Category: Continuing education

Dates: Thursday, November 19 and Thursday November 26, 2026

Times: 11:00am – 12:30pm ET each day.

• Session 1 – Opening the Door: Inclusive Job Design, Recruitment, and Selection
• Session 2 – From Candidate to Colleague: Inclusive Onboarding and Belonging

Location: Online

A two-part virtual workshop series that combines concise framing, reflection, realistic scenarios, and opportunities for participants to apply the tools to their own organizational practices.

Have you ever wondered if the interview process could be a kinder, more accessible experience anchored in equity that is ultimately meant to develop connections? Would you like to critically examine practices in the hiring and onboarding periods to ensure empathy for applicants going through the process? Explore leading hiring practices, the differences and benefits as compared to more traditional approaches to hiring, and the impact of these practices. Discover the support contents of a professional resource (the Building Inclusive Libraries Toolkit), developed by a collection of administrators as well as someone who went through the reimagined process as a successful candidate, all from a range of institutions, differing vantage points within the organizations in terms of hiring authority, and holding a variety of identities. Plus, learn how to use or adapt the insights in your context in order to support both the critical examination, such as equity lenses, and practical resources to develop more inclusive approaches from the job posting to making an offer, and beyond.

Speaker:

Annie Bélanger (she/her) is founder and coach from Kind Shift Coaching, as well as a senior presidential fellow, fellowship program coordinator, and senior librarian at Grand Valley State University. Previously, she was the dean of University Libraries at Grand Valley State University for eight years and the associate university librarian, Information Resources & Academic Excellence at the University of Waterloo, for 5 years. Being an accessibility and inclusion advocate as well as her experiences in academic, corporate, public libraries, and government settings define her career. Her research now focuses on leadership and skills development. Annie is Québéçoise and disabled. She received an MLIS from Western University, Canada. She is an ARL Leadership Fellow alum.

Registration (per person, excl. tx):

• Member: $110
• Provincial Affiliate: $110
• Non-Member: $190
• Member Equity Seats* (x3): $0
• Student/Underemployed Members: $50
• Staff at Public Libraries Serving Under 20,000: $50
• First Nations Public Library Staff: $0
• Groups of 5+ from the same organization – eligible for reduced rate, contact us

Registration information can be found here.

Connection Instructions:

An email with connection instructions will be sent out 1-2 business days prior to the event date. Please ensure you are subscribed to event emails from education@accessola.com to receive this and other important updates relating to the series.

 

Date: November 19, 2026
Time: 12:00-1:00pm EST

Advancing Shared Print in Canada: Leveraging Collaboration, Technology, and Metadata for a Sustainable Future
Jennifer Browning, North/Nord Researcher-in-Residence 2025-2026, will share key findings and insights from her research project, Advancing Shared Print in Canada: Leveraging Collaboration, Technology, and Metadata for a Sustainable Future. Framing print stewardship as a shared responsibility, Jennifer will explore how a shift in the way we think about and manage print collections can strengthen collaborative efforts across institutions. She will discuss practical recommendations for leveraging technology and metadata to support collective collection management and foster the long-term sustainability of shared print programs.

Registration form

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Date: 19 novembre 2026
Temps: de 12 h à 13 h (heure normale de l’Est).

Jennifer Browning, chercheuse en résidence à North/Nord en 2025-2026, présentera les principales conclusions et réflexions issues de son projet de recherche. En considérant la conservation partagée comme une responsabilité partagée, Jennifer explorera comment un changement dans notre façon de concevoir et de gérer les collections imprimées peut renforcer les efforts de collaboration entre les établissements. Elle présentera des recommandations pratiques visant à tirer parti de la technologie et des métadonnées pour soutenir la gestion collective des collections et favoriser la viabilité à long terme des programmes de conservation partagée.

Inscription au webinaire

Date: Tuesday, November 10

Location: Zoom

What does it mean to take gossip seriously as an information practice in archival work? Often maligned as untrustworthy, gossip’s focus on relationships and feelings can help open up alternative paths through institutional records. In this talk, I’ll be using the archives of artist-run centres as a case study, considering them as a site that is in-between an institutional and community archive. How might this mutability create openings for thinking about how we can work in (and across) different archival spaces as information labourers and researchers? A good gossip session usually happens on the apartment stoop or in the bar, but gossiping in the archive can similarly help us get under and through the “official” record, when too often the record means gaps, silences, and erasures

RSVP here: https://carleton.ca/history/event/gossip-practice-in-the-archives/

Presenter:

Emily Guerrero is an information worker, writer and parent living in Vancouver, on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. They hold an MLIS from the University of British Columbia, and have worked in archives and both public and academic libraries for over a decade. They currently work as a Community Librarian with a focus on providing library services to patrons who are historically underserved and systematically marginalized. Their work on gossip, arts archives, community work, and abolitionist librarianship have been published in Archivaria, C Magazine, and forthcoming in In The Library With a Lead Pipe.

