CPL meeting room, or join via Zoom. April's book is The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Hard copies are available for pick up at the library for those who register.
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Bon printemps à tous nos lecteurs! Ce mois-ci le livre du club de lecture est "Une bouche sans personne" de Gilles Marchand. Notre prochaine rencontre sera mardi, le 26 avril à 19h00 sur Zoom. "De sa Lèvre inférieure au tréfonds de sa chemise, il a une cicatrice qu'il dissimule sous une écharpe. Le jour, il compte et recompte des colonnes de chiffres. La nuit, il retrouve Sam, Thomas et Lisa au café. Ses trois amis ne savent rien de lui. Un soir, il décide d'ôter le cadenas de son armoire à souvenirs. Et de raconter avec fantaisie l'empreinte que l'Histoire a laissée sur son corps..."
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It’s April! That also means that it’s tax season, a time of year that has us all thinking about our budgets and how to stretch a dollar. For many of us, this can bring memories of grandparents who lived through or before the Great Depression, and the ways that they found to reuse items that were hard to come by or too expensive. Many of these grandparents had a jar of buttons tucked away in a closet. Before our current age of fast fashion, clothing was made by hand and often passed through several wearers. Even once the garment became too worn to wear, the buttons could be removed and saved for another use. Here at the Canmore Public Library, we’ve put together an Activity Kit that will help you make something wearable out of these little pieces of history. Stick to the buttons included in your kit or add in ones from your own collection—either way, the stories behind each button you use in your bracelet will make it entirely one of a kind! Registration for these kits is not yet available, so be sure to watch our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to be the first to sign up when they go live!
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Storytime is back... LIVE & IN PERSON! Our Spring Storytime Session will start on April 5th and run until June 10th. Storytimes will be held in the Program Room at the Canmore Public Library, YAY! April 5th - June 7th 12:30 - 1:00 pm A mix of board books, bounces, nursery rhymes, and music, this storytime is perfect for babies from birth to walking. This program is designed to assist in the acquisition of language and to promote parent/child bonding. April 6th - June 8th 10:30 - 11:00 am Walking babies and toddlers, along with their parent/caregivers, are invited to a half-hour program featuring active rhymes, music, movement and books. The program is designed to encourage active participation, build attention span, and to promote parent/child bonding. *In Person or Online* Fridays April 8th - June 10th 10:30 – 11:00 am Ages 3 and up. A mix of picture books, silly rhymes, and action-songs, this storytime is perfect for preschoolers aged 3-5 who are ready for longer stories. The program is designed to help build their attention span and foster a continual love of stories. Preschool Storytime will be a hybrid program. You can still join through Zoom, at the same day and time, for any who wish to join remotely. Stories On Demand Check out our Youtube channel for lots of online storytimes and story express videos to enjoy storytime at home!
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Did you know that the Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce has a business book club? They currently have 1 remaining date for 2022. Find the meeting information below. Business Book Clubs are seasonal (Winter, Spring, and Fall with a break for Summer) and are from 5:30 - 7:00PM.
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Online Memberships & Renewals
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Did you know you can now sign up for a FREE library membership or renew your current membership online? Head over to our website to register (or renew) today!
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Follow us on social media to stay up to date on our programs and other Library offerings, fun tips and tricks, staff picks and great posts like these:
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Stay safe, stay healthy and feel free to call us at the Library if you need any help and aren't comfortable visiting us in person. The Library is open from 10am-8pm Monday through Friday, and Saturdays from 10am -5pm to help you access all the resources we offer!
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Covid-19 Links and Resources
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The Town of Canmore has an excellent information site for all your Covid-19 questions.
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