Lethbridge Public Library

Bring your rainbow flags and glitter, and come on out for Pride Month celebrations at the library. Learn how and why your library can participate, what others in the province are already doing, and about some of the resources available to support staff and community members alike. This session will begin with a very brief primer on terminology and etiquette for working with the LGBTQ+ community, context about Pride celebrations, and recent highlights from Alberta communities. Library-specific content will cover ideas for Pride month programs and community participation, and ways to ensure your library is welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community year-round through staff training, policies, facilities and programs. 

The library is one of the last free public spaces that is open to all. However, often those considered “undesirable” are kept away from the library in order to make others feel welcome and safe. While we do sometimes see problematic behaviours in the library, this does not mean that we cannot strive to ensure that we as library workers provide excellent customer service to all who enter the library.
 
 

A library pen or coffee mug is a nice token of appreciation, but won't pay the bills for a visiting author or for the library. In this session, we will discuss how and why to cover costs for literary events without using up the artist’s goodwill or library budget. We will explore when and why to fund author events, how to estimate costs, and review relevant grants and their application processes.
Learning objectives:

• Understand when and why to fund author events and estimate costs
• Become familiar with relevant grants and their application processes
• Come away with ideas to partner within your community or region.