public engagement themes for discussion
The City of Calgary and The Calgary Public Library are excited to be a part of building a new Central Library in the East Village neighbourhood .
More than 70 per cent of Calgarians believe that the Calgary Public Library is a key part of ensuring we have a strong quality of life. Vibrant, creative and cultural communities are what make Calgary a great place to live and libraries are a vital component in ensuring “complete communities.” Your input in the planning for these facilities will assist The City of Calgary and The Calgary Public Library in meeting your needs .
Planning is underway, and citizens are key in the process. We need to understand what services and resources citizens would like to see in their libraries. We also want ideas about what experiences citizens want to have while they’re there. Collecting information, ideas and thoughts from people of all walks of life, of varying ages and with different interests will help us to shape all new libraries in the future – from the inside out. All new facilities will reflect the needs of the citizens that the buildings are intended to serve. Participating in this process and providing your input and feedback is about more than just creating a new facility –it is about envisioning a new chapter for libraries throughout Calgary. And this is why we want to hear from you.
We are thrilled at the interest shown and input provided from Calgarians in the first phase of public engagement, aptly named “Think Big!” More than 12,000 Calgarians participated in a survey either through the project website or in person with one of the many surveyors found at festivals and community locations throughout the summer.
We heard from the young and the more mature, library users and non-users, those book-savvy and those tech-savvy. Participants provided input on their priorities for both the new Central Library and the Calgary Public Library system as a whole through two simple questions: “What should the Calgary Public Library do for you, your family and your community?” and “what should the new Central Library do for you, your family and your community?”
What did we hear?
What Calgarians have told us so far has influenced the next phase of engagement -“Dig Deep!” Using the priority rankings from the survey, detailed comments provided by survey respondents and research on library trends and libraries of the future, four “themes” were developed to help further the discussion this fall:
- Awesome Spaces and Virtual Places (Download PDF)
- Diverse Collections and Inspiring Resources (Download PDF)
- Powerhouse Programs and Signature Services (Download PDF)
- The Role of the Library in Complete Communities (Download PDF)
We have developed engagement activities for citizens to help us to uncover the potential in each of these areas and we anticipate great and wonderful ideas to emerge from further exploration of these concepts – but first we would like to share with you more about these themes.
Wrapping your head around the themes
We want you to join in the conversation! We developed a discussion paper for each of the themes. These papers provide context, highlight key trends, and pose thought-provoking questions. You can read them for your own interest, to stimulate new ideas or in preparation to participate in upcoming public engagement events.