Calgary Public Library

MEMORIAL PARK LIBRARY DOES NOT HOST WEDDINGS.
The library has 2 program rooms that it rents out in the basement for board meetings.
The program rooms can hold 45 people.
The building and park are lovely, but don’t expect to host your wedding here.
It is a fully operational public library, not a wedding chapel.

I love Memorial Park Library, mostly because I love love love Memorial Park. Since its recent renovation, Memorial Park has become a Calgary must-​see attraction for locals and visitors alike. WIth its great statues, and awesome sitting places, it’s an excellent place to lunch.
The library itself is also a beautiful building, one of the oldest in the area. Its architecture is well worth checking out. The staff is courteous and easy to get along with and while the collection is small, I’m sure most readers could find something worth reading. :)

Okay, so after 5 miserable years of Signal Hill Library I was ready to switch Libraries.
I realized after 2 weeks of working down-​town at a new job that Memorial Library is conveniently located behind my work building, and had a drop box on the side of the library and is unlocked ²⁴⁄₇ making returns quick and efficient.
The staff accommodative if you need to extend pick-​up dates, or use both my card and my mothers to sign out books, DVD’s & CD’s. Unlike Signal Hill which not permitted to do any of those things.
What makes Memorial special is the welcoming vibe, once you walk through those doors I was get a «hello» or smile from the employees, the security guards are informative. And the architecture is phenomenal, it’s clear that the city puts in endless time and money to restore & maintain the 100 year old establishment.
The location is quaint, cosy and intimate… plus I might add they have free wi-​fi & Internet for 1 hour intervals! It’s a great place to relax during a lunch break and makes renting books, DVD’S & CD’s painless!

I was here for a conference of sorts (specifically, the 2011 Unconference for Social Good), which was held on the third level of the building. With that in mind, I’ll review the third level as a public presentation space, although full disclaimer: That space isn’t yet available for the public to book, as the library is currently pilot testing the area to be used as such a space as of this writing (the library had recently acquired the room from a dance company and are currently trying to figure out how best to use the space).
The room can comfortably fit 150 people, and I was told that it recently had hosted a wedding.
The acoustics of the main room is phenomenal. Voices carry very well, and no sound system is needed to project a voice. It is the ideal space for presentations, even with 150 seated people.
The third level also holds a couple of conference rooms, as well as some basic office space. The conference rooms work well for break out groups
as they offer plenty of seating but at the same time, are intimate enough to allow you to collaborate closely with people.
Even thought the space is relatively new for the library, it would make a great public space for presentations, seminars, and other similar sessions, and I hope the Public Library leans in that direction once they’re done with their pilot. If you ever have to attend an event in this space in the future, rest assured that it’s a great venue.
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CPL Memorial Park is a great small library housed in a classic building adjacent to the newly redeveloped Memorial Park. The in-​branch selection is limited by floor space however you can order anything via the CPL’s inter-​branch service which is quick & free to library card holders.
The librarians are very helpful in answering questions & locating items. After a few visits they began to recognise my name on holds (sadly I don’t get the «NORM!» treatment — a library being a quiet place may have something to do with that) and suggested other books & musicians I may be interested in.
The new Memorial Park is beautiful with dancing water fountains, greenery, plenty of benches, Boxwood Café & the eternal flame commemorating Canadian veterans. Both the park and front steps to the library are used as backdrops in wedding photography so let me apologise to anyone in whose wedding photos there’s a man trying to sneak by in the distance, could have been worse, could have been me waving «hi» in the background.

This just might be my favorite public library ever!
I always go to the Crowfoot branch of the Calgary Public Library at least twice a week. I love that I can always get in and out quickly– between the well-​staffed circulation desk and the three self-​checkouts you never have to wait long. I mostly read non-​fiction and there is always a great selection on hand; I haven’t actually looked at the fiction section but I do know that the inter-​library loan system is great and fiction books I’ve ordered online from other branches have come in quickly. The Holds section is well-​organized and if you check out at the desk, staff will always go to the back and bring out any holds that hadn’t made their way to the shelf yet– saving you another trip to the library! The last great book-​related thing here is the Book Sale area, where they often have really, really good books at amazing prices. The best time to shop is when they have a 2-​for-​1 sale; I recently saw a coffee table book that currently retails for $ 75 on sale for $ 1… and even it was included as part of the buy one, get one offer!
This library also has great computer stations. Once, I was in the process of moving and suddenly had to print something out immediately. I had no idea which box my printer was in, but I was able to get into the Crowfoot library, log on, print, collect my printing and leave in less than ten minutes. I don’t know what I would have done were it not for the library! Other facilities include a quiet study zone, meeting rooms, a great children’s section, lots of DVDs and CDs, resources (books, CDs, DVDs, etc.) in LOTS of languages and clean bathrooms!
The Crowfoot branch of the Calgary Public Library does what any good library in 2010 (and beyond!) should do: it meets the needs of the local community, it embraces all types of diversity, and it makes reading (and learning) accessible and fun!

This Calgary Public Library has an extremely accessible location bordering both south and north train terminals downtown. A nice local hang out for anyone wanting to get out of the cold.
Wi-​Fi access as well as online access is available for its members. It is a 12 dollar membership fee for the whole year for adults and 9 dollars for seniors. Young adults can pay 6 dollars and children get their memberships for free.
It has a great magazine collection, which is updated regularly and organised by year, month and title, occasionally I will take advantage of the DVD and VHS collection there. It has a nice selection of classics, anthropological and travel films.
Staff there is very friendly and try as much as possible to help their patrons locate whatever they need. I was looking for internet access, a certain program that I couldn’t retrieve there, and the librarian came back with a map of the 5 nearest locations that had free internet access.
The nice thing is you can borrow your books and take them across the street to the plaza and sit down for a lovely peaceful read in the park.

Because of where I now live, I often make trips over to Memorial Park Library. It’s a cute little library in the heart of downtown Calgary.
It is probably one of the smallest libraries I have ever been in, but the people who work there are fantastic. They are always helpful and they are always friendly. I appreciate this!
Although I do often find myself feeling crowded and claustrophobic in this branch, I love the fact that I can swing by here and pick up all the books I’ve put on hold throughout the week.
Right now it’s pretty chaotic however because there is a lot of construction going on around it. I do also find that anytime I’ve gone during the day, all the internet stations are always packed so there’s no chance of getting on-​line unless you want to wait hours on end for someone to get off.
Overall, it’s convenient having the Memorial Park Library where it is and I like that the staff is so welcoming and nice. It’s not my first pick of libraries in the city, but it does the job.