Apply Now! AAAL Professional Development Award Spring 2026

PD Award

Hello AAAL Members,

The application form for the AAAL Professional Development Award Spring 2026 is now open!

AAAL is happy to offer 3 PD Awards of $400 each for the Spring 2026 meeting. All library workers and professionals from AAAL member institutions are eligible to apply. The goal of this award is to help cover expenses to attend and present at the AAAL Fall meeting or the Annual General Meeting each Spring. Library students are also eligible to apply. 

NEW THIS YEAR – One award is reserved for a library staff member in non-librarian positions (library assistants, pages, library tech and librarian student workers, library technicians, information specialists, etc). 

Please see our AAAL Professional Development Award webpage for more information about Application Criteria, Eligible Expenses, Application Process and Award Process.

The application deadline is March 17th, 2026. Notification of awards granted will be sent out by March 31st, 2026. 

See here for information about the AGM and our call for proposals. 

For more information about the award, contact Céline Gareau-Brennan at Celine.Gareau-Brennan@ualberta.ca. 

Call for Proposals – AAAL Spring 2026 AGM

Spring Meeting

Hello AAAL Members,

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) Spring 2026 Annual General Meeting will be held in person on Friday, April 24, 2026, hosted by the University of Lethbridge Library.

We are seeking presentation proposals for our AGM’s professional development programming. There is no set theme for presentations – we welcome proposals from a range of topics in library work, such as current initiatives, topics of interest to our members, and more. Looking for inspiration? Browse our meetings page to view programming from past meetings.

There are two presentation formats to choose from:

  • 7-Minute Lightning Talks: Quick snapshots to give a brief overview of your idea, research, experience, program, or service.
  • 25-Minute Presentations: A bit more in-depth, allowing you to share research, tools, programs, or services with some room for engaging discussion or activities.

Please submit your proposal no later than Tuesday, March 17th.

Submit Your Proposal
 

For information about how presentations are reviewed, please view our Rubric for
Presentation Proposals.

If you have an idea for a presentation that does not follow the above formats, or have other
questions, please reach out at aaal.learningdevelopment@gmail.com. Presenters will receive
a response no later than Tuesday, March 31st. 

More information about the AGM, including registration and the full conference schedule, is forthcoming. We look forward to seeing you in April!

Kind regards,
The AAAL Learning & Development Committee
aaal.learningdevelopment@gmail.com

Save the Date: AAAL Spring AGM

Spring Meeting

Hello AAAL Members,

Save the date! The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) Spring 2026 Annual General Meeting will be held in person on Friday, April 24, 2026, hosted by the University of Lethbridge Library.

Library staff from our member institutions are invited to attend for a day of learning and connection, including our business meeting, member roundtable, and member presentations.

Keep an eye on your email for a call for presentation proposals coming shortly! Due to the success of previous years’ programming, there is no set theme for presentations; we welcome proposals with a range of topics, such as current initiatives, topics of interest to our members, and more. There are two presentation formats to choose from:

  • 25-Minute Presentations: A bit more in-depth, allowing you to share research, tools, programs, or services with some room for engaging discussion or activities.
  • 7-Minute Lightning Talks: Quick snapshots to give a brief overview of your idea, research, experience, program, or service.

More information about the AGM and a call for presentation proposals is forthcoming. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to aaal.executive@gmail.com.

We look forward to connecting with you all in April!

Warm Holiday Wishes and Exciting Times Ahead

Member News

Dear Members,

Happy holidays! As we wrap up a successful year, I want to extend heartfelt thanks to each of you for being part of our vibrant and engaged community. Your commitment and care make a real difference, and we’re so grateful for the energy you bring to our association.

A special and heartfelt thank you goes to our Executive team and committee members for their outstanding contributions this year. It’s been inspiring to see their achievements and a privilege to collaborate with them.

Looking ahead, an exciting year is on the horizon for AAAL! We’ll keep communication flowing as we chart this new path forward and explore opportunities that will strengthen our profession and our network. Stay tuned!

From myself and AAAL, we wish you ALL a relaxing break and a new year filled with happiness, health, and success. Thank you for being an essential part of our association!

Warm regards,

Andrea Johnston, Chair

—

AAAL Executive Board

aaal.executive@gmail.com

2026 ABC Copyright Conference – Call for Submissions

Member News

This call for presentation submissions may be of interest to AAAL members.

The Program Committee for ABC 2026 invites submissions for presentations addressing any aspect of the intersection of copyright and users’ rights.

Sites of intersection might be the realms of education, research, innovation, and creative endeavor, just to name a few.

Characters in these endeavors might include creators, copyright owners, users, or stewards of public information and our collective history.

We encourage submissions of any form; i.e., seminar style, lightning talks, interactive activities with the audience, etc.

The Committee has refrained from emphasizing a theme and looks forward to receiving a variety of content, perspective, and analysis. Please submit your proposal here.

Deadline is Monday, December 15, 2025.