2018 BCALS Winter Meeting – University of the Fraser Valley

The BC Academic Libraries Section (BCALS) and the University of the Fraser Valley are delighted to host the BCALS Annual Winter meeting.

Date: Friday, November 30, 2018

Time: 9:30am to 3:00pm

Location: Room A259, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford Campus (33844 King Rd, Abbotsford)

The BC Academic Libraries Section has a goal to bring continuing education opportunities to a wider variety of locations in order to make them accessible to library workers throughout the province. Please join us in Abbotsford to help us to bring this opportunity to our Fraser Valley colleagues, including students in the UFV Library and Information Technology diploma program.

UFV is also a proud host of the 2018 Art of the Book exhibition from September 10th to December 7th. We welcome you to view the exhibit during your visit to Abbotsford, since UFV is the sole host site in the Lower Mainland. The Art of the Book is an international juried exhibition of the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild (CBBAG).

Registration information: This is a half-day workshop ending at 12:30pm with a catered lunch and the BCALS Business Meeting to follow. Everyone is welcome to attend the workshop and meeting!

Please note that there is a registration fee charged for this event. In order to keep registration costs down, we can only accept payment by CASH at the door, but you must register online in advance to save your seat. Spaces are limited, so please register as soon as possible. If you must later cancel, please email Kate Shuttleworth ([email protected]) so we can offer your space to those on the waitlist. The registration deadline is Friday, November 23, 2018. Cancellations must be received by email before the registration deadline. A cancellation fee may apply.

Registration fees:                 BCLA Members:                   $20.00

Non-BCLA Members:           $25.00

Students:                              Free

 

Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/F5X5PKN

Event topic: Serving on committees or working groups as member, co-chair or chair is a growing expectation for academic library workers.

There are professional competency documents from ALA and other professional associations that explicitly outline the specifics of traditional skills needed to perform public services roles. However, few tools exist to help library workers prepare to navigate the structure and culture of committee work, or to seek out more efficient and inclusive ways of managing and participating on committees.

Library professionals frequently find themselves serving on internal committees or working groups such as Library Diversity and Inclusion committees and Health and Wellness committees, or external groups such as Faculty or Professional Associations. Approaching these committees with little experience can be intimidating, can lead to feelings of impostor syndrome, or may cause misunderstandings with colleagues.

It’s the age old question, how do you get good at something you’ve never done before? What does it mean to be “good” at committee work, anyway?

How can newly serving committee members navigate committee dynamics to contribute in meaningful ways? What structures and strategies might be useful for making space for less experienced voices? And how might this be balanced with the need to “get stuff done”?

Facilitated by experienced academic library professionals, this half day learning session will offer hands on opportunities to engage with peers in learning about the role of committees and working groups in the academic library, and discussions around ways of contributing to productive, harmonious, and respectful groups.

Ride sharing: If you will be travelling from the Vancouver area or elsewhere in BC and have space in your vehicle, please consider signing-up for the BCALS Winter Meeting rideshare. Those looking for a ride to Abbotsford can sign-up for a ride through the same link. In addition to signing up through the rideshare program, we encourage drivers and passengers to contact one another directly to confirm pick-up times and locations.

We hope to see you there!

Join the Conversation

Check out what everyone is discussing over on the forum BC Academic Libraries Section here. Must be a member of BCLA or a forum member to view & discuss.