Here are a few highlights from October 2025 at RDPL!
Jurassic Jamboree
This October, RDPL's Simon and Saraf hosted a Jurassic Jamboree. Families were able to unleash their inner paleontologist through dinosaur crafts, dinosaur stories, and a dinosaur dig station. Lots of happy little scientists went home with their very own dinosaur to hatch, giant dinosaur feet to make long-lasting footprints, and puppets to share their loudest roars!
Share the Library Love Contest
To celebrate Canadian Library Month in October, we invited our in-branch visitors to share what they love most about the library. Everyone who took part was entered into a draw for a library swag bag! We received hundreds of wonderful responses that truly warmed our hearts. Here are just a few of our favourites!
Our lucky prize winners!
Conversation Café and Digital Skills Classes
The Adult Literacy Program completed another successful round of Conversation Café. Twenty-six (26) volunteers from the community helped 40 learners from all over the world practice their English language skills in a real-world setting. The Program has received positive feedback about this opportunity from both volunteers and learners and hopes to offer it again in the new year.
The Adult Literacy Program completed the Digital Skills Class, a highly successful learning opportunity that helped learners improve their digital skills. Participants learned some computer basics, Internet safety, ways to search for information, and how to format documents. The skills taught in this class will significantly enhance participants' success in their personal lives as well as the employment world.
October Family STEAM Night: Crime Science (Solving the Pickle Murders!)
We held our monthly Family STEAM science night on October 23 at the Downtown Branch. Kids and their parents took part in crime science experiments (fingerprinting, shoe prints, handwriting analysis and even a pickle autopsy!) to help narrow the suspects and solve the murder mystery.
School's Out Programs
October was filled with curiosity and creativity as Red Deer Public Library’s Dawe Branch hosted several special Red Hot Science programs presented by Red Deer Polytechnic. Families and young scientists enjoyed hands-on activities exploring coding and engineering through sessions like Rock, Paper, Scissors and Cybernetic Hands, as well as the engaging Jentris program. Each session was fully booked, demonstrating our community’s strong interest in science and technology learning. We look forward to continuing this exciting partnership with Red Deer Polytechnic’s Red Hot Science program in the winter.
The Timberlands Branch hosted three fun School’s Out programs: Robot Races, Crafternoon: Art Hangout, and Brain Games. We loved seeing families hanging out, learning new problem solving skills through coding and games, and unleashing their creativity through art! Some of the rocks that were painted by participants can be found at SPARC’s Kindness Rock Garden in Capstone.
Municipal Election Candidate Forum
On October 15th the Executive Director Network RDPL participates in hosted a very successful election forum in the Snell theatre. The Library team set up a great event which had the Snell at full capacity; at peak 33 online observers and culminating in over 1,000 views on our Youtube channel. For some new council members it might have been their first time in the Library, so a good introduction to our role in bringing community members together to learn.
Star Wars Reads Day
For the 13th year in a row, Red Deer Public Library joined libraries and bookstores across North America in celebrating Star Wars Reads Day. The force was strong at the library as families arrived in their favourite costumes to enjoy games, crafts, and galactic adventures. Our dedicated RDPL Star Wars Reads Day team was fully in character, delighting in the excitement of the young Padawans (and especially thrilled to welcome so many dads and granddads who joined in the fun!).
ParticipACTION Challenge Celebration
To celebrate Red Deer once again being named Alberta’s Most Active Community through the ParticipACTION Challenge, Red Deer Public Library hosted a special Sit, Stay, Meet and Greet with Katja and a Community Playdate at the Dawe Branch. Families stopped by to meet Katja, the library’s beloved facility dog, learn about her work with young readers, and join in fun, movement-filled activities. The event captured the spirit of active living, community connection, and joyful play – key values that helped Red Deer earn its title for another year.
Youth Literacy Program & Games Night
October was an exciting month for the Youth Literacy Program as we completed 28 of the learner–tutor matches for the 2024–2025 season with more coming up. As of October 29, we still have 25 more learners waiting to be matched and 16 potential volunteers. To celebrate the start of a new year of learning, we hosted a Youth Literacy Games Night, an evening of fun, laughter, and friendly competition open to learners, tutors, and anyone curious about the program. Twenty participants joined in to try new literacy games, enjoy refreshments, and connect with others who share a love of reading and learning. The enthusiasm was contagious, and several attendees even mentioned they planned to add some of the games to their family holiday wish lists!
Sip N' Stitch and Cozy Evenings
Programs like Sip N' Stitch and Cozy Evenings continue to make the Dawe Branch a welcoming hub for adults to relax, create, and connect. These activity-based gatherings offer a perfect blend of conversation and creativity—whether participants are knitting, crafting, or enjoying an art activity together. The warm, friendly atmosphere of these programs highlights how the library serves as both a creative space and a community meeting place for people of all ages.
Adult Storytime at Red Hart Brewing
Choose Your Own Adventure was the theme for Adult Storytime in October. The audience were given two choices of stories and voted for their favourite theme. Sometimes there was a clear winner, and sometimes Deb and Trish got to read both stories! This was the first time that there were two nights available for Adult Storytime and it was good to see some new people in the audience.
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