Category: News

The following letter was sent to Anna Burke, Acting NSCC President:

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The news of the sweeping elimination of all campus librarian positions and a library Director at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) was met with shock and distress by members of our association. The Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA) represents library workers and supporters across the Atlantic region, all of whom believe that librarians are critically important to student success in postsecondary institutions. I am writing on their behalf to respectfully ask that you reconsider this decision and reinstate these positions.

As reported to CBC News, these decisions were made “while keeping program delivery and student support top of mind.” Library staff provide essential services to both faculty and students that cannot be replaced or replicated. Librarians and library technicians contribute to the institution in unique but equally vital ways, working together to ensure students receive
informed professional guidance, reliable access to resources, and responsive service. The sudden decimation of campus librarian positions will leave your frontline technicians unsupported. It will significantly impact student learning and faculty applied research and innovation projects. This decision not only undermines the importance of librarians in the delivery of library services, but it also will have long-term negative impacts on the students you aim to support. A library is an integral part of a campus community, and its staff are irreplaceable. The decision to eliminate campus librarians cannot be reconciled with the claim that “leadership had a ‘laser focus’ on maintaining programming and student support.”

The inspiring work coming out of NSCC over the years has clearly demonstrated that librarians are essential to the operation of your libraries and to the success of your institution. Moreover, these layoffs are not, in fact, rooted in NSCC’s values and principles per your Strategic Plan; namely, accessibility, student and employee success and public accountability. We stand with the Atlantic Academic Union and their concern about how this will impact the students of NSCC. If, as Acting Vice President Stacey Baillie claimed, “[NSCC] students can expect and will get the best programming, the best supports and services that will help them prepare for college, succeed while they’re at college, thrive in their programs, and ultimately find meaningful careers in the workforce,” then it is imperative that these positions be reinstated.

Sincerely, on behalf of the APLA Membership,

Terri Winchcombe
APLA President, 2025/26

New deadline: May 15th

Presented during the Annual Conference, the APLA Merit Award honours an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to library services in the Atlantic Provinces.

Some of the contributions that might be considered in selecting a person for this award are: leadership in library associations at the local, regional and provincial levels; contributions to the development, application and utilization of library services and library systems; significant contribution to library literature.

If you know someone who you would like to nominate for the APLA Merit Award, please submit nominations, including documentation of the nominee’s achievements and letters of support, to APLA’s Past President, past-president@apla.ca.

 

This free two-day event is for library workers, lab managers, research / ethics personnel, and research computing / IT specialists who offer research data management (RDM) support in Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions. The program features case-study presentations and facilitated design sessions that will provide opportunities for training, collaboration, and networking. Participants will gain job-specific knowledge, local connections, and adaptable materials to help support RDM as a service in their own institutions.

Attendance is by application only, and limited funding is available to support travel and accommodation for participants from any province in the Atlantic region.

Date: September 22 – 23, 2026
Venue: Halifax Convention Centre, Halifax, NS
Audience: RDM practitioners at Atlantic academic institutions, such as library workers, lab managers, research office / ethics personnel, or computing / IT specialists.

Visit https://atlantic-rdm.github.io/ for more information and to submit your application.

Just a friendly reminder that the deadline for proposal submissions for the upcoming NLLA conference is this Friday, May 1st – and we’d love to hear from you!

Taking place on Friday, June 5th, Overdue but Not Lost: Renewing Our Community will be a hybrid event, with options to present in person in St. John’s or online from anywhere in Newfoundland & Labrador. It’s our first time gathering as a community since 2019, and we’re excited to reconnect, share, and celebrate the incredible work happening in libraries across our province.

We welcome proposals from library workers in all sectors on any library-related topic, either practical or theoretical. Whether you are sharing a successful project, a challenge you’ve navigated, an emerging technology, or a fresh idea, we want to hear your voice.

Possible session formats include:

  • Presentation (30 min.)
  • Mini Workshop (45 min.)
  • Lightning Talk (7 min.)
  • Something Else (have an idea that doesn’t fit the categories above? Tell us about it!)