 

Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET
Location: Online via Zoom

As librarians approach the later stages of their careers, they bring with them a wealth of knowledge, experience, and hard-earned wisdom. This virtual panel shares the opportunities and challenges that often accompany late-career librarianship, with strategies for navigating this career phase with intention and confidence.

Seasoned and retired library professionals review insights on mentoring the next generation, transferring institutional knowledge, remaining engaged in advocacy efforts, and finding meaningful ways to stay connected to the library community after retirement.

Whether you’re actively planning your next chapter or simply beginning to think about what comes next, this conversation will offer practical advice and inspiration for building a lasting legacy while embracing new possibilities.

Register here

 

Date: Thursday, November 5th, 2026
Time: 4:00–5:00 p.m. Atlantic
Location: Nicholson 821 Boardroom or join via MSTeams
Event URL: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2278150291665273?p=5b3MlcyfDXmd7dDeeM

The work of subject metadata—assigning topic headings, adding tags—falls into the invisible background of resource discovery systems. In this talk, Dr. Julia Bullard will argue that assigning topic headings is and should be creative and ethical work, worthy of close readings and critical interventions. They will provide exemplars of such methodological windows that we can use in our everyday use of systems as well as initiate radical departures from typical practice.

This hybrid talk is offered by the Angus L. Macdonald Library at St. Francis Xavier University, in collaboration with the StFX Digital Humanities Centre, featuring Dr. Bullard’s critical perspective on the often-overlooked work of subject metadata and its role in shaping how information is organized, represented, and discovered.

 

Date: Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026
Time: 1:00PM – 2:30PM EST
Location: Zoom (link will be sent upon registration)

Professional Development Pathways:

Leadership, Management and Professionalism

• Management
  • Human Resource Management

• Professionalism
  • Career Planning

About the Session:

Effective career management benefits both employees and employers. For individuals, actively managing one’s career can lead to a more purposeful, meaningful, and satisfying professional life. For organizations, managers who support career development within their teams often see increased engagement, stronger performance, and improved staff retention.

This session will explore the importance of career management across the professional lifecycle—from early to mid to late career. The presenter will introduce the career management process and demonstrate how tools such as a personal SWOT analysis can help individuals identify their strengths, opportunities, and areas for growth. Participants will gain practical insights into how career management techniques can support both personal development and organizational success.

Note: This session was originally presented at the 2023 CALL/ACBD Conference in Hamilton.

Register here

Don’t Miss Out on Summer Learning…

…Treat yourself to a burst of inspiration!

This on-demand webinar series presented by the OLA brings together popular, timely topics designed to sharpen your skills, spark new ideas, and refresh your professional practice—without eating into your busy day. It’s an easy, energizing way to invest in your professional development goals, explore new knowledge areas, and reconnect with what excites you about library work. Register for one or more of these sessions and seize the opportunity to grow.

All sessions are available on-demand until August 31, 2026.

• Generative AI and Library Labour: Risks, Rights, and Resilient Futures – Register here
  with Stephen Spong, Western University
• Safe, Sound and Supported: Safety & Staff Well-Being in Small Libraries – Register here
  with Marjorie Poirier and Crystal Alcock, Kenora Public Library; and Rebecca Hunt, Temiskaming Shores Public Library
• More Than Sensory Storytime: Designing Library Services to Better Support Neurodivergent Children – Register here
  with Elaine Jones, Edmonton Public Library
• Crafting Stories, Building Skills: Creative Writing Programming for Adults in Public Libraries – Register here
  with Andrew Battershill, Vancouver Public Library
• Learn AI: Activating GenAI Tools and AI Literacy Programs at Toronto Public Library – Register here
  with Ab. Velasco, Yoojin Kwon, Fiona O’Connor, and Cathy Duong, Toronto Public Library

Questions?
Please contact education@accessola.com

 

Date: Tuesday, June 30th, 2026
Time: 2:00 pm ET
Cost: free

AI is everywhere, wanted or not. It’s a current reality that libraries need to address in policy. However, there are many questions to explore to be able to write a comprehensive policy that can stand up to rapidly changing technology. In this webinar, we’ll explore the past and present of AI from technological and social perspectives to provide a foundational understanding to allow libraries to establish a maintainable policy. We’ll discuss the things you need to decide within your library regarding the usage of AI, as well as both the risks and potential benefits for staff and patrons alike.

