Greetings from a frosty, frigid Saskatoon. It is definitely time for this deep freeze to be over and luckily, SLA activities are generally held indoors.

 

We are gearing up for our conference on May 2nd and 3rd at the Hilton Garden Inn in Saskatoon. The pre-conference session will be held on May 1st. Registration is now open and the pre-conference and program schedules have been posted. Check it out and register! Be sure to catch the early bird rate. The Conference Program Committee has worked incredibly hard to arrange speakers, plan the schedule, and get the details set. The slate of keynote and featured speakers is fantastic and I anticipate an excellent conference this year.

 

As I write this, the One Book One Province Program Launch at Government House in Regina has yet to occur on February 28th. If the weather cooperates, I will be in attendance and will report on the event in the next issue of SLAte. It is sure to be a special evening hosted in partnership with the Honourable W. Thomas Malloy, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan.

 

	Photo Credit: Anita Retzlaff

The SLA Winter Socials occurred in Saskatoon and Regina on February 20th. The Saskatoon event was a lot of fun! It was great to meet some new people and have someone attend for the first time. The SLA Happy Hour and the Winter Social provide great opportunities to get to know fellow SLA members in a more intimate environment. Consider attending these events in the future and get to know someone in the library community who you might not otherwise meet. It is also a great opportunity to spend time with people you may know but with whom you rarely get a chance to sit down and talk.

Executive Director's Report

Closing Date for Board Nominations

Reminder that March 4 is the closing date for nominations for Board of Director positions. If you are interested in contributing through board work please review the description of roles below.

 

Partnership Winter Retreat

SLA is fortunate to be a member of the  national network of provincial and territorial library associations. The Partnership meets twice a year for a retreat to work together to develop services and programs, share information, support and resources. In January the Partnership members meet for a day preceding the Ontario Library Association  (OLA) conference. OLA provides complementary conference registration to those attending the partnership retreat. The meeting had a full and varied agenda with a few highlights noted below.  

Read more.

 

Volunteers Wanted for Conference 2019

The Saskatchewan Library Association is requesting volunteers to assist at the annual Saskatchewan Libraries Conference, Libraries Transform! The conference is at the Hilton Garden Inn Saskatoon on May 2-3, 2019. There are a wide range of volunteer opportunities some of which are listed below:

• Registration Desk: alongside other volunteers and/or staff. These shifts are generally 2 hours. The registration desk will be open the evening of May 1 as well as May 2-3.
• Photographer: SLA needs good quality photos that can be reproduced in the newsletter, SLAte, and on the website.
• Session Recorders: This is a great opportunity for those already attending sessions. A session recorder takes notes and writes a summary about the session after the conference.
• Session Conveners: introduce the speaker(s) at individual sessions, expresses thanks at the end, and handles any needs that come up. May also act as recorder.
• Technical Support volunteers: set up laptops and projectors for presenters. They are generally "on call" to troubleshoot.

Please consider volunteering at this year's SLA conference. Your help would be appreciated.

 

Please contact: [email protected]

 

Please indicate if you have a preference for a particular task, date or time of day.

 

For further information about the conference, please visit: https://saskla.ca/programs/2019-conference 

  

 

SLA Board Nominations for 2019-20

A great opportunity to contribute to your profession!

 

As a board member you have an opportunity to lead and influence the direction of the Association. You will become familiar with issues affecting libraries of all types. As an organization we work collectively to improve and support libraries through advocacy, communication, stakeholder engagement, professional development and networking. You will gain experience that contributes to your professional portfolio and at a personal level, you get to make new friends and contacts.

There is a time commitment; SLA typically holds 6 - 7 meetings a year (June Board changeover, August retreat, October, November, January, March, April/May) some of which are teleconference. Board members chair and/or participate on the Association's committees including: Continuing Education, Advocacy and Development, Membership, Publications, Program. The work accomplished by these committees benefits the Saskatchewan library community. This year, there are six positions available:

• President (1 year term)
• Vice President of Advocacy and Development (2 year term)
• Treasurer (2 year term)
• 2 Members at Large (2 year terms)
• 1 member at large (1 year term)

Read more

     

  

 

 

The TD Summer Reading Club staff site is now live. 

 

Visit the site for images, colouring pages and more! 

 

They have just announced the top 10 English Reads for 2019.  

 

  

Pat Roth, a Regina entertainer, is interested in performing as part of the summer tours. Please contact Pat at  [email protected] or  306 550-4333.

March 1 begins One Book, One Province Month in Saskatchewan!

In  seven libraries throughout Saskatchewan, Lisa Bird-Wilson will be reading, fiddlers will be fiddling and bannock and tea will be served! Please join us for one or more events. More information is available from the SLA website.

Culture Days is 10 Years Old!

Mark Your Calendar for September 27, 28 and 29, 2019.

The Culture Days Newsletter is here.