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SLAte: The Saskatchewan Library Association Newsletter

ISSN 2369-4939 | Volume 9 Issue 2 | February 1, 2023

Conference Registration is Open!

Registration opens today for the 2023 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference!


The conference will be three days packed with engaging, informative, and thought-provoking sessions. It will take place at the Saskatoon Inn from May 3-5, 2023.


Here is everything you need to know:


Member Rates and Early Bird Deadline


If you are an SLA individual member or if your employer is an institutional member, you qualify for our member rates! Make sure to register before March 1 - the early bird deadline - for the best possible price.


Click here to register for the conference!


Preconference Sessions


SLA is offering two pre-conference workshops on May 3:

  • Mental Health 101 presented by Oaks Mental Health (10am - 12pm)
  • Governance Basics for a Non-Profit Organization presented by Dawn Martin of Daybreak Consulting (1:30pm - 3:30pm)


These pre-conference workshops are not included in the regular conference registration fee. Each workshop is an additional $75. You do not need to register for the whole conference to attend a pre-conference workshop.


Click here to register for pre-conference workshops! (Please use the full conference registration link if you would like to attend both the conference and a pre-conference workshop.)


Attendance Grants


Are you planning to attend the Saskatchewan Libraries Conference for the first time? Apply for our Category 3 Continuing Education grant, and you could receive up to $750 to cover the costs of your attendance, including your registration and hotel fees.


If you've attended before, you can apply for our Category 1 Continuing Education grant to receive up to $500 to cover the costs of your attendance.


The application deadline for both grants is February 15, 2023. Learn more about these grants and how to apply here: saskla.ca/continuing-education/continuing-education-grants.


Event Schedule and Session Descriptions


Planning your learning at conference is easy! A schedule of our conference sessions and brief descriptions of each session are available on our website here: saskla.ca/programs/conference.

Volunteer Opportunity!


Are you planning to attend the Saskatchewan Libraries Conference, but want to be involved in a deeper way? We'd love to have you join our team of event volunteers! We are looking for people to help in a wide range of roles, including session conveners, on our set-up crew, and at our registration desk.


Interested? Email Lynn Penner at lpenner@saskla.ca to see where you can help.


Freedom to Read Week

This headshot shows Richard Beaudry against a blue background. Richard has grey hair and moustache. He is wearing black-framed glasses and a red and  black plaid button-up shirt.

Free Online Presentation


Freedom to Read Week (FTRW) runs from February 19-25 this year. We are thrilled to announce that Richard Beaudry will be giving a free online presentation titled "Up for the Challenge on Censorship Issues" as part of our FTRW celebration!


This presentation is designed to familiarize librarians with contemporary challenges and censorship in school libraries and learning commons in Canada. Content concentrates on the four common types of challenges that can lead to censorship (content, curriculum, genre and book levelling), and strategies and related resources for dealing with challenges and combatting censorship. 


Richard Beaudry is an Information Specialist and Librarian, and the Coordinator for the Teacher Librarianship Diploma and Certificate Program at the University of British Columbia.


This free event is open to anyone and will be held via Zoom on Thursday, February 23 from 2-3pm.


Click here to learn more and to register for the event!

FTRW Posters & Graphics


SLA is once again making FTRW posters available to libraries across the province! This year we are making these posters available in a digital format instead of mailing out physical copies.


Anyone is welcome to share the digital poster on their website and social media, or print off as many copies as you need to hang up in your spaces.


FTRW social media graphics created by Freedom to Read Canada can be accessed through SLA's website. SLA will also be running its own social media campaign during FTRW, so if you are looking for more social media content for your library, feel free to share those posts as they come out throughout the week!


Click here to access the digital poster and social media graphics!

SLA Bursary Winners Announced


Congratulations to our two bursary winners: Mikaela Leblanc and Ruby Lindsay!

Mikaela Leblanc has long, curly brown hair that hangs down over her shoulders. She smiles at the camera. She is wearing a blue and white plaid top.

Mikaela Leblanc is the recipient of SLA's $5,000 Indigenous Education MLIS Student Bursary.


Mikaela is in her first year of the Master of Library and Information Studies program at the

University of Alberta. She is currently one of the Indigenous interns with the University of Alberta libraries, gaining experience in public service and project work. Originally from Prince Albert, SK Mikaela first moved to Edmonton for her undergrad degree, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History in 2022. In the summer, she works for the Prince Albert Historical Society, giving tours of the museum and working in the archive. She is excited to be working in the areas of her interest; information and history, and she looks forward to building her career. Mikaela is both grateful and honoured to be selected for the Indigenous

student MLIS bursary, as it will aid in her pursuit in continuing working and learning on the prairies.

Ruby Lindsay has her blonde hair pulled back with a few strands hanging loose in the front. She is smiling at the camera and wears a black, scoop-necked top.

Ruby Lindsay is the recipient of SLA's $5,000 Maureen Woods Education Bursary.


Ruby is currently working on her MLIS at the University of British Columbia. Her rich variety of education and work experience with a focus on experiential and hands-on learning have fostered a constant curiosity within her that is repeatedly humbled by and craves new learning experiences. Through the avenues of scholarly communication, institutional repositories, open access, and research data management, Ruby loves working toward and learning about how the organization and accessibility of information has the capacity to bring communities together. These areas excite her because the evolution and growing importance of accessible research fits well with her adaptable skill set and passion for lifelong learning. She is inspired and excited to apply the knowledge and skills she has acquired in these areas to a career in academic librarianship in her home province of Saskatchewan. 

