|
|
|
|
|
SLAte
The Newsletter of the Saskatchewan Library Association
August 2014
In This Issue:
- A Letter From the SLA President
- News from the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan Libraries
- For Your Information
- Program News
- Contact Us
|
|
Message from the SLA President
Hello SLA Members,
I work with older people at the public library. A few weeks ago, a woman came to see me. She had used our Home Reader delivery service for most of the winter, because she was recovering from knee surgery and has some chronic respiratory issues. Now that her knee is better, she can come to the library again on occasion. She came in especially to say how important the library was to her during those dark months.
Libraries change lives. On the front lines, we see that happen every day. If you do not work on the front lines, though, let me remind you that the policies that you create, the collections you build, the staff training strategies that you employ, the research that you do, the funding that you strive for, the vision that you take forward, and the anything-is-possible-if-we-work-together Saskatchewan mindset - all these result in quality of life and dynamic learning experiences for people of all ages every day.
Keep doing what you are doing.
At the SLA Board level, life is busy and exciting. As I write this, we are in the middle of running our first e-voting for elections, to fill the vacant Member at Large position. We have made some position statements nationally on issues important to libraries and library folks, and the new SLA Advocacy Committee is finding its feet going forward. Our call for committee volunteers for this year is going great guns! Your interest and enthusiasm charge me right up - it is going to be tremendous to work with you all.
In the SLA Office, Anne and Judy are getting us more and more organized every day, and building connections with community partners and sponsors. New and exciting plans are in place for Saskatchewan Library Week, and we are about to do our first SLA Culture Days events this month. We gratefully receive significant funding from SaskCulture each year, and this year SLA has also been chosen to participate in a diversity pilot project that will help us ensure that we are set up to serve and encourage programming for diverse populations going forward. The Conference Committee has been struck, has met, and is gearing up to bring us a suite of excellent and thought-provoking speakers at next year's Conference.
The Executive committees of the Board have spent the summer working on strengthening basic functions: the Personnel Committee has revised the Personnel Handbook, has drafted a harassment policy, and has developed a new process for employee performance evaluation. At our September Board meeting, we will make a staffing plan going forward that will ensure stability and dynamism. The Finance Committee is working on a long-term financial plan, so that we maximize our usage of the funds that we raise ourselves and the funds that we receive from SaskCulture.
In late August, I travelled with Judy Nicholson to Toronto, to represent SLA and its members at a meeting of The Partnership. You will be familiar with The Partnership, because they run the national job board and they organize those great Education Institute webinars that we can take advantage of. I always think of The Partnership as 'them', but in fact The Partnership is 'us'. The Partnership is a cooperative of provincial and territorial library associations coast to coast who get together, identify common needs, and build great things that we can all use as association members. SLA was at that table, working to identify issues and to look for ways to address them.
At this recent meeting of The Partnership, it was clear that not all of our members know about the great opportunities that they can take advantage of. Did you know that if you are an SLA member (or any member of The Partnership), you can get 10% off of a Delta hotel stay or a National car rental any time you want them, holiday or business? We are going to spend some energy in the next while making sure that our members know about what library association membership can offer them.
I also resolved at that meeting to get schooled. I heard of The Partnership's new Continuing Education Certificate (CEC) last year, but never actually signed up for it. For about $40.00, I can register to use a Canadian-based standardized tool to track my professional development. If I don't track my lifelong learning, who else is going to? This weekend I am signing up! Think about joining me. Check it out at www.cec.laa.ca. We could kick back together and compare notes on our new learning, at the Conference in Regina next spring.
Respectfully submitted,
Gwen Schmidt, SLA President
New Member at Large
Congratulations to Anthony (Tony) Murphy who has been selected in the recent by-election to be the new Member-at-Large for the SLA Board of Directors. Tony is the Assistant Regional Director of Wapati Regional Library. Welcome, Tony.
Please note the following dates for upcoming Board meetings:
2014-2015 Board of Directors
Meeting Dates and Locations
- September 15 , 2014 - Regina - University of Regina, Dr. John Archer Library
- November 16 & 17, 2014 - Watrous - Retreat and Business meeting
- January 19, 2015 - Saskatoon - TBA
- March 2, 2015 - Regina - TBA
- April 13 , 2015 - Regina - Doubletree Inn
- May 7-9, 2015 - Regina - Doubletree Inn - Saskatchewan Libraries Conference AGM May 8, 2015
If you wish to attend any SLA Board meetings, please contact the SLA office
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
News from the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan Libraries
News from the University of Regina:
COHERE 8th annual FALL CONFERENCE 2014 - University of Regina
- The University of Regina Library and Centre for Teaching and Learning will be co-hosting the 2014 COHERE (Collaboration for Online Higher Education and Research) Conference October 27-28, 2014. The theme "Access and Diversity in Blended and Online Higher Education: Pedagogies and Policies" will be explored through panel discussions and presentations. Keynote speakers are Dr. Alex Couros, University of Regina and Dr. Valerie Irvine, University of Victoria. Further details can be found at www.cohere.ca
One-Stop Help at the University of Regina Library
- After almost a year of planning and preparation, the University of Regina is excited to announce the opening of its new integrated services desk - the Library Help Desk. Reference, borrowing and reserve services are now all provided from the new desk. This provides a more seamless and
 consistent level of service for Library users, and extends full service hours. Library User Services staff have relocated to the Main Floor, making them more accessible to Library users during peak service periods. We are excited to be implementing this new service model, which is all about efficiency and organization of staff and services for student benefit. If there are any questions regarding this project, please contact the Archer Library Administrative Office at 306-585-4295 or archer.admin@uregina.ca
Reciprocal Borrowing Program - University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, and Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST)
- On February 13, 2014, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Regina, and SIAST entered into an agreement which allows current faculty, staff, and students to borrow up to 25 items from any participating library.
