Greater Victoria Public Library

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.

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.

Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) implemented a Community-Inspired Library Service Model in 2016 in order to redefine the role of librarians in public services. Influenced by changing trends in public libraries and organizational changes that included the removal of traditional reference desks, GVPL‘s new model focuses on librarians as leaders within and outside the library. Join us for an introduction to the model and hear from public services librarians about how the community-inspired model has influenced their work. There will be time for questions.

The Open Air Library: A Community Program The Open Air Library, the Saanich Peninsula Literacy task group’s signature program, takes reading outside and is a fun summer community event that celebrates literacy. Behind the scenes is a growing exchange of collaboration and communication across multiple literacy organizations. Reflecting on five years of collaboration points to the continuous need for literacy organizations to work alongside one another.
Two Libraries, One Peninsula Public Libraries share a common goal of promoting literacy and lifelong learning. The Saanich Peninsula is served by two public libraries that find fun and exciting ways to work together and best serve their communities. Reflecting on five years of collaboration points to how libraries have moved outside of their spaces to build community.
Growing Readers Together Supporting literacy, growing minds, providing resources and tools to flourish and learn – public libraries and schools share similar goals but often work in isolation. Reflecting on past collaboration shows us that one good thing leads to another and points to where we will be five years from now.
Presented by Saanich Peninsula Literacy Task Group, Greater Victoria Public Library and South Island Distance Edcuation School

During the 2018 VILSC Conference we presented on the topic of participatory culture in libraries and used the Greater Victoria Public Library’s DigiLab programming as a successful example of participatory culture and community-led programming. Some of the feedback we received during that session was that what we were doing sounded great, but why was it only for teens?
We took that feedback and ran with it, creating a programming series entitled Welcome to the Future that features newer technologies than our traditional adult technology programming offered. Our VR programming for teens had been so successful that we tried to use the same model of programming for adults, and, through feedback from patrons, learned very quickly that that particular model did not work for them. We have since taken the patron feedback and recreated our VR programming for adults to better reflect how and what they want to learn about VR in programming, and we plan to share what we have learned in this session.

What is participatory culture and what does it mean for libraries in the 21st century? Join GVPL staff and patrons who have been working to embrace this cultural transformation in meaningful ways at different levels of service and programming. Hear about some of our successes (as well as some experiences we've learned from!) and then brainstorm ways to promote increased participation in your own library.

Office talk can lead to inspiring ideas, and promote growth and change. This participatory session features lightning presentations on core library values and services designed to spark ideas and conversation. Participants will collaborate in re-imagining these values and services in the contexts of their own work lives and experiences. Featured Topics: Access. Diversity. Professionalism. Social Responsibility. Service. This session will feature real-time feedback.

In support of BC’s new curriculum, Pacific Opera Victoria, Royal BC Museum and the Greater Victoria Public Library offered a day-long pro-d opportunity for high school, middle school and elementary school teachers. Experts from each institution provided practical tools and ideas to encourage children and teens to think critically about what they view, read, and hear. This panel will discuss how we collaborated to create the event, the benefits to GLAM partnership programming, and what we learned.

This presentation outlined some of Greater Victoria Public Library's Tween program.  Notably is the Story Buddies program where Tween Volunteers are paired with younger children to create a picture book which is then shared with the larger group.
Staff Instructions and program outline are included.