The Story of a Book: Our Report To Community

Children need access to books so they can become good readers, but they also need books of their own. Owning a book encourages children to read more and can turn a reluctant reader into a book lover. Research shows the more books a child has at home, the better the chance he or she will grow up to be a confident and enthusiastic reader.

Too many children in Alberta don’t have books to call their own.

In 2017-2018 we worked throughout the community to increase book access for children.

The Story of a Book

Here’s how many books we gave away to children in our community throughout 2017-2018.

96,000

CBC Calgary Reads Big Book Sale

Each year, people donate their books, we sell them and the funds raised are used year-round to support literacy programs, and get free books into the hands of kids who have none.

5,275

Alberta Reads Network Schools

Our expanding network of Alberta schools is bringing the joy of reading to young students across the province. Trained volunteers are reading aloud to children, schools are hosting events to celebrate literacy and promote reading inside and outside the classroom; our programs, resources and supports are making a difference to hundreds of Alberta children every day.

Volunteer to read with children

761

Little Free Libraries

Take a book, share a book. Calgary Reads helps Little Free Library stewards’ stock their libraries by providing access to our stock of second helpings.

4,750

Calgary Food Bank

Children who visit the Food Bank with their family are invited to pick five books to take home and keep.

Corporate Book Drops

When corporate groups join us to learn more about what we do, we send them on a Book Drop! It’s a fun activity where we simply leave books around the city for someone to find and keep.

Learn how to get involved

37,147

The Book Bank

Throughout the year, we accept new and gently used children’s book donations for families in need.

Volunteer to help us sort books

4,077

Children’s Reading Place

We’ve transformed a house in Calgary’s historic Inglewood neighbourhood into a welcoming hub of reading, where school groups and families can come to experience the pleasure of curling up with a good book. Each child who visits the house leaves with a free book of their choosing.

Book a visit to the Children’s Reading Place

Thank you to our donors

Through our many relationships and partnerships, we are creating a reading revolution to strength childhood literacy. We’d like to thank every member of our community for helping us give every child the opportunity to read, learn and grow.

View donors

Leaders – $50,000 +

Anonymous Donor
Calgary Foundation
Cenovus Energy
Chevron Canada Resources
Prosser Charitable Foundation

Innovators – $25,000 +

Alberta Culture & Tourism – Community Initiatives Program
Bearspaw Benevolent Foundation
RBC Foundation>

Builders – $10,000 +

Burns Memorial Fund
FortisAlberta
Janine Labossiere
Marshall Family Foundation
Ptarmigan Charitable Foundation
Shaw Charity Classic Foundation
Sheila Smyth
Steacy Collyer

Believers – $5,000 +

Anonymous Donor
Bordner Ladner Gervais
Bryan Pinney
Painted Pony Energy

Audited Financial Statements

View 2018 report

View 2017 report

The Story of a Book: Our Report To Community