Call for Proposals 2020 Annual Conference

NLLA is pleased to announce our 2020 Annual Conference: Resilience will take place on Monday, May 4. In his book Palaces for the People, sociologist Eric Klinenberg describes how a group of planners met to discuss ways to restore resilience to 21st century cities. Someone proposed a compelling idea for a “resilience center” – a place that would be a community gathering place, open every day, welcoming to everyone, staffed by trained professionals, with flexible space that could be adapted for many uses. Klinenberg realized that most communities already have such a place – their local library. Read more about this year’s conference theme.

We are seeking proposals for the following presentation types:

• Long presentation or workshop: 45-minute sessions, composed of either a 30-minute presentation and 15-minute question period, or a 45 minute workshop.  May be either practice-based or research-based.
• Panel: We will ask a series of questions, and a moderated discussion will be led around the topic of resilience.  Please tell us why you would like to be on the panel.
• Lightning talk: 7-10 minute timed presentations, designed to give attendees a brief glimpse into an idea, project, program or activity.
• Book teaser: 10-minute presentations consisting of a book talk and reading of a short excerpt.  Teasers can be based on any book chosen by the presenter, including fiction, non-fiction, adult or children’s literature (does not have to be authored by the presenter).  Please state the book title in abstract.

The deadline for proposals is Monday, March 30th.  Please submit your proposal using our online form and remember to include:

• An indication of the presentation type (long presentation, short presentation, lightning talk or book teaser).
• The presentation title plus a brief abstract (max. 250 words for a long or short presentation; max. 100 words for a lightning talk or book teaser) describing your topic and the goals of your presentation.
• Contact details (name, library, position, telephone number and email address) for each speaker.
• A brief (max 50 word) biography for each speaker.

For questions or comments, please contact Conference Chairs Elyse Sparkes Coombs (elysecoombs@gmail.com) or Jessie Cahill-Bouzane (Jessica.Cahill-Bouzane@mi.mun.ca),  or Wendy Rogers (wrodgers@mun.ca) and Erin Alcock (ekalcock@mun.ca) of the NLLA Conference Program Committee.

Call for Proposals for the NLLA 50th Anniversary Conference Extended to March 29

NLLA’s 50th Anniversary Conference will take place over two days, on Monday, April 29th and Tuesday, April 30th, 2019. This year, our theme is 50 years of Celebrating Libraries.

Libraries and library workers in Newfoundland and Labrador have long played a significant role in the history and culture of our province.  From our very beginnings, we have strived to preserve, serve, and educate; we have supported and empowered users by providing rich learning and social spaces, and sometimes just by providing a safe and welcoming place to go.  We work continuously to ensure that our communities have access to information, technology, and resources for learning, and to build and share collections that support and preserve the culture and history of our province.

The value of libraries in Newfoundland & Labrador can be seen in the number of people who pass through our doors, both physical and virtual.  It can be seen in the grass-roots protest that emerged in 2016 when the people of our province learned that their public libraries were under threat.  Libraries are valued in our province, across communities and library sectors, because we retain our core values even as we continue to evolve; learning, transforming, and making new discoveries alongside the communities and people we serve.

For five decades the Newfoundland and Labrador Library Association has witnessed and supported both our ongoing values and our continuing transformations.  Our association brings together library workers from all sectors, building and enriching our own community, while advocating for our libraries and the people who use them.

Now is the time for us to celebrate all that we have accomplished.  In honor of the NLLA’s 50th year, we want to hear from you, our members and supporters.  What does 50 Years of Celebrating Libraries mean to you?  How does your library practice our core values?  What new discoveries have you made? What have you learned from the past?  What do you look forward to, as we move into the next 50 years?

For the NLLA 50th anniversary conference, we are seeking proposals for the following presentation types:

Long presentation or workshop:

45-minute sessions, composed of either a 30-minute presentation and 15-minute question period, or a 45 minute workshop.  May be either practice-based or research-based.

Short presentation or workshop:

30-minute sessions, composed of a 20-minute presentation and 10-minute question period.  May be either practice-based or research-based.

Lightning talk:

7-minute timed presentations, designed to give attendees a brief glimpse into an idea, project, program or activity.

Book teaser:

10-minute presentations consisting of a book talk and reading of a short excerpt.  Teasers can be based on any book chosen by the presenter, including fiction, non-fiction, adult or children’s literature (does not have to be authored by the presenter).  Please state book title in abstract.

The deadline for proposals is Monday, March 18th.  Please submit your proposal using our online form (https://goo.gl/forms/8J9tBaP5Zb1ZrTOn2), and remember to include:

• An indication of the presentation type (long presentation, short presentation, lightning talk or (book teaser).
• The presentation title plus a brief abstract (max. 250 words for a long or short presentation; max. 100 words for a lightning talk or book teaser) describing your topic and the goals of your presentation.
• Contact details (name, library, position, telephone number and email address) for each speaker.
• A brief (max 50 word) biography for each speaker.

For questions or comments, please contact Conference Chairs Donna Inkpen (dinkpen@mun.ca) and Katie Lawton (catherine.lawton@mi.mun.ca) or Janet Goosney (jgoosney@mun.ca) of the NLLA Conference Program Committee.

2018 Annual Conference: Preliminary Program

The program for our 2018 Annual Conference: Smooth Sailing through Rough Waters on May 7 is almost finalized. We currently have over a dozen talented and inspiring speakers scheduled from public, academic,  and provincial libraries and community organizations. You can visit our conference webpage for more details.

Have you registered yet? Online registration is open, plus we have a conference bursary available to assist you with attending this year’s conference.

