Here are a few highlights from May 2024 at RDPL!
Storytime at Collicutt is a Huge Success!
Over the past few months, we have welcomed so many families to our Thursday morning storytimes at the Collicutt Branch. Even with limited space, we still managed to fit in 30 children for a boisterous good time! Our attendance ranges from 15-30 children and almost as many caregivers, too. We receive so many comments and compliments from attendees who find it very convenient to have a Red Deer Public Library location in the Collicutt center. The walking program, opens a new window at the Collicutt Branch is up and running too, with lots of leisure walkers and strollers that join in. Children and adults alike are thrilled with our newest location!
Although our Thursday storytimes are wrapping up on June 6, our Collicutt Walk & Talk, opens a new window program will continue all summer long, and our Summer Reading Club coordinators are excited to host weekly storytimes, opens a new window at this location on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. from July 2 - August 6. We hope to see you there!
Adult Literacy Impact Story
Sifa Kalonji, an Adult Literacy learner, was selected to share her story at the Literacy and Learning Symposium in Edmonton. Sifa represented the Adult Literacy Program in front of 350 participants from all over Alberta. She shared her journey and the impact the Program and her individual tutor have had on building a better life for her family.
More Adult Literacy Program Highlights
The Adult Literacy Program successfully wrapped up its Beginner English Class for Levels 0-1. Six volunteers from our community joined the teacher, Angela Leonard, to help 10 class participants practice their language skills in a real-world environment. One of the learners used Google Translate to share some feedback: “Angela, thank you for today’s communication, it was cool. At first I was very worried and worried about how the meeting would go, I didn’t know what to talk about and how everything would go, but during communication word for word and short sentences were made. Communicating in English is really cool.”
In May, the Adult Literacy Program offered 10 language classes for different levels of English. Each class accommodated the needs of 10-16 learners.
Battle of the Books!
Ecole Barrie Wilson Elementary School hosted Bandit’s Ultimate Book Championship in May using titles suggested by library staff. After an epic battle (determined by class votes), The Book With No Pictures by B. J. Novak was declared the winner! We LOVE to hear about students getting excited about reading and were so excited to be included in this project!
A Very Generous Young Customer!
A child who previously used the Timberlands Branch as an elementary school student donated a copy of a popular children’s graphic novel that they purchased with their own money. We know this will be appreciated by many of our young readers – thank you for your generosity!
May the 4th Be With You!
This year we were lucky to be able to celebrate May the 4th (Star Wars Day) and National Free Comic Day together on Saturday, May 4th at the Dawe Branch with fun activities and special super hero quests, including the Wonder Katja team! Over 55 free comics were given away at all three branches of the library to kids and young adults and close to 60 people came to the Intergalactic Celebration. So much fun!
Grow Boys!
The annual Grow Boys event was held at the Dawe Centre again this year, and the library hosted two sessions for the Grade 5 boys: Lego Fun and Human Library.
Between “Lego Fun” and the “Human Library” sessions, the Dawe branch saw 200 or more Grade 5 boys, high school volunteers, and teachers come through the doors on May 15th. Once again, we had a fantastic Human Library collection of 22 living books and one “hot pick” bestseller: The City Leader. Mayor Ken Johnston was able to find time to come and be “read” by one lucky reader and meet other living books.
The day had been split into 4 sessions, with most Books seeing between 1-4 children per session. Some of the Books we had this year were: Kokum Corky, Mr. Fixit!, Two-spirit Michif, Irv the Guide Dog, More Than Meets the Eye, Geek Out!, Another Type of Gamer, Unlock Your Identity, and so many more. We received feedback from 100% of our Books that were available at the end of the day, and on average they rated the experience 4.5 out of 5! Much of the feedback centered around enjoying meeting the Readers, interacting with other Books, and that it was a “perfectly timed… positive experience.” To learn more about the Human Library concept, visit humanlibrary.org.
Outreach Visits
Team Katja was invited to visit three pre-kindergarten classes at Maryview School for a storytime. The visit went so well that Katja received a giant Thank You card signed by the students! Team Katja is available now for booking outreach visits at rdpl.org/katja
The library was also invited to be a part of the Touch-a-Truck Career Day event at Father Henri Voisin School, and while we did not have a truck, we brought our tent, outdoor games, and Team Katja! Our Summer Reading Club Coordinators led close to 238 students through the fun outdoor games that will be available at all Summer Reading Club outdoor programs in the summer and team Katja answered many questions about the facility dog’s job at the library.
Community Playdate!
Our first Community Playdate of the year had a great turnout! The event, held at the Timberlands Branch, brought in a number of young families to play, discover, explore, and socialize together.
RDPL HEART Squad
The HEART Squad, an internal staff team dedicated to fostering a positive work environment, had a fun "Have a Coke Day” on May 8th. Staff were able to mingle with their coworkers, enjoy a cold Coke, bottle candy, or a Coke float!
On a more serious note, in May the HEART Squad also shared tips and advice on gossip in the workplace – how to identify it, how to avoid it, and how to set boundaries with others in these situations.
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