BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//BCLA - ECPv6.17.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:BCLA X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://bclaconnect.ca X-WR-CALDESC:Events for BCLA REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Vancouver BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20250309T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20251102T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20261101T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20261006T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20261006T150000 DTSTAMP:20260813T180009Z CREATED:20260807T211246Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260813T180009Z UID:45235-1791295200-1791298800@bclaconnect.ca SUMMARY:Accessibility Resources for K-12 BC Students with Print Disabilities DESCRIPTION:In this session we’ll discuss the multiple pathways that students with print disabilities access learning materials in digital and hard copy alternate formats in the K-12 education system. In K-12\, digital alternate formats include PDF\, EPUB\, and e-Text while hard copy alternate formats include braille\, and enlarged print. We’ll focus on the service constellation – how various agencies and organizations work together across K-12\, post-secondary\, and public libraries to ensure equitable access to learning for print disabled students. \nOutcomes: \n\nParticipants will learn about the agencies supporting print disabled students and their families in K-12\, with an emphasis on how these resources/agencies fit together.\nParticipants will be able to describe the key accessibility features and functions of digital accessible books produced for classroom use in K-12.\nParticipants will learn about key resources for alternate format production and document accessibility.\n\nRegister Today!\n  \nCost: We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Housing & Municipal Affairs\, which enables us to offer this event free of charge. \nWho should attend: Any library workers interested in accessibility\, especially those who serve children and youth in BC. May be of particular interest for public libraries who provide space and support for homeschooled students. \nPresenter: \nAdam Wilton\, PhD\, is the Program Manager of the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI) in Vancouver\, British Columbia. He has been an educator for 18 years\, working mostly as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and Orientation and Mobility Specialist. Adam has numerous connections to the accessible reading world – he is a Director for Braille Literacy Canada\, the Coordinator of the BC Regional Braille Challenge\, and is the Vice-Chair of the Canadian Association of Educational Resource Centres for Alternate Format Materials. \nBCLA events are all Pacific Time\, hosted online via Zoom\, which includes closed captioning. If you have any accessibility needs to attend these sessions\, please contact Natalie Porter\, BCLA Professional Development Coordinator in advance and BCLA will do our best to support you. \nBCLA expects anyone attending to honour the Online Community Guidelines\, to help create a positive environment that values accountability\, respect\, and a willingness to learn from each other. URL:https://bclaconnect.ca/event/accessibility-resources-for-k-12-bc-students-with-print-disabilities/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:Accessibility ORGANIZER;CN="BC Library Association":MAILTO:prodev@bcla.bc.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20261002T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20261002T110000 DTSTAMP:20260813T180117Z CREATED:20260728T202655Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260813T180117Z UID:45112-1790935200-1790938800@bclaconnect.ca SUMMARY:Building a Sensory Musical Storytime Nest DESCRIPTION:As we know\, there are many different types of brains that attend library story times – this workshop explores how we can use sensory based musical activities to increase language abilities\, build social connections\, increase fine and gross motor skills\, and just have an amazing time building life-long library memories. Participants will learn more about our most engaging musical tips and tricks for library kids & library adults\, and why music is so important in creating a more inclusive space for sensory seekers and avoiders. \nNote: This session was originally offered at the 2025 Beyond Hope Conference. \nRegister Today! \nCost: We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Housing & Municipal Affairs\, which enables us to offer this event free of charge. \nWho should attend: Library staff who work with children and youth\, especially those offering storytime and/or those interested in accessibility and inclusivity \nPresenters: \nSandra Schuffert has been the Children & Youth Coordinator at the Smithers Public Library for 9 years. Her dizzying repertoire of songs\, enjoyed by all ages\, is matched only by a broad understanding and passion for diverse abilities and sensory