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 workshop updates and news. Visit the BC Library Conference page for information about our annual in-person event, including scholarships.
Current and Upcoming
| Date | Time * | Title / Registration Link | Presenter | Series / Priority |
| Wed. July 9 | 10:00am-11:00am | Embracing Disability: Practical Advice for Accessible Library Programming | Jessica Desormeaux & Denise Scott | Accessible Libraries |
| Thurs. July 17 | 11:00am-12:30pm | Library Workplace Morale Renewals Colloquium | Kaetrena Davis | Growth & Leadership |
| Thurs. Sept. 4 | 10:00am-11:30am | Facilitation for Community Transformation | Khari Wendell McClelland | Growth & Leadership |
| Thurs. Sept. 11 | 11:00am-12:30pm | IBPOC Library Workplace Morale Renewals Colloquium | Kaetrena Davis | Growth & Leadership |
*These events are all Pacific Standard / Daylight Time, offered virtually on Zoom.
Accessibility
The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) staff members, Jessica Desormeaux and Denise Scott will present, Embracing Disability: Practical Advice for Accessible Library Programming on Wednesday, July 9th at 10:00am-11:00am PDT on Zoom. They aim to encourage libraries to embrace disability and help minimize barriers to library programs for all ages, which will strengthen our community connections. They will cover topics like planning, communication, adapting on the fly, program delivery, and evaluations.
Growth & Leadership Series
The Growth & Leadership Series focuses on training opportunities with experts in the field who will present on topics related to management, leadership, team-building, work-life balance, work culture, and personal development. All library staff are welcome to attend, unless the audience is specified by the organizer. Our next event is Thursday, July 17th at 11:00am – 12:30pm with Kaetrena Davis (BC Library Conference keynote) called the “Library Workplace Morale Renewals Colloquium.” Register today!
AI Exploration Series
The AI Exploration Series has begun with the intention of enabling library workers to better understand, build confidence, and utilize Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and ChatGPT in their daily work and in their support of library patrons. We will aim to provide practical, hands-on tutorials as well as keynote speakers on a range of issues, and discussion-based workshops that openly consider the pros and cons of this constantly evolving technology. Our next event is called AI and Libraries: Shaping the Future of Services on Wednesday, June 11 at 11am-12:15pm with Fiona O’Connor of Toronto Public Library. Registration is open.
Conference Virtual Reboot
Every year, attendees from the BC Library Conference recommend their favourite sessions. In the “Conference Virtual Reboot” series, BCLA is inviting a selection of presenters to replicate or reimagine their conference session as a webinar, staggering these events throughout the coming year. We look forward to the BC Library Conference in Nanaimo, May 2025, and hearing your feedback to prepare for our next round of workshops.
BCLA Annual Year-End Keynote
A Year-End Keynote speaker will present on a topic intended to inspire library workers in preparation of a new year. In 2024, we were pleased to host Professor R. David Lankes with his presentation called “Artificial Intelligence: why is it writing my termp paper when it should be doing my laundry?” The recording is posted below. We will announce our 2025 presenter in October and always grateful for your suggestions.
For past events, please visit the Recordings webpage or explore BCLA’s Vimeo account.