Register here

The Ex Libris Association Education Committee is proud to present:

Mis/Disinformation, its toxic impacts, and how we can all fight back
With former MP Peter Julian

Date: Wednesday, June 10
Time: 2:00 pm Atlantic/2:30 pm NL

A big fan of libraries and librarians, Peter will kick off this important discussion on mis/disinformation by detailing the sources and distribution of false information promoted through the web giants and social media platforms. He will flag the many documented harms that result. We’ll then open the floor for participants to give real life examples of how they have seen misinformation and disinformation arise in their communities and discuss successful strategies to combat it.

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Peter Julian was a Member of Parliament for the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2004 to 2025. He also served as the house leader for the NDP for much of his political career. The Georgia Straight newspaper has called Julian “one of the region’s hardest working politicians”. He remains very active in the Burnaby/New Westminster communities.

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Join instructions:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/82625840139/invitations?signature=aT-i3JBUoDpMkGKGl8mQW6tbCOGNm4LVsPiVrVO0KVw

 

Using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design to Create Safer, More Welcoming Library Spaces
A Library 2.0 Service, Safety, and Security Webinar with Dr. Steve Albrecht

Libraries are among the most open, accessible, and inclusive public spaces in any community. But those same qualities can also make them vulnerable to safety and security concerns. From poor sightlines and inadequate lighting to design choices that unintentionally create opportunities for disorder, many libraries face challenges that can be addressed not with more rules or restrictions, but with smarter design. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) offers a practical, evidence-based framework for making libraries safer while preserving the welcoming character that defines them.

This webinar introduces library staff and leaders to the core principles of CPTED and how they apply specifically to library environments. Participants will learn how thoughtful adjustments to lighting, layout, sightlines, furniture placement, landscaping, and staff positioning can deter unwanted behavior, increase natural surveillance, and foster a greater sense of safety for both patrons and employees.

Led by Tad Twidwell, a CPTED Professional Designation (CPD) instructor with over two decades of combined experience in public safety and library leadership, this program provides actionable strategies that can be applied immediately. Tad currently manages physical security and integrated safety systems for a public library system, giving him a distinctive, practitioner-level perspective on how design and daily operations intersect.

Whether your library is planning a renovation, looking to improve its current space, or simply wants to better understand how the built environment affects patron and staff behavior, this webinar will provide a solid foundation in CPTED principles tailored to the unique needs of public libraries.

Learning agenda:

• Introduce the core principles of CPTED – Natural Surveillance, Natural Access Control, Territorial Reinforcement, and Maintenance – and discuss how each applies to library interior and exterior spaces.
• Examine common library design vulnerabilities and how small, cost-effective changes to lighting, sightlines, landscaping, and furniture layout can improve safety outcomes.
• Discuss the role of staff visibility and positioning in creating safer environments and how CPTED strategies can support and empower library employees.
• Explore how to conduct a basic CPTED walk-through survey of your own library, including what to look for and how to document findings for facilities and leadership teams.
• Discuss community engagement and partnerships with local agencies, social service providers, and volunteers as part of a comprehensive CPTED approach.

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026, 2:00 – 3:00 pm US – Eastern Time

Cost:

• $99/person – includes live attendance and any-time access to the recording and the presentation slides and receiving a participation certificate.
• To arrange group discounts (see below), to submit a purchase order, or for any registration difficulties or questions, email admin@library20.com.

To register:

Click here to register and pay. You will receive an email within a day with information on how to attend the webinar live and how you can access the permanent webinar recording. If you are paying for someone else to attend, you’ll be prompted to send an email to admin@library20.com with the name and email address of the actual attendee.

If you need to be invoiced or pay by check, if you have any trouble registering for a webinar, or if you have any questions, please email admin@library20.com.

Note: Please check your spam folder if you don’t receive your confirmation email within a day.

Special group rates (email admin@library20.com to arrange):

• Multiple individual log-ins and access from the same organization paid together: $75 each for 3+ registrations, $65 each for 5+ registrations. Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.
• The ability to show the webinar (live or recorded) to a group located in the same physical location or in the same virtual meeting from one log-in: $299.
• Large-scale institutional access for viewing with individual login capability: $499 (hosted either at Library 2.0 or in Niche Academy). Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.