Library Programs

Drayton Valley Library does not run traditional book clubs for tweens and teens. Instead of focusing on WHAT to read, our youth book club focuses on the LOVE of reading, and encourages kids to participate in whatever works best for them - whether a book talk, participation in contests or playing book related games. Drayton Valley Youth Book Clubs encourage youth to use their local public library as a resource and to think of the public library as a FUN place to be.

A talk by Hailey McCullough, Head of Adult Services, Grande Prairie Public Library Libraries are the hearts of their communities. Librarians are passionate about serving their communities. But how do we do that? Find out by attending this session, which focuses on the success story of Project: Full Stop at Grande Prairie Public Library, and how one librarian found her passion project. This presentation will focus on period poverty and the role libraries can play in fighting it, how you can implement a similar project in your library, and ways in which you can develop your project in a way to help it shine and fund it for years to come.

A talk by Rena Traxel (she/her) Community Services Librarian, Parkland County Libraries Reaching our communities during times of COVID has challenged us to push outside our normal routines, find innovative ways to continue outreach, and pull together to meet the needs of our publics. From walking book clubs to curbside concerts; come learn about what worked, what didn’t, and everything in between.

In recent years, young adult (YA) fiction has, like its Generation Z audience, turned to social justice issues and activism. At the same time, the discussion of social responsibility in librarianship has begun to include human rights and social justice, especially since public libraries provide education and information about issues of rights and justice. 

For Jennifer's thesis research, she conducted a participatory case study with a co-designed virtual program through the Camrose Public Library. The case study investigated how teen readers engage with the social justice themes in YA fiction, how and if they find these themes useful for understanding and engaging in activism on their own, and the influence of public library programming on these actions. 

This presentation provides an overview of what worked and what didn’t when it came to collaborative program design with teens and provides practical recommendations for young adult librarians who want to implement social justice programming.

Thirty-seven students in a 4th year Sales Management course had the opportunity to earn two digital badges in a pilot project tied to information literacy mastery. One badge was for Critical Thinking, the other for Content Analysis. The pilot was to assess student interest and engagement in digital badging at the college level. Students completed several activities (e.g. online videos and tutorials) and assignments (e.g. annotated bibliography) before submitting a final research report. As it is critical that digital badges have an assessment component, students had to achieve 80% or higher in three individual assessments to be awarded the badges.

It’s not as boring as it sounds! 
 
This presentation is about developing a strategic plan for library programming that aligns with your community’s social development goals. It features some fun interviews with community stakeholders, along with thoughts and insights on the power of connection, partnership, and community engagement in creating meaningful programming.