experiences during story times. Sandra has also been a homeschooling parent\, a Special Olympics coach\, and lives with her family on a hobby farm. \nErin Cockriell is the Circulation & Volunteer Coordinator at the Smithers Public Library. She has been plucking the happy strings of the Ukulele for story times\, children’s concerts and young students for a decade. Erin is also the facilitator of the Telkwa Reading Centre and a casual library worker at Coast Mountain College in Smithers. In short\, she loves libraries! \nBCLA events are all Pacific Time\, hosted online via Zoom\, which includes closed captioning. If you have any accessibility needs to attend these sessions\, please contact Natalie Porter\, BCLA Professional Development Coordinator in advance and BCLA will do our best to support you. \nBCLA expects anyone attending to honour the Online Community Guidelines\, to help create a positive environment that values accountability\, respect\, and a willingness to learn from each other. URL:https://bclaconnect.ca/event/building-a-sensory-musical-storytime-nest/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:Accessibility,Beyond Hope Virtual Reboot END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260922T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260922T111500 DTSTAMP:20260813T180247Z CREATED:20260806T203339Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260813T180247Z UID:45187-1790071200-1790075700@bclaconnect.ca SUMMARY:Reluctant Leadership / Management for Mid-Career Librarians DESCRIPTION:This presentation by Kellee E. Warren (Associate Professor and Special Collections Librarian – University of Illinois) will include a candid discussion on the benefits and challenges of advancement into management and leadership for both early and mid-career librarians. While some early career librarians have the curiosity and ambition to become part of senior management\, even with library manager training programs\, they are often not set up for success. Concurrently\, through personal experience\, observation\, and an intuitive sense of the sacrifices\, many mid-career librarians often find themselves in middle management roles and are reluctant to advance to senior management. This presentation will provide a brief history of management practice\, discuss the importance of specific skills and training\, and interrogate what it means to be a library manager and/or leader. \nOutcomes: \n\nDetermine the pros and cons of library advancement\nUnderstand the value of specialized training for senior management\nConsider where there might be training gaps in one’s organization for senior management success\nCultivate a better appreciation for the skillset required for senior management roles\n\nRegister Today! \nWho should attend: Early / Mid Career Librarians\, Senior management from public and academic libraries \nPresenter: Kellee E. Warren is Associate Professor and Special Collections Librarian for University of Illinois Chicago\, where her current research is on teaching with Chicago design collections and Black representation in nineteenth century children’s literature in the U.S.. URL:https://bclaconnect.ca/event/reluctant-leadership-management-for-mid-career-librarians/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:Growth and Leadership ORGANIZER;CN="BC Library Association":MAILTO:prodev@bcla.bc.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260909T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260909T113000 DTSTAMP:20260813T180641Z CREATED:20260717T170640Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260813T180641Z UID:44358-1788948000-1788953400@bclaconnect.ca SUMMARY:Alternative Library Careers Panel DESCRIPTION:Join us for a panel presentation featuring Laurie Davidson\, Tara Robertson\, Krista Boehnert\, and Lisa Hoskins as they share their library origin story\, the skills they acquired in traditional library settings\, and how their experience translated into new opportunities outside of the library. Each presenter offers a unique perspective and will touch upon the pros and cons of following a passion or opportunity beyond the library walls. \nWhether you are considering a career change\, exploring career options\, or starting out fresh in the library industry\, this presentation will expand one’s thinking about how and where traditional library work might be relevant and beneficial. \nRegister Today! \nCost: We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Housing & Municipal Affairs\, which enables us to offer this event free of charge. \nWho should attend: Library students\, library workers interested in a career change\, or anyone interested in learning about library-related opportunities. \nPresenter Bios: \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Krista Boehnert\n Krista Boehnert is a member of Island Health’s Medical and Academic Affairs team in the role of Specialist\, Content and Engagement. She provides communications support to medical staff across Island Health. She has more than 15 years of experience as a communications strategist\, with a strong background in internal communications\, public affairs\, and community relations. Krista has spent much of her career in the education and post-secondary sectors which has equipped her with a thoughtful\, audience-centered approach to communications. She is a gifted storyteller who is deeply committed to creating accessible and inclusive communications. An avid collaborator\, she values connecting with colleagues\, learning from their expertise\, and contributing to shared success. Before her career in communications\, Krista worked as a librarian\, a foundation that reflects her lifelong love of learning and information sharing. Outside of work\, you’ll often find her with her nose in a book\, or writing her next play.   \n \n \n \n \n \n Laurie Davidson\n Laurie Davidson (she/her) is the Executive Director of CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access) and is passionate about building an accessible and equitable reading landscape for all. She has more than 25 years of experience working as a librarian and technologist in a variety of settings. She has worked in non-profits\, library consortia\, academic and public libraries\, and the library technology industry and is interested in the intersection of systems and people\, and how best to support collaboration and cooperation across organizations. \n \n \n \n \n \n Lisa Hoskins\n Lisa Hoskins is currently a Manager in the Governance & Structure Branch within the Local Government Division\, Ministry of Housing & Municipal Affairs. She primarily works with local governments (municipalities and regional districts) and ministry partners on a variety of topics including changes to the local government legislative framework\, responsible conduct\, governance issues\, bylaws and local elections to name a few. \nLisa made the leap to work in the BC public service just over eight years ago after working for about 14 years in the public library realm. Her career as a librarian began as a Children’s Librarian with the City of Maple Ridge in the Fraser Valley Regional Library system. Lisa then moved to the island\, landing a job as a Children’s Librarian and then Portfolio Librarian (e.g.\, Healthy Communities\, Teen Literacy\, Early Literacy) with the Greater Victoria Public Library. Prior to this Lisa worked as a historical researcher for the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada working on modern day treaty cases. \n \n \n \n \n \n Tara Robertson\n Tara Robertson of Tara Robertson Consulting is a Leadership Coach and Inclusion Consultant. Tara launched her company after several years working in tech\, and over a decade as an academic librarian\, and sex worker. (Yes\, you read that right!). The one thing all of these roles have in common? A deep passion for people and an ability to get below the surface and talk about what really matters. Tara knew she could make a real impact by helping companies level up their DEI efforts with strategy that creates measurable impact in business. She also wanted to help women in corporate careers who knew what it was like to navigate systems that weren’t designed for them. Tara offers executive coaching to help clients step into their power at work–whether that looks like landing promotions\, achieving new goals\, or starting their own companies. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n BCLA events are all Pacific Time\, hosted online via Zoom\, which includes closed captioning. If you have any accessibility needs to attend these sessions\, please contact Natalie Porter\, BCLA Professional Development Coordinator in advance and BCLA will do our best to support you. \nBCLA expects anyone attending to honour the Online Community Guidelines\, to help create a positive environment that values accountability\, respect\, and a willingness to learn from each other. URL:https://bclaconnect.ca/event/alternative-library-careers-panel/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:Growth and Leadership ORGANIZER;CN="BC Library Association":MAILTO:prodev@bcla.bc.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260825T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260825T110000 DTSTAMP:20260826T161212Z CREATED:20260717T192812Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T161212Z UID:44394-1787652000-1787655600@bclaconnect.ca SUMMARY:Copyright Issues and Advocacy DESCRIPTION:Donald Taylor (SFU) and Trish Mau (Burnaby Public Library) are members of the CFLA-FCAB Copyright Community of Practice and CFLA-FCAB Task Force on Copyright & AI. BCLA is pleased to share that they are available to present an informative session on the latest copyright news and issues\, and that attendees are encouraged to bring their questions! \nDuring this one-hour session and Q&A\, Don and Trish will talk about best practices for providing access to copyrighted materials for people with perceptual disabilities and the emerging copyright implications of AI in Canada. Join this session to learn more about these and other copyright issues\, and their impacts on libraries and library users. \nRegistration