PDF

Libraries must do advocacy and fundraising in order to grow in a time of change and opportunity as government funding at all levels tightens. The Board, Director, and Staff at the Okotoks Public Library created a Vision, wrote a fundraising policy, and then began to implement an active advocacy and fundraising campaign. They set up booths at events, met with community groups, planned and organized fundraisers, and worked with local councils and administration. Specific, practical ideas will be outlined during this workshop. Please bring your questions and ideas for advocacy and fundraising to share during the 10-minute discussion at the end of this session.
LORRAINE CATHRO After a 20-year university teaching career, Lorraine gained marketing experience as a sales representative for Scholastic Publishing and as an investment advisor at a brokerage firm. She now assists in advocacy and fundraising initiatives toward library expansion as a member of the Okotoks Public Library Board.
LARA GRUNOW is very passionate about creating a public library that is the hub for its community and believes that libraries can play an integral role in helping create happier, healthier communities. The key is ensuring that stakeholders, potential community partners, and local residents know how our collections, programs, and services can benefit them. That is why, as newly appointed Library Director, Lara makes a point of getting out of her office and into the community.
PAT COE has previous experience with fundraising and advocacy through a wide variety of volunteer and business activities. As a former volunteer and employee at the Okotoks Public Library, she now serves on the Library Board and is participating in advocacy and fundraising efforts for the expansion of the library.

Makerspaces are the big buzz around public libraries today, but without proper planning the project can easily fall flat. This session will detail Airdrie Public Library’s experiences in planning, implementing, and maintaining a makerspace, as well as share lessons learned throughout the process. This session will also talk about the importance of being agile towards change, as nothing goes as planned!
KELLY KIRKPATRICK-LAUZON is the Operations Manager at the Airdrie Public Library. Kelly has been with the Airdrie Public Library for 8 years managing different departments including information services, information technology, technical services, collections, and inter-library loans. Prior to Airdrie, Kelly worked at Northern Lights Library System as the Information Technology Consultant. Kelly is passionate about the role libraries play in creating successful communities of people who are dynamic problem solvers and freethinking, lifelong learners.

Public librarians can feel isolated, as if on islands, battered by the seas of change. We’ll explore ways libraries can build local capacity – in their communities and their libraries - by leveraging partnerships. Concepts discussed will include valuing the unique strengths in each of our libraries, capacity building as a reciprocal relationship between the library and its service community, and authentic partnership. Attendees will leave with two tools they can use immediately in their libraries.
MARGO GUSTINA Deputy Director, Southern Tier Library System Painted Post, NY she/her
Margo Gustina is an outspoken believer in the power of community to lead libraries toward more meaningful practice. As Deputy Director for the Southern Tier Library System, a cooperative which serves predominantly rural communities in New York State, Margo facilitates planning, funding, and governance conversations and processes.

Presentation from BCLA 2019 Conference, "Future by Design". Presented Thursday, May 9. Session T01. Presenters: Paola Ardiles, Stephen O'Shea, Jennifer Wile, Tamarack Hockin (contact links provided last slide of presentation).

Sometimes libraries have to ‘Find a Way’ to build – or rebuild - a relationship with their local governments. That relationship can be a positive, mutually reinforcing one; however, it can also be something less desirable. Municipal council members are elected by the people of their communities to deliver a wide range of programs and services, and there is always more work to do than there are resources available to do it. This is complicated with the notion with some that libraries have outlived their useful life, and some councillors will wonder why they waste money on a service that nobody uses. If trustees understand how local governments work, how they identify their priorities, and where they get their information, the library board stands a better chance of creating a positive relationship with local governments. Together trustees and staff can find a way to make it happen.
Learning Objectives:

• Understand Alberta local government structure.
• Learn how local governments choose from competing priorities.
• Discuss ideas about how library colleagues have kept the profile of libraries high.

Conference Presentation delivered at the 2019 Alberta Library Conference.

This preconference session will help participants find a way to develop staff’s data literacy by leveraging Library Carpentry training (https://librarycarpentry.org/). Library Carpentry’s goal is to create a community of learners who embrace technologies & software to get work done more effectively. This session will begin with an explanation of Library Carpentry & how the presenters have applied it at the University of Alberta Libraries. Participants will then learn tangible & scalable ways they can use Library Carpentries at their libraries to break down barriers for library staff’s professional development around coding & data analysis. Following these discussions, participants will take part in a hands-on Intro to Data workshop demo (https://tinyurl.com/yasz3n2n), highlighting pedagogical techniques that help demystify key-tech concepts & support learners at all levels.

Answering community demands for a makerspace when you have no money, no staff, and no space is a daunting task. Despite the challenges of staffing, budget, and space constraints, St. Albert Public Library successfully launched its Makerspace in 2018. Lisa will share lessons learned by SAPL including how to conduct interdepartmental staff training, selecting and training volunteers, how to operate without a permanently allocated space, and options for libraries on a limited budget. The SAPL makerspace brings together a broad demographic, including 30-49 year olds who normally do not participate in library programs. The makerspace is open two times per month overseen by one staff facilitator and 2 to 3 volunteers. Attendees explore different technologies, connect with others in the community, and move from being consumers to creators.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify a wide variety of adult programming ideas to try.
• Gather ideas, tips, tricks, and inspiration for adult programming.
• Creative inspiration

PowerPoint presentation to Strathcona County Council on April 16, 2019:

• Strathcona County Library’s response to being displaced from the Strathcona County Community Centre by the parkade explosion on November, 6, 2018,
• its temporary locations,
• the support of the County and of the Alberta library community, and
• preparations to re-open to the public on May 8, 2019.