To submit, please use our online form (https://tinyurl.com/LetsRenew), and include your session type, delivery format, title, abstract, contact details, and a brief bio.

If you have any questions, please contact Janet Goosney (jgoosney@mun.ca).

We hope you’ll join us as we renew our community – see you in June!

APLA is seeking nominations for the following positions:

 

Vice President / President Elect

The Vice President / President Elect serves on the APLA Executive and plays a key leadership role in guiding the Association’s strategic direction. This position is part of a three year leadership cycle, serving first as Vice President / President Elect, then as President, and finally as Past President.

Responsibilities include participating in Executive meetings, convening and serving on standing committees, supporting advocacy and governance activities, and helping to ensure continuity and effective leadership within APLA. The Vice President / President Elect also serves as an important connection between the Executive and the membership, particularly at the annual conference.

Nominees must be APLA members in good standing and able to commit time to Executive and committee work as part of the multi year leadership cycle.

The term begins at the end of the 2026 annual conference.

 

VP Membership

The Vice President Membership serves on the APLA Executive and is responsible for leading membership recruitment and retention across the Association. This role plays a key part in strengthening member engagement and supporting the ongoing vitality of APLA.

Responsibilities include convening the Membership Committee, maintaining the APLA membership database, preparing and presenting membership statistics and reports, and supporting outreach and renewal efforts. The Vice President Membership also serves as an important connection between the Executive and the membership, particularly at the annual conference.

Nominees must be able to commit time to Executive and committee work.

This is a two year term that begins at the end of the 2026 annual conference.

 

VP Nova Scotia and VP New Brunswick

The Provincial Vice President represents their province on the APLA Executive and ensures that provincial library issues are communicated and addressed at the regional level. This role acts as a key liaison between APLA, provincial library associations, and members.

Responsibilities include participating in Executive meetings, serving on standing committees, supporting advocacy and membership engagement, preparing provincial reports for the APLA Bulletin, and promoting APLA programs, awards, and activities.

Nominees must be able to commit time to Executive and committee work.

The Provincial VP role is a two year term that begins at the end of the 2026 annual conference.

 

Please submit nominations for any of these positions to president@apla.ca by May 22, 2026

What does the future hold for libraries? This is the theme for the Li-Sci-Fi (Library Science Fiction) short story competition hosted by the International Federation of Library Associations as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2027 (IFLA100)! The submissions deadline is 1 September 2026, with winners to be chosen by our celebrity judge, Mary Robinette Kowal.

Libraries for the future

Libraries have always had a focus on tomorrow. They serve current and future generations, through collecting and safeguarding content and developing the skills and outlooks necessary to help everyone face what comes next with confidence.

They are also early adopters of technology, acting as test-beds for new ideas and contributing to development of the internet through digital library tools. In doing so, they have combined new tools with long-standing values in order to find ways of advancing towards key public interest missions.

The future for libraries

As we look to the next century of libraries and international librarianship in the context of IFLA100, we have been asking: “What are the skills and attitudes required to approach the future with confidence?”

The answer to this question depends on technological advances and what these advances might mean for libraries and the societies they serve.

This is where your imagination and creative writing comes in!

Science fiction has long played a role in helping to imagine alternative worlds, either extrapolating out from current trends, or speculating about what the world might look like if key assumptions fail or change. Now we want you to speculate about the future of libraries in our Li-Sci-Fi short story competition.

The competition

We welcome entries in two categories, with each author limited to one story per category:

  • flash short story (up to 1000 words)
  • short story (between 1001 – 2500 words)

We will be looking for:

  • Insight: say something interesting and on theme. We want stories that make us stop and think!
  • Engaging writing: draw us in with believable and memorable characters, good structure (e.g., strong beginning and ending), and internal consistency.
  • Originality: apply your creativity! Any use of AI must be disclosed and limited to translation and minor editing.

How to submit:

You can submit stories in any official IFLA language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Russian and Spanish), but if using a language other than English, please either provide an English language translation or be aware that the jury may be working with an automatic translation of the text.

