This week I’m attending British Columbia Library Association’s 2013 Conference, “Are We There Yet?” I’m quite excited, as I’ve never attended a real library conference before.
This is my schedule for Friday:
Providing Elder Friendly health information to Seniors
This presentation will look at the health information needs of seniors and the best practices in delivering information services to this rapidly growing population. Baby boomers are just beginning to retire and we anticipate that they will demand more sophisticated health information from libraries. Are we ready? We will explore what elder friendly health information looks like and the kinds of topics that seniors want to know about, such as drug information, sexual health information and dementia. We will review some of the key websites and sources for high quality information that are senior friendly. We will conclude with a brief discussion and question and answer period about the health information needs of seniors, now and in the future.
Linda Searcy Howard, Fraser Health: Linda Searcy Howard has been the librarian at Surrey Memorial Hospital, Fraser Health for the past 22 years. She is the liaison librarian for the residential care and older adult programmes, where she liaises with health professionals in providing evidence based health information. She selects materials for the library that are useful for health professionals serving this population and provides customized literature searches on older adult health topics. She has previously presented to seniors groups in White Rock.
Anita Thompson, Fraser Health: Anita Thompson has been a library technician with the Fraser Health for the past 3 years. She prepares and compiles journal watches for the Older Adult and Residential Care programmes in Fraser Health.
eBooks, Libraries & Publishers: Advocacy & Trends
Learn about this year’s eBook advocacy activities, including the latest from the CULC task force, and hear an overview of publishing trends and perceptions that affect eBook availability in libraries. The Canadian Urban Libraries Council eBook task force has continued work with eBound and publishers towards a Canadian eBook lending solution, IFLA convened an expert meeting in The Hague to discuss international eLending issues, and ReadersFirst has been advocating with library vendors to improve access for patrons. Generously sponsored by Mango Languages.
Christina de Castell, Director, Resources & Technology, Vancouver Public Library: A member of the CULC eBook Task Force since its inception in 2010, the leadership group of ReadersFirst, and a regular speaker on eBook and technology topics, Christina is responsible for oversight of service and strategy for technology, collection development, digital services and technical services at Vancouver Public Library.
CUFTS User Group Meeting
This session will provide a brief introduction and overview of the open source knowledgebase, link resolver and electronic resource management system, developed at Simon Fraser University Library known as CUFTS, part of the integrated reSearcher suite of software for managing access to electronic journals and databases for conference attendees interested in learning more about CUFTS. http://researcher.sfu.ca/cufts Following the overview will be an open discussion amongst current CUFTS users to share best practices and examples of local customizations from CUFTS client sites. CUFTS clients will be invited to present 5 minute demonstrations with screenshots of their local customizations to share with the audience.
Topics for discussion may include: customizing your CJDB (A-Z journal listing) and CRDB (A-Z database listing) displays; customizing GODOT for link resolving and Inter Library Loan requesting; using CUFTS Electronic Resources Management (ERM) for communicating license information to end users under new Copyright legislation; synchronizing CJDB and CRDB data with your Integrated Library System; using the CUFTS SUSHI Client to automatically retrieve COUNTER usage data. Generously sponsored by Springer.
Todd Holbrook, Systems Consultant, Simon Fraser University: Todd is the main programmer for CUFTS.
Sandra Wong, Electronic Resources Librarian, Simon Fraser University: Sandra has been at SFU for over 10 years and has been the Electronic Resources Librarian since November 2009.
Legal Research in a Nutshell
This will be a process driven session on how to handle reference requests for legal information for library staff who are not full time specialists in law. Understanding the process for finding answers in the legal literature can help library staff navigate these difficult research problems with patrons and increase their confidence that they are giving good advice on how to find answers to these high stakes questions. The speakers will cover the process for finding legal information, starting with more approachable secondary sources and leading to keyword searching of primary law as a last step.
Sarah Sutherland, McMillan LLP: Sarah Sutherland is the manager of library services at McMillan LLP in Vancouver. She has also worked for the Government of Saskatchewan, the National Research Council, and the Law Society of Saskatchewan Libraries.
Carolyn Petrie, Bull, Housser & Tupper: Carolyn Petrie is the manager of library services at Bull, Housser & Tupper in Vancouver. She has also worked for Vancouver Public Library, Langara College, and the BC Securities Commission library.
