2018 BC Library Conference
Dates
May 8, 2018 – May 10, 2018
Location
Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel
Theme
Work + Culture
The 2018 BC Library Conference theme was Work + Culture. This theme urges an examination of the connections between work environments, institutional cultures, and communities; an inquiry of how cultures can impact, clash, and complement each other and inform society as a whole.
Collaboration, inclusion, innovation – we include these words in job descriptions and library values and mission statements, but how well do we practice these values? Do our organizational structures and cultures foster or hinder these goals? How do we – as individuals, institutions, and organizations – determine and define our culture and our values? And how does our culture affect our work and profession?
Are our values changing? And if so, what are they becoming? How do changes in our values and culture affect the concept of “library” and the work that we perform? Understanding the culture of our institutions helps us understand the role of the library in our rapidly changing society and helps us understand the impact of our work.
Keynote Speakers
We are thrilled to announce the following Keynote Speakers for the 2018 BC Library Conference!

Opening Keynote
Amal Rana

Closing Keynote
Chris Bourg
Speaker Gift Donation
Last year BCLA and the Conference Planning Committee took a new approach to thanking conference speakers for their participation in the BC Library Conference. Instead of giving speakers a box of chocolates or perhaps a bottle of wine we acknowledged their contribution to the conference with a donation to OpenMedia. We received such a positive response from our members and from OpenMedia that this year’s Conference Planning Committee will continue this new tradition! This year, in lieu of speaker gifts we are supporting two organizations: PovNet and the Pivot Legal Society
PovNet provides online tools that facilitate communication, community and access to information around poverty-related issues in British Columbia and Canada. They work to collect relevant news and resources of use to advocates, community workers, marginalized communities and the general public.
More information can be found on their website: http://www.povnet.org/
Pivot Legal works to protect the legal rights of vulnerable and marginalized Canadians. Pivot’s mandate is to take a strategic approach to social change, using the law to address the root causes that undermine the quality of life of those most in need. They believe that everyone, regardless of income, benefits from a healthy and inclusive community where values such as respect and equality are strongly rooted in the law.
More information can be found on their website: http://www.pivotlegal.org/
Each speaker receives a card thanking them for their participation in the conference and letting them know that a donation to PovNet and Pivot Legal has been made in recognition of their contribution.