Email a PDF or MS Word document to ifla100@ifla.org before September 1, 2026, with Li-Sci-Fi in the subject line. Include a word count and story title on the first page. Do not include your name in the document or filename.

There is no submission fee but entrants are limited to one submitted story in each category.

Your entries will be blind-reviewed by a jury, and then winners will be chosen by our celebrity judge, Mary Robinette Kowal.

We reserve the right not to select a winner.

The selected winner may choose one of the following prizes:

  • a contribution of up to €500 towards a full year of paid IFLA membership,
  • free registration for IFLA WLIC 2027 in London, United Kingdom,
  • a €500 cash prize.

NLLA Conference 2026: Overdue, but Not Lost: Renewing Our Community

When: Friday, June 5th, 2026
Where: McCann Centre, Education Library, Memorial University, AND online

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

It’s been a while since we last came together in 2019. Much has changed – but some things remain constant: the strength, innovation, resilience, and care that library workers bring to communities across Newfoundland & Labrador.

This year, we’re finally coming back together – and like a well-loved library book, we may be a little overdue, but we are certainly not lost.

Our theme, Overdue, but Not Lost: Renewing Our Community, marks a moment of reconnection. It’s an opportunity to renew relationships and build new ones, to share experiences and learn from one another, and to celebrate the work happening in libraries of all kinds in our province.

Whether you’ve been part of the Newfoundland & Labrador library community for decades or are just finding your place within it, we welcome your voice. We invite proposals from library workers across all sectors on any library-related topic, either practical or theoretical. You might share a successful project or program, a challenge you’ve navigated, a research question you’ve explored, or an emerging technology or idea shaping your work or your thinking about libraries.

The conference will take place on Friday, June 5, 2026, as a hybrid event, with opportunities to present either in person in St. John’s or online from anywhere in Newfoundland & Labrador.

We welcome a variety of session formats:

  • Presentation: A 30-minute session, including a 20-minute presentation and a 10-minute Q&A. May be research-, practice-, or theory-based.
  • Mini Workshop: A 45-minute, interactive or activity-based session. May be research-, practice-, or theory-based.
  • Lightning Talk: A 7-minute timed presentation offering a brief glimpse into a concept, project, program, activity, or idea.
  • Something Else: Have an idea that doesn’t fit these formats? We’d love to hear about it.

The deadline for proposals is Friday, May 1st.

Please submit your proposal using our online form (https://tinyurl.com/LetsRenew), and remember to include:

  • the proposed session type (presentation, workshop, lightning talk or other)
  • the delivery format for your session (in-person or online)
  • your session title plus a brief abstract (max. 250 words for a presentation, workshop, or other; max. 100 words for a lightning talk) describing your topic and the goals of your session.
  • your contact details (name, library, position, telephone number and email address) for yourself and any co-presenters.
  • a brief (max 50 word) biography for each speaker.

For questions or comments, please contact Janet Goosney (jgoosney@mun.ca).

We hope you decide to join us as we bring our community back together – across distances, roles, and experiences – and restart the conversations that will carry us forward.

We’re overdue. Let’s renew.

 

Employees at Cumberland Public Libraries have voted 100 per cent in favour of unionizing.

Aldon Brewer, an employee, said there had been informal discussions about unionizing for months. In the wake of some staff members being told in February that their hours would be cut, staff decided to move ahead.

Continue reading “Nova Scotia: Cumberland library workers vote unanimously to unionize” →

Registration is now open for From Marginalization to Visibility: 2SLGBTQ+ Archives and Public Memory.

This conference brings together 2SLGBTQ+ community members, researchers, nonprofit organizations, heritage professionals, academics, historians, publishers, and emerging scholars who share an interest in documenting, preserving, and celebrating diverse and intersectional 2SLGBTQ+ histories in Canada.

The queer and trans history and archives hybrid conference takes place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 15-17, 2026.

With thanks to the Purge Fund and The Arquives for their support.

More information and registration: https://arquives.ca/fmv2026/

Conference questions can be sent to qhistories2026@gmail.com