Conference Registration is Open

Online Registration is available for our 2018 Annual Conference: Smooth Sailing through Rough Waters.  Our conference takes place on Monday, May 7, at the Newfoundland & Labrador Housing & Homeless Network Provincial Learning Centre in St. John’s.

Conference registration fee is $50.00 for NLLA members and $75.00 for non-members. An optional post-conference dinner will be held at Piatto Midtown (not included in conference fees).

We look forward to seeing you this year!

Apply for Our Spring Conference Bursary

The NLLA is pleased to announce the second year for the Conference Bursary for our 2018 Annual Conference: Smooth Sailing through Rough Waters.  This bursary will be open to all members of the NLLA currently residing in Newfoundland and Labrador. The bursary can be used for travel expenses, accommodation and conference registration. Funds will be awarded on an as-needed basis. Please read our bursary guidelines for more information.

To apply, please complete our application form and submit it to Bursary Committee Chair, Melissa Feaver (melissa_feaver@hotmail.com). The deadline for applications is April 16, 2018.

Call for Proposals for 2018 Annual Conference

The 2018 Annual NLLA Conference will take place on Monday, May 7. This year, our theme is Smooth Sailing through Rough Waters.

The tough economic times happening in our province have hit libraries hard. Our budgets have been slashed, our workforces reduced, and libraries are doing even more with less than ever before. However, despite such uncertainty, libraries are thriving because of the commitment and dedication of library workers in Newfoundland and Labrador. We continually strive to ensure that our communities have access to information, technology, and resources for learning, and to build and share collections that support and preserve the history and culture of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Our theme for this year’s conference is Smooth Sailing through Rough Waters. This theme acknowledges the difficult times for libraries in our province, and points toward how we come together to recognize the needs of library workers as well as the community members who patronize our unique workplaces.

How is your library navigating these rough waters? How are you collaborating with colleagues, asking new questions, or developing new solutions to continue serving the needs of library users in our province? How are libraries managing stress in the workplace, and how are we caring for our users and each other in this time of economic turmoil? Whether you are in a public, academic, school, or special library, our theme relates to the work that you do. What does Smooth Sailing through Rough Waters mean to you?

We are seeking proposals for the following presentation types:

• Full presentation: 40-minute sessions, composed of a 30-minute presentation and 10-minute question period. May be either be practice-based or research-based.
• Lightning talks: 7-minute timed presentations, designed to give attendees a brief glimpse into an idea, project, program or activity.

The deadline for proposals is Friday, March 30. Please submit your proposal using our online form and remember to include:

• An indication of the presentation type (full presentation or lightning talk).
• The presentation title plus a brief abstract (max. 250 words for a full presentation; max. 100 words for a lightning talk) describing your topic and the goals of your presentation.
• Your contact details (name, library, position, telephone number and email address) for each speaker.
• A brief (max 50 word) biography for each speaker.

For questions or comments, please contact Emily Blackmore (eblackmore@nlpl.ca) or Janet Goosney (jgoosney@mun.ca) of the 2018 NLLA Conference Program Committee.

Therapy Dogs Part of LTAIG Conference Program

Spock will be in attendance

One of our featured presentations at this year’s Library Technicians and Assistants Interest Group (LTAIG) annual one-day conference is “Paws for Stories”with Cindy Foote and Roberta Hewitt. Roberta is the Director of Marketing and Community Relations with St. John Ambulance and as part of this role, she oversees the Therapy Dog Program, which has recently partnered with two branches of Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries to bring the Paws 4 Stories program to our province. Cindy Foote is a Library Technician II/ED ILL Manager with Mount Pearl Public Library.

The Paws 4 Stories program provides children the opportunity to practice their reading skills aloud to a SJA certified Therapy Dog. Research has shown that children who read to Therapy Dogs show improvement in their reading skills, as they feel more comfortable practicing around a loving, non-judgmental animal. Roberta will speak to the volunteer requirements to participate in Paws 4 Stories and the success of the pilot programs.

Join us on on Monday, November 20, to meet Spock and some of the other, equally adorable, St. John Ambulance therapy dogs! There’s still time to register online for this great one-day conference which is free to current NLLA members.

Nov 20th LTAIG Conference Program Announced

We are pleased to announce the finalized program for our Library Technicians and Assistants Interest Group (LTAIG) annual one-day conference on Monday, November 20.

Online registration for the conference is now open. Our LTAIG Conference is free to current NLLA members. There is also a bursary available to assist with travel and other expenses related to conference attendance.

For more information and updates please visit our LTAIG 2017 Conference webpage.

Keynote for November LTAIG Conference: Susan Cleyle

Susan Cleyle

We are pleased to announce that the keynote speaker for the annual fall Library Assistants and Technicians Interest Group conference will be Susan Cleyle, University Librarian for Memorial University Libraries.

Susan will be presenting Library Leadership Throughout the Entire Organization: Taking a Coach Approach to Help Achieve Workplace Success. This presentation will explore how to have a greater positive impact in the workplace through a series of simple tools and techniques taken from the field of executive coaching. The talk will provide interactive exercises aimed at developing communication and leadership skills.

Our LTAIG conference is free to NLLA members, but space is limited. Please register online to attend our November 20th conference which will be held at the Community Room of the A.C. Hunter Children’s Library.

Registration for our Free, Annual LTAIG Conference Now Open

Online registration is now open for our annual, one-day Library Technicians and Assistants Interest Group (LTAIG) Conference on Monday, November 20. The conference is free to current NLLA members. Not a member? Please visit our join/renew your membership page.