BCLA members are honoured to serve the diverse Indigenous Nations and communities throughout what is now known as British Columbia. As a distributed organization, BCLA staff respectfully acknowledge that our work takes place on unceded lands belonging to the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), Stó:lō (Sto:lo), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations; and the the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) Peoples.
Our Mission
Advancing libraries together.
Our Vision
The British Columbia Library Association leads the library community in advocacy, professional development, and support of intellectual freedom. We ensure that all British Columbians have equitable access to information, ideas, and works of the imagination.
Our Values
updated April 2nd, 2019
BCLA Values guide the work of the Association, help determine the Association’s priorities, and provide the building blocks of our advocacy, professional development and community engagement.
Inclusion & Diversity
BCLA promotes inclusive and equitable libraries, collections and communities.
Intellectual Freedom
BCLA upholds the right to seek, receive, hold and disseminate information from all points of view.
Social Responsibility
BCLA promotes the social good by advocating for policies and resources that support individual and institutional members in addressing barriers in their communities.
Intellectual & Ethical Integrity
BCLA supports the development of individual perspectives on critical issues and believes that open and transparent dialogue is essential to the development of relevant services.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
BCLA values curiosity, reflection, and critical thinking.
Lifelong Learning
BCLA is committed to professional development and the ongoing evolution of library and information services.
Privacy and Confidentiality
BCLA advocates for robust privacy protections within libraries and society at large.