[ACCESS & INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY, DIVERSITY] Since the election and inauguration of Donald Trump, I have found myself reflecting on borders and land. Very soon after Trump had signed his executive order to implement the immigration and travel ban in the United...
BCLA Perspectives
Volume 9 (2017)
The incredible shrinking role of government in BC
[ACCOUNTABILITY] Editor’s note: In light of the Saskatchewan provincial government’s decision to cut its library budget to the tune of $4.8 million – which, due to public pressure, was recently reversed – it's important to remember that in our current economic...
‘We have racism in Canada’: An interview with Community Engagement and Diversity Specialist Meharoona Ghani
[DIVERSITY] Meharoona Ghani is the Manager of Community Connections and Diversity at the North Shore Multicultural Society. She is also the Principal of M. Ghani Consulting, Community Engagement and Diversity Specialist. This interview was conducted over the phone on...
Diverse titles to talk about from the Readers’ Advisory Interest Group
[DIVERSITY] In an era when the marginalization of diversity has become alarmingly normalized, it's imperative that librarians connect our readers to the broadest possible spectrum of voices. This is why the BCLA Readers’ Advisory Interest Group (RAIG) strives to...
BC’s GLAM sector signs Memorandum of Understanding to build capacity for learning and discovery
[INNOVATION & CREATIVITY] Representatives from the British Columbia Library Association (BCLA), the British Columbia Museums Association (BCMA), and the Archives Association of BC (AABC) gathered at the Surrey City Centre Library on March 24 to announce a new...
Live from the 2017 BC Library Conference
[INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM] In an effort to advance the enthusiastic conversations and ideas that transpired at this year’s BC Library Conference, BCLA aimed to extend its annual conference offerings outside session (and hotel) walls. For the first time, BCLA enlisted a...
Why intellectual freedom relies on a free and open internet
[INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM] OpenMedia has had the privilege of working and collaborating with the BC Library Association in different ways for many years, which is why it was an amazing honour for us to be recognized at the recent BC Library Conference with the BCLA’s...
Understanding librarianship in the time of Trump
[INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM] 2016 was a dumpster fire of a year. It began with Brexit and its close-minded, “Little England” xenophobia, it continued with the re-emergence of Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch, she of the “Barbaric Cultural Practices Tip Line”...
A first timer’s reflections on the 2017 BC Library Conference
[LITERACY & LIFELONG LEARNING] Being new to the library world, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from my first BC Library Conference: A business card filled, networking nosh; a note-taking, panel-heavy workshop; or a three-day party with oft-reserved librarians...
Digital access and equity in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
[LITERACY & LIFELONG LEARNING] One does not often make the connection between technology and the Downtown Eastside (DTES) of Vancouver. While it is true that the average DTES community member will not have the latest iPhone or tablet, the wake of technology’s...