And Saturday:
Slow Education for Quick Learners: A Study in Diversity
William Gibson asserted: “The future is here. It’s just not widely distributed yet.” And despite IFLA’s 2008 adoption of the Multicultural Library Manifesto, research in library and information studies clearly shows that North American MLIS graduates are NOT completing their degrees with a solid foundation in the core library value of diversity. In response, the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alberta recently approved a new course in the University Calendar. Titled LIS Services in Culturally Diverse Society, the course examines the central concepts of diversity and inclusion and a range of related issues and contributions with respect to specific populations and traditionally underrepresented groups, and their support systems, in library and information settings. On behalf of the Public Librarians Interest Group, this session provides an opportunity to share and sample the topics tackled, including recruitment into library schools; diversity in the hiring process; gender, information and documentation; Métis Byte back; digital library labour, digital citizenship, and group information rights; race and civil rights; globalization and global migration; traditional cultural expression; and universal access to information for people with disabilities. These topics demand our acknowledgement of how acceptance of differences can place individual and collective values in conflict, including in our library school classrooms and public library staff meetings. Please join Toni in a conversation about related implications for the public library workforce in Canada today.
Toni Samek, University of Alberta: Toni Samek is a professor at the School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta. She authored the 2001 book Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility in American Librarianship, 1967-1974 and the 2007 book Librarianship and Human Rights: A twenty-first century guide. Toni received the debut Library Journal Teaching Award in 2007. In 2009, she was honored with a Faculty of Education (University of Alberta) Graduate Teaching Award. In February 2012, Toni received a 3M National Teaching Fellowship (Canada’s most prestigious higher education teaching award.) Toni is the first library and information studies educator to win the award.
Lose money, win friends: a review of fines & loans at the VIU Library
For decades, staff at the Vancouver Island University Library accepted the relationship between punitive fine policies and the timely return of physical items. But last year we asked ourselves “why do we continue to have overdue fines at our library?” Circulation and fine revenues were declining steadily. Our fine policies and collection practices did not ensure the prompt return of overdue items. And too often, we found ourselves fighting with our users over fines rather than helping them access the information they need. Could we reduce barriers to accessing our physical collections, and redefine our relationship with our users? We embarked on a review of systems and procedures related to loans and overdue policies that ultimately led us to abolish both past and future fines and significantly loosen borrowing restrictions. At the same time, we maintained non-financial incentives to ensure the timely return of library materials. This review liberated our users – and us – from traditional policies that had outlived their usefulness. We lost money…but we won friends! Generously sponsored by Gibson Library Connections.
Jean Blackburn, Vancouver Island University Library: Jean Blackburn is the Collections librarian and User experience coordinator at VIU library.
Dan Sifton, Vancouver Island University Library: Dan Sifton is the Coordinator of library automation and technical services at VIU library
Points of Convergence: OpenMedia, BCLA, and the Future of Library Advocacy
As librarians, we like to think of ourselves as major proponents of democracy and equal access to information for all people. But as we move into an uncertain future, are we taking action on the issues that really matter to our users and our society? How much are we doing to support our ideals in the emerging digital battlegrounds, especially around copyright, where users’ rights and freedoms hang in the balance?
This session will feature Steve Anderson, executive director and founder of OpenMedia.ca – an organization committed to doing exactly that. OpenMedia is Canada’s most active grassroots organization in the realm of digital information policy, and has taken the lead nationally on many internet freedom and intellectual property issues. Steve will give a brief overview of the organization’s goals and values before giving a breakdown of what OpenMedia sees as the most important emerging issues – and lobbying opportunities – for safeguarding citizens’ rights and freedoms in the digital age. If we wish to remain effective as advocates for our professional values, it is essential that we educate ourselves about what implications these policy debates have at a practical level. And that we find allied groups that can help us keep on top of the issues, and work with us to strengthen the public interest in any policy discussions. Following Steve’s presentation, two librarians with strong interest and expertise on information policy issues will “connect the dots” between these broad national and international policy issues and the work of everyday librarians – and users. A question period will follow. Generously sponsored by iSchool at UBC.
Steve Anderson, OpenMedia: Steve Anderson is the founder and Executive Director of OpenMedia.ca. Steve is an open Internet advocate, writer, and social media consultant. His writing has appeared in numerous local and national print and online publications such as The Tyee, the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, Epoch Times, Common Ground, and other print and online publications. Steve is a contributing author of CPPA book “The Internet Tree”. He also writes a monthly syndicated column called “Media Links”. You can find Steve’s blog at http://openmedia.ca/SteveAnderson
Myron Groover, Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre: Myron Groover is an archivist at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and the Chair of BCLA’s Information Policy Committee. He is a commentator and consultant on heritage and information policy issues across the spectrum. He is particularly interested in issues relating to the construction and legitimization of historical and political narratives. He holds an MA (Hons) in History from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and both a Master of Archival Studies and Master of Library and Information Studies from UBC.
Barbara Jo May, Okanagan Regional Library: Barbara Jo May is Adult Collections Librarian for Okanagan Regional Library. She has worked in public libraries for close to 30 years in diverse communities – ranging from Toronto to Tuktoyaktuk. She is a long-standing member and past Chair of the Information Policy and Intellectual Freedom committees of BCLA, and is interested in issues around publishing, media reform, trade treaties and equitable access to information.