Here are a few highlights from January 2026 at RDPL!
Teen AND Tween Cafe Fun
On January 27, participants at Teen Café enjoyed a creative, hands-on activity making beaded keychains. The program provided an opportunity for teens to express their creativity and connect with peers in a relaxed, welcoming environment. A variety of colourful and imaginative designs were created, showcasing the unique styles and personalities of those who attended.
The following day, January 28, Tween Café marked National LEGO Day with a themed celebration. Participants watched The LEGO Batman Movie while building LEGO sets, combining storytelling with hands-on construction.
School Visits!
Library staff were busy with outreach visits to schools and kicked off 2026 with a visit to the Grade 1 and Grade 1/2 classes at Fairview Elementary with stories and puppet shows. We were also invited to be guest readers at Father Henri Voisin Elementary School’s readathon wrap up celebration. We had the best time visiting all these classes!
SPARC Winter Warm Up
The Timberlands Branch was once again a drop off location for SPARC Red Deer’s Winter Warm Up initiative, with over 100 socks, toques, mitts, and scarves donated!
Ukrainian New Year Tea Party
Families and community members gathered at the Dawe Branch of Red Deer Public Library to ring in the Ukrainian New Year at a lively Ukrainian New Year Tea Party on Saturday, January 10. Approximately 55 people from all walks of life came together to enjoy traditional snacks, games, and hands-on crafts in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. A special highlight of the afternoon was a visit from Father Frost – a legendary winter figure familiar across many East Slavic cultures – portrayed by a generous community volunteer. Adding even more joy was beloved local balloon artist Mark Honert, who delighted children with his fantastic balloon creations. The celebration offered a meaningful opportunity to learn, share traditions, and connect as a community.
Active Library: Open Practice – Swing in Rhythm
January also marked the launch of Active Library: Free Try-It Wellness Series with our Open Practice: Swing in Rhythm program at Red Deer Public Library. Sixteen participants gathered to move, practice, and have fun through lindy hop dancing, with many trying this joyful swing dance style for the very first time. The open and welcoming format made it easy for both experienced dancers and newcomers to jump in, laugh, and learn together, setting an upbeat tone for the series and celebrating active living through music and movement.
Winnie-the-Pooh Birthday Party
January wrapped up with a truly special celebration as 120 guests joined us at Red Deer Public Library for a much-loved Winnie-the-Pooh Birthday Party. Families enjoyed a variety of fun activities, cheerful balloon creations, and plenty of smiles as they celebrated the beloved bear and his friends. A highlight for many was seeing Katja dressed as Winnie-the-Pooh, spreading extra joy throughout the event. And, of course, no birthday party would be complete without cake! It was a delightful afternoon filled with laughter, imagination, and shared community fun.
Katja’s January Highlights
January was a busy and rewarding month for Katja as she happily resumed her weekly Sit, Stay, Read with Katja sessions at the Dawe and Timberlands branches of Red Deer Public Library. She also went on the road for two outreach visits to St. Teresa and Parkland schools, bringing calm, encouragement, and plenty of smiles to young readers. Katja was honoured to be a special guest at the Red Deer Public School Board meeting, where she helped highlight the impact of reading support and community connection. Katja loves visiting schools and community groups, and her visits can be booked at rdpl.org/katja.
Cozy Evenings: Vision Boards for 2026
January’s Cozy Evenings program invited club members to slow down and reflect during a creative vision board collage night at Red Deer Public Library. Participants gathered for a relaxed and welcoming evening, cutting, pasting, and sharing ideas as they created personal vision boards for 2026. The space was filled with humour, hopeful conversations, and dreams for the future, making it a meaningful opportunity to connect creatively and socially during the winter months.
Red Hot Science: Tensegrity Tables
Youth explored the fascinating intersection of science and creativity during the Red Hot Science: Tensegrity Tables program at Red Deer Public Library, offered in partnership with Red Deer Polytechnic. Participants learned how opposing forces – tension and compression – can work together to create the illusion of floating tables. Through hands-on experimentation, youth built and tested their own tensegrity structures, sparking curiosity, problem-solving, and plenty of “how does that work?” moments.
Community Playdate
We held a Community Playdate again at the Timberland Branch. Everyone had a great time taking part in activities such as an obstacle course, pom pom drop, working on the busy bags and playing with each other. The parents really enjoyed this program as it gave them time to meet other parents and see activities for the little ones that they could do at home either for free or at a very low cost.
Newcomer Orientation Day
Merci to FRAP (Francophone Albertaine Plurielle) for inviting RDPL to their Newcomer Orientation Day at École la Prairie! We enjoyed meeting Francophone families and sharing information about our programs and services with them.
Adult Literacy Program Highlights
The Adult Literacy Program welcomed 6 new tutors and 14 new learners in January. Fifteen pairs were matched with 158 learners still on the waitlist. In order to provide some learning opportunities to individuals on the waitlist, the Adult Literacy Program started 3 language learning classes. Fifty-seven (57) learners are currently enrolled in the classes that focus on different levels of English language learning. The Program also offered a Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP-General) Bootcamp. This language exam is required for people who are applying for permanent residency or citizenship in Canada. Over 2 full weekends, participants worked on strategies and skills to be successful when taking the CELPIP test.
The Adult Literacy Program held an information session on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Twenty-six (26) participants were introduced to the evolving computing tool called Artificial Intelligence. The session helped the participants differentiate between Machine Learning and Generative AI and provided an understanding of where the two technologies are used, including: Employment, Retail, Medicine, Entertainment and Education. The participants also looked at how these technologies are impacting the environment and some of the personal information issues associated with using AI.
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