  • Feb. 15 - Application deadline for SLA continuing education grants
  • Feb. 19-25 - Freedom to Read Week
  • Feb. 23 - "Up for the Challenge on Censorship Issues" online presentation by Richard Beaudry
  • Mar. 1 - Sask. Libraries Conference early bird registration ends
  • Mar. 1 - One Book One Province month begins!
SLA President Amy Rankin is shown in this head and shoulders photo against a white backdrop. She has short dark brown hair and is wearing a leopard print shirt.

Greetings! 


I can’t believe it is already February. We are definitely in the busy season for SLA. We had a Board meeting in late January and I am just so impressed with the caliber of folks we have around the table. It is truly a pleasure to work with my colleagues on SLA business. The Board is working on a final draft of the next strategic plan as our current one will be done this year. Please look for messages seeking feedback, as this is your plan too!


Freedom to Read week is coming up and we are excited to have a webinar with Richard Beaudry on February 23 to mark the week. SLA’s Advocacy & Development committee has been working hard to bring this to fruition.


I am also looking forward to the OBOP launch to be held at Government House later this month. It is sure to be an exciting launch for what promises to be an exceptional and engaging One Book One Province month in March!


Finally, work on the 2023 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference is well underway. We are also excited to host the 30th Saskatchewan Book Awards Gala in conjunction with the conference. Make sure to check our website to see the conference schedule, find information on registration, and buy your gala ticket.


Have a great month!


Amy Rankin

SLA President

An illustration shows a dollar sign with circles branching off it.

Digital Resource Opens Doors to Funding Opportunities


Did you know that nonprofits account for 10% of Canada’s GDP? Grant Connect is a digital resource that provides nonprofits access to thousands of funding opportunities from foundations, corporations, and government ministries!


Grant Connect's Community Edition allows public libraries, resource centres, and post-secondary institutions across Canada to provide Grant Connect access to their members. Give your community organizations a strong start to their fundraising journeys.


This resource is run by Imagine Canada. Visit imaginecanada.ca/communitygc for more information!

A CO2 monitor.

CO2 Monitor Lending Program Supports


Community Access to Ventilation Information (CAVI) has received funding to support an expansion of the CO2 monitor lending program across Canada.


Community Access to Ventilation Information (CAVI) is a registered not-for-profit organization in Canada that supports the implementation of carbon dioxide (CO2) monitor loaning programs in public libraries and community hubs.


CAVI has received funding to support an expansion of the CO2 monitor lending program across Canada. The organization is accepting applications from public libraries across Canada interested in receiving CO2 monitors, and the CAVI board will consider all applications on a regular basis until the program runs to completion.


Click here for more information! If you have questions, please contact Danielle Cane, Managing Director and Co-Founder of CAVI, by emailing co2.cavi@gmail.com.

CFLA Copyright Committee Update


Position Statement on Controlled Digital Lending


The CFLA Copyright Committee is pleased to announce the publication of a CFLA position statement on Controlled Digital Lending, now available on the CFLA website at http://cfla-fcab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CFLA-CDL-Position-Statement-2022-10-22.docx-2.pdf


In addition, a background paper is available to support libraries and their legal counsel, “Controlled Digital Lending of Library Books in Canada” in the journal Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library Practice and Research, Vol. 17 No. 2 (2022): https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/7100. This paper provides a high level overview of the legal and policy rationales for the process of controlled digital lending in Canada, as well as a variety of risk factors and practical considerations that can guide libraries seeking to implement such lending, with the intention of supporting informed choices about controlled digital lending at Canadian libraries.


The paper was published in draft on SSRN for feedback in February 2022, and the authors thank the many organizations and individuals that provided comments on the draft.


French versions of the position statement and paper are forthcoming.


January Meeting Update


At the January 2023 meeting, the CFLA Copyright Committee discussed the following:

 

  1. Two members of AI Working Group (Joshua Dickison and Alexandra Kohn) appeared before the Commons Committee (INDU) hearing on Bill C-244, An Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair) to present the viewpoint of libraries regarding the right to repair devices where such an ability is hampered by technological protection measures (TPM).
  2. Data Analysis Working Group is preparing a data and story based output to illustrate the importance of fair dealing.
  3. Accessibility Working Group is continuing their work creating a "Making Content Accessible" guide to assist libraries with implementing the provisions of the Marrakesh Treaty.
  4. Joint Taskforce on eBook Availability (which includes CFLA participation) is looking at provincial consumer protection legislation as a pathway for reforms to ebook availability and licensing policies.5) A draft document on secondary publishing rights is currently under review.

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Saskatchewan Library Association

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Regina, SK  S4R 1C2

Phone: 306-780-3633

Email: info@saskla.ca

Web: saskla.ca 

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Have something you want to see in SLAte? Send us a submission! The deadline for SLAte submissions is the 25th of each month, and submissions must be emailed to lpenner@saskla.ca. SLA reserves the right to change or edit any submission, or to refuse publication in its entirety.


SLAte is an open-access publication under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY-NC-ND copyright license, excluding all logos and other material where indicated. 

Everyone, Including Culture, Wins When You Buy Lottery Tickets


 The core funding that SLA receives through SaskCulture is part of the Lottery Trust where a percentage of every lottery ticket sold goes to support sport, culture and recreation groups within Saskatchewan. It appears that recent lottery sales are not meeting expectations, which will not have an immediate effect on SLA. However we encourage you to remind audiences and arts council members that buying lottery tickets benefits the entire community. Saskatchewan Lotteries has also launched an app that you can download in the App Store or Google Play. More information is available on the Saskatchewan Lotteries website.

The Saskatchewan Library Association gratefully acknowledges the support

of our funding agencies.