Adults

Since 2017 hype has been building about "web3" reaching a deafening crescendo in 2022. Not to be confused with "Web 3.0/The Semantic Web" web3 proponents cite the advent of a next generation decentralized Internet built on top of encryption and blockchain technologies. This talk will provide an introduction to some key concepts, discuss ways in which they are being investigated in libraries, and offer some hot takes as to whether libraries should pay any attention to this much hyped development.

GVPL’s Healthy Communities portfolio frames the library as an information hub for key health issues that impact our communities. Mental health, particularly for caregivers and children, has been one of the key health issues throughout the pandemic that our patrons have struggled with. In this lightning talk, hear about three recent displays at GVPL’s Central branch that were designed in response to community need for mental health resources during challenging times. We’ l l tell you how the displays came together, what themes and library resources were highlighted, and how the displays were received by our patrons.

In re-imagining services, the Legislative Library and Parliamentary Education Office collaborated on virtual learning programs during the pandemic. The Parliamentary Education Office had successfully pivoted some programing to on-line but there were some service gaps. For the Library, public virtual programming was a new experience. Both departments benefited from the collaboration. The Parliamentary Education Office connected with the public when the Assembly was closed to visitors, the Library gained new exposure, and both departments learned about each other.

In this lightning talk, Brenda and Dhara will discuss their collaborative efforts to get the Afrocentric Library Collection off the ground at Toronto East Detention Center (TEDC). The Afrocentric Library Collection is part of a much larger program created by Dhara to highlight the distinct needs of the institution's predominantly Black inmate population. This collection fills in the gaps that the general collection has had for years and has increased access to materials by Black authors for our inmates. Brenda and Dhara will discuss how the library has supported the collection, as well as other advantages and the difficulties of having such a collection within a maximum security institution.

Learn about one academic library’s WiFi Hotspot Lending Program through which they strove to meet Digital Equity needs among college students lacking adequate internet access in their place of residence. This lightening talk will provide a snapshot of this WiFi Hotspot Lending Program, including challenges and successes around implementation, marketing, and locating funding to continue into the future.

Explore the experience and impacts of remote professional development conversations undertaken by Greater Victoria Public Library librarians during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how GVPL librarians used assigned learning topics and workshops to structure conversations that led to improved communication, connection, morale, and mental wellness. As well, find out how we’re applying these lessons to the post-pandemic future, using the improved communication, system-wide knowledge sharing, and sense of internal community to explore future-focused topics and expand librarians' professional skills.

The Stettler Friends of the Library Society had become stagnant over the last few years, with no new ideas and just doing casinos and book sales. That changed in 2018-2019 when a member discovered the wine survivor fundraiser and the Stettler and District Board of Trade were looking for a group to take over the Historic Ghost Walk. The 2018 Christmas Wine Survivor was a roaring success and the Historic Ghost Walk has brought people and money to the Stettler Public Library. This session will focus on the Christmas Wine Survivor and Historic Ghost Walk events and the learning curves that the Stettler Friends of the Library Society has experienced along the way.

What happens when, despite providing professional and respectful customer service, you are yelled at, threatened, or challenged? When the encounter is done, how do you manage your raw emotions from the event? What supports exist to help you work through these feelings, and start to love your job (and the customers) again? This session will present the findings from a Canadian study that investigated emotional labour in public libraries. Emotional labour is the idea that, working in public service, there is a need to control your emotions in order to accomplish your job. This research illustrated the ways in which public library workers have to respond to intense customer service situations. You will hear stories from the frontlines of customer service and learn about some of the strategies public library workers use to deal with the effects of emotionally charged customer encounters.

Award-winning and bestselling novelist, Terry Fallis, tells the story of his unusual, fateful, and funny journey to the writing life.