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 |
| Tues. Nov. 18 | 10am-11:30am | Approaches to Intellectual Freedom Instruction at Canadian Library Schools | Dr. Toni Samek, Dr. Cameron Pierson, Dr. Mahdi Ganjavi | Growth & Leadership |
| Wed. Nov. 19 | 12:30pm-1:30pm | Braille Printing: Accessible University Library Services | Kelsey Chaban, Rachel Chong | Accessibility |
| Wed. Nov. 26 | 10am-11:30am | Becoming Anti-Ableist | Elisabeth Walker-Young, Shawna Lawson | Accessibility |
| Wed. Dec. 3 | 10am-11:15am | Future-Ready Youth: Preparing our patrons to navigate the Age of AI | Nick Tanzi | Year-End Keynote |
| Thurs. Dec. 11 | 10am-11:30am | AI Workshop Design for Newcomers in Public Libraries | Shirley Chan | AI Exploration Series |
| Thurs. Jan. 15 | 10am-11am | Accessible Social Media and Newsletters | Megan Sellmer | Beyond Hope Reboot |
*These events are all Pacific Standard / Daylight 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.
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. Our next event is Approaches to Intellectual Freedom Instruction at Canadian Library Schools, Tues. November 18th at 10am PDT on Zoom. Register today.
Accessibility
Accessibility in libraries is a leading priority for BCLA, and our next workshops on the theme are Braille Printing: Accessible University Library Services with Kelsey Chaban and Rachel Chong on Wednesday, November 19th at 12:30pm, and Becoming Anti-Ableist with Elisabeth Walker-Young and Shawna Lawson of Inclusive Experiences on Wednesday, November 26th at 10am. Registration is open for both.
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. For 2025, we are pleased to announce that Nick Tanzi – The Digital Librarian will be presented “Future Ready Youth: Preparing our patrons to navigate the Age of AI” on Wed. December 3rd at 10am-11:15am PDT on Zoom. Register today!
Presenters from previous years can be enjoyed on our Recordings page.
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 AI Workshop Design for Newcomers in Public Libraries on Thursday, December 11th at 10am-11:30am PDT.
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. Our next sessions in 2026 are TBA.
For past events, please visit the Recordings webpage or explore BCLA’s Vimeo account.