Academic Librarians Section (ALS) The BCLA’s Academic Librarians Section undertook several initiatives in 2016. Key activities include: Creation of the ALS Name and Mandate Review Working Group. This working group will be making recommendations to the ALS Executive...
BCLA Perspectives
Issue 1
Meeting teens on their turf: The power of in-person promotion of young adult programs
At a recent meeting of the Young Adult and Children’s Services section (YAACS), discussion turned to the challenges of programming for teens. Teens are often an elusive and underserved group in library programming, although they can also be active and passionate...
Libraries in the media
The following is a comprehensive collection of news coverage of BC libraries over the past four months. OCTOBER Bryn Catton. “Sparwood Library hosts Michael Saad's book launch.” The Free Press (Oct. 19, 2016). “Langley library celebrates Diwali.” Langley Times (Oct....
‘Brian was a fearless and tireless champion of intellectual freedom and equality of access to information’
Brian Campbell, who pushed and prodded libraries to do more and do it better, who fought for the underdog, who was not afraid to tell the truth, who held authority to account, and who was a mentor to many, died on Dec. 27, 2016. His impact will live on. Brian had a...
‘His politics were complex and passionate, not rigid and dogmatic’
Brian Campbell and I spent a lot of time together in airport departure lounges. Coming home once from a Working Together meeting in Regina, Saskatchewan, and delayed by weather, I was particularly antsy. My partner Mark and I were buying an apartment and I had a...
‘I note that the only time I have smelled tear gas was in Brian’s company’
Like many of my colleagues, I was deeply saddened to learn of Brian Campbell’s death in December. In thinking about his many contributions to our profession and society, a constant thought was the disbelief that such a vital and energetic individual is no longer out...
‘He talked to us about intellectual freedom, and social equity, and access, and public space’
We were appointed to the Vancouver Public Library Board in 2002, shortly after the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) swept to power. It was a heady time in municipal politics: an election fought amid controversy and protest about homelessness, the dire lack of...
‘He was a taskmaster of the best kind’
Brian Campbell’s deep commitment to community engagement made working with him interesting and exciting. We worked on a number of innovative projects and Brian was always very encouraging about my participation at all levels. He was a taskmaster of the best kind,...
‘I owe a lot to Brian Campbell and I try and use that as an example to mentor and encourage my staff in their careers’
Brian Campbell hired/promoted me to Bindery Supervisor in 2000. As my boss he could be demanding, but was also very fair, and I like to think he got the best out of me. He respected my knowledge and allowed me to run the department as I saw fit, provided our quotas...
‘He created the dialogue on information policy in Canada’
It was with great sadness that I—like many people in Vancouver and across the library community—learned of Brian Campbell’s passing. Brian was an extraordinary person and librarian who had a profound impact on the library community in Canada and on many of us as...