- They may also return borrowed items to any participating library. The University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina have enjoyed inter-institutional borrowing privileges as part of the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries reciprocal borrowing agreement for many years. This new program brings SIAST into the mix. Faculty, staff, and students must be in good standing at their home institution with no outstanding charges, no overdue items, and have a valid library card from their home institution. All they have to do is present their current library card from their home institution at the library where they would like to borrow materials. Library staff will confirm their eligibility and issue them a public access card. For more information, please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding Reciprocal Borrowing Program.
Collaboration with the Legislative Library and Regina Public Library
- The University of Regina Library has been fortunate to participate in tours and conversations with some of our colleagues at other Regina libraries this summer. Leslie Polsom at the Legislative Library led the U of R Library's User Services staff on a tour of her library in July, and provided much useful information about Legislative Library resources and services of potential interest to U of R students, faculty, and staff. The University of Regina Library staff look forward to reciprocating this hospitality by hosting the Legislative Library staff later this fall. The University of Regina was also pleased to welcome reference staff from Regina Public Library's Central Branch for a tour and discussion in August. It quickly became clear that the two libraries share many overlapping areas of interest and concern, and that increased communication and collaboration would benefit both U of R students and Regina Public Library patrons. We at the University of Regina look forward to continuing these conversations with our colleagues at other Regina-area libraries and beyond!
News from the University of Saskatchewan
- the creation of a new blog. Brain-Work, the C-EBLIP blog, broadly covers topics related to research, evidence based library and information practice, and librarianship. The intent of this blog is to be an in-between, or liminal, space for thoughts and ideas that run beyond or prior to the traditional journal article or conference presentation. This blog is written by and for C-EBLIP members - librarians from the University Library, U of S - and will also be contributed to by guests from other areas and other institutions contact Virginia Wilson at virginia.wilson@usask.ca Read more
- Dean's Research Lecture, September 16, 2014, 2:30pm, Location: Convocation Hall, Peter MacKinnon Building, University of Saskatchewan:Understanding the Value Proposition of the Academic Library Read more
- The C-EBLIP Fall Symposium: Librarians as Researchers, October 15, 2014 - University Library, University of Saskatchewan Read more
|
|
- Halifax Central Library reflects community needs Read more
- Congratulations Stephanie Sanger and Caitlin Carter. Read more
- Marion E. Sherman Bursary invites applications Read more
- Summer learning activities at Maskwacis Read More
- More diversity needed in children's books Read more
- The new Saskatchewan Genealogical Society Bulletin is here Read more
- Libraries@the Center Read more
|
Saskatchewan Library Week, October 19-25 2014
Libraries Inspire!
Plans are well underway for Saskatchewan Library Week Celebrations. Special project grants were awarded to the following libraries:
Assininboia PL, Avonlea PL, Big River PL, Estevan PL, Hudson Bay PL
JM Cuelaere PL, Meadow Lake PL, Maryfield PL, Melfort PL, Mossbank PL
N Battleford PL, Nipawin PL, Ogema PL, Prince Albert Parkland Health Region,
Pilger PL,Reid Thompson PL, Regina PL, Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region,
Saskatoon Health Region, Saskatoon PL, Swift Current PL, Tisdale PL and
Weyburn PL
The Contest Thanks to the generous sponsorship of SaskEnergy, who will be the  exclusive sponsor of the Book Spine Poetry Contest, SLA will have a dedicated web page for the contest which will run from September 21 to November 1, 2014. After September 21st, you can visit the website at bookspinepoetrycontest.ca. Patrons and the public will be able to enter the contest either online or by mail. The contest will also be promoted in our bus ads and a series of Media Releases through the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association. For anyone unfamiliar with Book Spine Poetry, see examples In all four grand prizes of $100 each will be awarded. More information will be coming soon. Posters and bookmarks will be shipped within a couple of weeks and web banners, email tags and miscellaneous graphics. will also be posted on the SLA website. Culture Days 2014  SLA is partnering with the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild and Regina Public Library to host Cultural Grooves: Celebrating Diversity in Stories and Dance
Sunday, September 28, 2:00-4:00 pm, at the RPL Theatre,
2311-12th Avenue, 306.777.6120
This event is for all ages Regina Public Library, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Library Association and the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild celebrates Culture Days with an afternoon of readings, belly dancing and food. MC Gail Bowen will introduce authors Marion Mutala, Vijay Kachru, Dave Margoshes and Larry Warwaruk who will read from their works between performances of Tribal Style Belly Dancing (by Belly Dance with Linda). Traditional dress welcome. Refreshments will be served. For more information please contact Anne Pennylegion by email at slaprograms@sasktel.net or by phone at (306) 780-9409 |
Saskatchewan Library Association
15-2010 7th Ave.
Regina, SK S4R 1C2
Phone: 306-780-9413 or 306-780-9409
Fax: 306-780-9447
Email: slaexdir@sasktel.net or slaprograms@sasktel.net
Web: www.saskla.ca
SLA reserves the right to change or edit any submission or to refuse publication in its' entirety.
The deadline for receipt of submissions for SLAte is 25th of each month
|
|
|
 The Saskatchewan Library Association gratefully acknowledges the support of our funding agencies
|
|
|
1234 Main Street, Awesomeville, MA · 555.555.5555
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
