Stronger Together

A talk by Sharon Day (she/her)

Director, Branch Services and Collections, Edmonton Public Library

The CULC eBook Task Force Working group works on behalf of public libraries to increase awareness of digital content issues and advocate for sustainable solutions. Key priorities of the group include sharing information on what is currently being done in Canada and the US with respect to e-books and e-audiobooks; implementing public awareness campaigns; advocating with politicians; as well as providing opportunities for collaboration across the public library community regarding issues related to digital content. In 2020 the group worked on the CULC COVID-19 Taskforce, launching a title available in English and French for the 2021 One eRead Canada campaign and collaborated with ULC to endorse and support Reader's first eLending study. Find out more about these initiatives and their impact, as well as what is coming next.

Library staff and journalists share a similar goal: build well-informed communities. Both fields are also undergoing similar challenges, particularly in smaller centers, which have seen a steady decline in local news reporting. In the United States, however, public library staff have been finding ways of participating in civic journalism activities to keep their communities informed. We recently examined public libraries across Canada to discover if any were involved in journalistic activities during the 2019 federal election campaign. During this session, we will share our results, present the principles of civic journalism, and provide ideas for how you could use your information skills to better inform your community.

CW: Discussions of Transphobia, Homophobia, Hate Speech, Suicide, Violence

As LBTQA+ identities become more widely acknowledged and accepted, it is critical that libraries ensure that their hiring processes are kept up to date and as inclusive as possible. This presentation is designed to assist potential hiring committees in developing best practices to ensure that these identities are not only respected, but that their presence does not negatively prejudice the committee against the potential recruit. It will primarily address transgender identities, but is broadly applicable to many others in the LBTQA+ community. By the conclusion of the presentation, you will have a versatile toolkit to ensure your library’s positions are truly open to all who apply.

Controlled Digital Lending came to the forefront of library-related thought during the pandemic when physical collections were closed to the public. Beyond providing access during extenuating circumstances it has several other uses. Could your library benefit? And how can individuals benefit from libraries participating?
 
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This presentation was part of the Virtual Exhibit at Stronger Together AB 2021.