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. For current events, meetings and workshops, hosted by BC Library organizations, visit the BC Library Professional Development Calendar:
Professional Development Calendar
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 |
| Thurs. Nov. 12 | 2pm-3pm | Read Local BC BookBlast! New Adult titles | Sarah Felkar & BC Books | BC BookBlast! |
| Thurs. Nov. 19 | 2pm-3pm | Read Local BC BookBlast! New Children & Youth titles | Sarah Felkar & BC Books | BC BookBlast! |
| Wed. Nov. 25 | 10am-11am | Critical AI Programming in Libraries – Q&A with Hannah Cyrus | Hannah Cyrus | AI Exploration Series |
| Wed. Dec. 2 | 10:30am-12pm | Misinformation: Can you stop it? | Jocelyn Wong & Joel Harnest (BCOHRC) | Conference Virtual Reboot |
| Wed. Dec. 9 | 10:00am-11:15am | What’s Ahead in AI: Signal, Noise and the Coming Year for Libraries | Avery Swartz | Year-End Keynote |
These 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.
BCLA 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.
AI Exploration Series
The AI Exploration Series aims to enable 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 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.
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.
Accessibility
Accessibility in libraries is a leading priority for BCLA, and we aim to offer workshops featuring experts with lived experience and tools for making our libraries more accessible and welcoming to all.
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, library challenges, work-life balance, work culture, and personal development. All library staff are welcome to attend.
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 early December. Presenters from previous years can be enjoyed on our Recordings page.
For past events, please visit the Recordings webpage or explore BCLA’s Vimeo account.