closed \nWho should attend: Anyone interested in the topic\, regardless of library setting \nCost: We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Housing & Municipal Affairs\, which enables us to offer this event free of charge. \nSpeaker Bios: \n \n \n \n \n \n Donald Taylor is the Copyright Officer and the Head of InterLibrary Loans at Simon Fraser University. He works with copyright daily and thoroughly enjoys assisting others to resolve their copyright issues. Currently Don is the chair of CFLA-FCAB Copyright Community of Practice. \nTrish Mau (she/her) is the Director\, Collections & Technology at Burnaby Public Library\, where she works with staff to develop broad and accessible library collections\, and deliver services that support digital inclusion and creativity. Trish has worked in public libraries for more than 15 years and is a member of the CFLA-FCAB Copyright Community of Practice. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n BCLA events are all Pacific Time\, hosted online via Zoom\, which includes closed captioning. If you have any accessibility needs to attend these sessions\, please contact Natalie Porter\, BCLA Professional Development Coordinator in advance and BCLA will do our best to support you. \nBCLA expects anyone attending to honour the Online Community Guidelines\, to help create a positive environment that values accountability\, respect\, and a willingness to learn from each other. URL:https://bclaconnect.ca/event/copyright-issues-and-advocacy/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:Growth and Leadership ORGANIZER;CN="BC Library Association":MAILTO:prodev@bcla.bc.ca END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260812T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260812T113000 DTSTAMP:20260813T180521Z CREATED:20260717T170347Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260813T180521Z UID:44356-1786528800-1786534200@bclaconnect.ca SUMMARY:AI vs Librarian Readers Advisory DESCRIPTION:Join us for a discussion of the importance of human connection in the library as generative AI increasingly fills the role of confidant\, counsellor\, and content creator. We will break down how different digital services (like OverDrive\, Naxos\, NoveList\, and more) curate their content using artificial intelligence\, algorithms\, or humans\, and why this difference matters. Whether you’re hoping to improve your reader’s advisory skills or are contemplating breaking up with Spotify\, this conversation will prepare you to better understand and explain the irreplaceability of library workers and why receiving a good recommendation is like talking to a good friend. \nOutcomes: \n\nAttendees will be able to recognize the importance of curation in shaping culture\nUnderstand the difference between algorithms\, AI\, and human knowledge organization\nAnalyze the ways that different library digital resource vendors are integrating AI into their products\nContextualize the rise of AI within a cultural climate of censorship\, overwhelm\, loneliness\nCelebrate the unique skills of library workers and the value of human connection and community found in libraries\n\nRegistration is now closed \nCost: We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Housing & Municipal Affairs\, which enables us to offer this event free of charge. \nWho should attend: All library workers interested in AI\, especially those involved with reader’s advisory and collection development \nPresenters: Allison Jones & Brooklyn Kemp of Greater Victoria Public Library \n \n \n \n \n \n Allison Jones (they/them) is the Senior Librarian\, Technical Services at Greater Victoria Public Library. They are interested in digital literacy as it relates to all aspects of library work\, and have approached this through their work in public services\, systems\, and collections. They are the chair of CUPE 410’s ad hoc AI Committee\, which is focused on understanding\, educating members about\, and responding to the proposed and potential future adoption of AI at GVPL. \n  \n  \n  \n  \nBrooklyn Kemp (she/they) is a Librarian in the Middle Childhood & Tween Literacy portfolio at the Greater Victoria Public Library. They are passionate about the role of public libraries in the sociopolitical landscape\, creating accessible\, functional\, and welcoming spaces\, and creating ‘library magic’ through readers’ advisory. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n BCLA events are all Pacific Time\, hosted online via Zoom\, which includes closed captioning. If you have any accessibility needs to attend these sessions\, please contact Natalie Porter\, BCLA Professional Development Coordinator in advance and BCLA will do our best to support you. \nBCLA expects anyone attending to honour the Online Community Guidelines\, to help create a positive environment that values accountability\, respect\, and a willingness to learn from each other. URL:https://bclaconnect.ca/event/ai-vs-librarian-readers-advisory/ LOCATION:Virtual CATEGORIES:AI Exploration END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR