Calgary Public Library

My typical day as a volunteer at the Calgary Public Library involved assisting with reading programs, organizing materials, and doing fun things for kids. The work is definitely community-facing, so no two days are exactly the same; you have to be ready to pivot based on what the patrons need at that moment.

What I learned most was how to navigate diverse social interactions and gained a much better understanding of how vital library resources are to the city. The culture is very welcoming and values public service, though because it is a large organization, sometimes the bureaucracy can be a bit slow. The hardest part was dealing with challenging patron situations or complex questions that I didn't immediately have the answer to. However, the most enjoyable part was honestly the "aha!" moment when you help someone find exactly what they were looking for or successfully teach them a new skill. The staff were generally appreciative of our help, though the level of formal feedback varies depending on the department.

CPL pays really well if you only have a high school diploma, a newcomer, or if you are a student with unrelated education. The staff are generally very kind people to work with. Depending on which location you work at, security can be very poor. CPL forces a lot of propaganda focusing on their idea of what a library is and expects staff to spread their beliefs. We are forced to pledge our loyalty to the Indigenous by reciting a Land Acknowledgement before all programs and include it in email signatures. Now that memberships are free and there are no late fees, CPL attracts all kinds of patrons, including dangerous ones. HR is very strict and unempathetic. I feel very unsafe working for the library. Anyone in customer service is basically a social worker. Our technology services are unreliable, slow, and rarely work properly. The new library system allows anyone to take advantage of it and nobody cares. In a nutshell: CPL is a free for all with little to no regulation.

A typical day at volunteering at the Calgary Public Library (computer buddies, reading buddies) is that the group would get together before splitting up into their designed partners and would read a book together. Volunteers would split up with their reading buddy/computer buddy (kid) and they would teach them either how to read or use basic skills on the computer. At the end, the group would get together and do a small activity which required the kids to use their knowledge and skills. What I learned was how to be patient with children while they are in their beginning stages of development. The hardest part of the job was getting the kids to focus on their reading because sometimes they would refuse to read. What I would have to do here is to try and talk to them to read a simpler book or a book that they had interest in. What I enjoyed most was planning the activities with the kids for the group, because sometimes it was required of us to share what we learned from the book and the games that we would play with everyone. 

The Student Page position at the public library is a fantastic opportunity for students passionate about literacy, organization, and community service. As a Student Page, your role involves shelving books, organizing materials, and ensuring the library remains an inviting space for all visitors. This position offers hands-on experience in library operations, helping to develop valuable skills such as attention to detail, time management, and customer service. 

The library’s supportive environment allows you to interact with staff and patrons, fostering interpersonal and teamwork skills. For students interested in pursuing careers in education, librarianship, or community engagement, this role provides a strong foundation. 

The flexible hours are ideal for balancing work and academic commitments, making it an excellent choice for high school or college students. Overall, the Student Page position is not only a job but also an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to your community and cultivate lifelong learning habits. 

Very supportive administration and management, flexible hours, a variety of tasks and projects to work on, great pay for everyone and great benefits for full-time employees.

They are very thorough with their continuing education.  I have a university degree in Library Sciences, but most employees in the company don't have formal training, but the classes our company provides make up for that entirely.  Fantastic courses for Library work are provided by work and you often get paid to do them.

This is a job I feel very appreciated in, professionally fulfilled, and I have made some true friends in my coworkers and some patrons as well.  There is always a chance to move on or move up in the company, and I plan to stay with this company for a long time.

Poor work life balance- a lot of staff are artists and writers. Instead of valuing this, staff are given little control over our hours unless we select casual, substitute hours which are insecure. Creativity and art are important to the health of the community. It is time to honour artists and how much we contribute to society by supporting jobs that sustain our creative practice.

Poor diversity- there are a considerable amount of immigrants and racialized people who work at the library at varying levels yet upper management is largely WASP white. This culture needs to be examined if the library wants to strengthen relationships with diverse communities

A typical day at the library would entail signing in, grabbing a cart of books and beginning to shelve them. However, when any customers needed the location of any books, I would show them where the location of books was. Out of this job, I learned how to efficiently manage my time. As we had a certain number of books to re shelve in a small amount of time, I had to manage my time and work quickly but accurately. My co-workers and I didn't engage much as being a page consists of shelving books by yourself. The hardest part of my job was learning to be efficient with the sorting of the books. The most enjoyable part of the job was working with my hands and actually doing hands on work.

Volunteering at our local library has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. From the moment I walked through the doors, I was welcomed by a warm and supportive community dedicated to fostering a love of reading and learning.

The staff is incredibly passionate about their work and genuinely care about both the patrons and the volunteers. They provided thorough training and were always available for guidance, making it easy to feel like an integral part of the team. I appreciated the emphasis on collaboration; everyone worked together seamlessly to create engaging programs and events for all ages.

What is the best part of working at the company?
It’s not a good place to work. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
No team work, there are many lazy people and lack of supervision in the branches. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Bad because of laziness from coworkers. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
To much work because lack of professionalism from coworkers.

It's the most enjoyable place which allows us to teach students and help them.Moreover,you only need to help students there and i learned computer skills. Management was very nice and willing to help in case of difficulties on computer based puzzles.The hardest part was in helping students to solve puzzles sometimes.Workplace area is nice and quiet.There is peace in the library and it is an enjoyable place to work with the library management.

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