BCLA supports the ongoing acquisition of skills and knowledge for personal and professional development and for career advancement. Please review the Professional Development priority, which highlights the full range of opportunities that we support and follow the BCLA Professional Development Forum for updates and dialogue.
Current and Upcoming
EDI Toolkit and Recruitment Strategies
The EDI Strategies in Recruitment Toolkit was built by the contributions of Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC) and project leader, Jessica Whu Lee. Jessica is hosting a gathering for dialogue called “EDI Recruitment Strategies: In Action Together” on Thursday, May 9th at 2pm, as a Part Two to the toolkit introduction session. This session is geared specifically towards staff whose role is recruitment and hiring. Register today!
Indigenous Allyship and Anti-Racism Training
Len Pierre, a Coast Salish educator from Katzie First Nation was a keynote speaker from the 2023 BC Library Conference and offered a half-day training session on Thursday, April 4th called “Indigenous Allyship and Anti-Racism.” If you missed this session, please visit BCLA’s Vimeo account to enjoy the recording, which will also be available below in the recordings section.
BC Book Blast!
In collaboration with Read Local BC, the “BC Book Blast!” series features the very best of BC published books, with support from the Association of BC Book Publishers. The next presentation will be on Wednesday, May 15th at 3pm on the theme of “Community: Building, Living and Connecting in BC,” with fiction and non-fiction titles, and books for all ages. Register today.
Recordings of past presentations are available below on a variety of themes, genres, and subjects, and for a range of audiences.
BC Library Conference
The 2024 BC Library Conference is scheduled for April 24-25, 2024 at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront Vancouver.
Conference Scholarships
The BC Library Association offers two scholarships for the annual BC Library Conference. Applications usually open late-January. Subscribe to Branches: BCLA’s Online Forum to ensure that you don’t miss any announcements.
Disability Awareness Training
For an alert regarding the next Disability Awareness training with Heather McCain (they/them), the founder of Live Educate Transform Society (LET’S), please add your name to the waitlist form.
BCLA Annual Year-End Keynote
A Year-End Keynote speaker will present a webinar on a topic intended to inspire and challenge library workers in preparation of a new year. We will make the announcement in November via the Professional Development forum and recommendations can be made within our program suggestion form. Please find recordings of past presenters below, such as Karina Hagelin (they/them) from 2023.
Recordings
EDI Strategies in Recruitment Toolkit training
The Equity Diversity Inclusion Strategies in Recruitment Toolkit was built by the contributions of Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC) and project leader, Jessica Whu Lee. This presentation on March 7th, 2024 provided an overview for anyone involved or interested in recruitment in libraries, seeking to get introduced or refreshed on the EDI Toolkit.
- Vimeo recording from March 7th, 2024 with Jessica Whu
- PowerPoint slides
Anti-Racism Training
The Indigenous Allyship and Anti-Racism training was offered on April 4, 2024 by Len Pierre, a Coast Salish educator from Katzie First Nation who was a keynote speaker from the 2023 BC Library Conference. BCLA hosted the session free-of-charge as part of our commitment to anti-racism, and Len gave permission to have the training recorded, available below.
- Vimeo recording from April 4, 2024 with Len Pierre
- PowerPoint slides
- Territory Acknowledgment Guide
BC Book Blast! Series (2023-present)
In collaboration with Read Local BC and the Association of BC Book Publishers events featuring the latest BC books on a variety of themes and genres will be offered 4-5 times a year.
- Youth & Adult titles for Freedom to Read Week or Black History Month (February 2024): Full book list and Program Recording
- Adult Non-Fiction (December 2023): Full book list and Program Recording
Year-End Keynote Speaker Series (2023-present)
Our annual Year-End Keynote Speaker Series features a presenter who has come recommended as someone who will inspire and challenge library workers as they prepare for a new year.
Karina Hagelin (December 14, 2023):
Communities of Care: accessible libraries through trauma-informed frameworks and radical empathy
Privacy Guidelines and Management
In 2023, the Northwest Library Federation recorded a 3-part webinar series based on The Privacy Guidelines for BC Public Libraries with SFU Privacy Lawyer, Ericka Brimacombe, and Kaitlyn Vecchio has kindly given permission to feature the information here.
Webinar One: For all library staff, covering personal liability, collection / use / disclosure / consent of information, and briefly touches on Privacy Impact Assessments, complaints and breaches.
Webinar Two: Intended for Library Directors and Privacy Officers with close attention to FOI, complaints, breaches, and Privacy Management Program.
Webinar Three: Q&A session including insightful questions, templates, and examples of Records Retention Schedules, etc.
Another great resource is OIPC – Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner for BC who have a free suite of PrivacyRight Webinars and host a free, informative session on “Data Privacy Day” on January 30th, as well as customized webinars and training. A helpful video called “The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA): Essentials for your organization” (Feb. 21, 2024) is freely available. Note: this is the organization where you would report a privacy breach.
How to Write a Successful Conference Session Proposal
Crafting a successful conference session proposal takes skill! Check out the recording of our information session below:
Libraries in the Global Arena Series (2021)
The Libraries in the Global Arena Series focused on the role of libraries in effectively addressing the climate crisis, featuring Seth Klein and Rachel Malena-Chan.