AAAL Statement for Alberta Public Libraries Day of Action

Announcements

Alberta Public Libraries Day of Action is October 1st and AAAL stands in solidarity with our public library colleagues. The Library Association of Alberta (LAA)  is inviting public libraries to participate in this event, informing community members about the impact Bill 28’s regulations will have on our colleagues and the community at large.

Public libraries have a tremendous impact on the community, providing a safe space to pursue intellectual freedom and knowledge, education, information and digital literacy, and engage in leisurely activities. They are spaces for all community members from all backgrounds, and public libraries have a role in engaging and connecting the larger Albertan community.

The regulations required by Bill 28 infringes on the intellectual rights and freedoms of community members and restricts access to information. These regulations require considerable resources to implement, impacting crucial daily library tasks and activities.  

 We support and applaud this Alberta Public Libraries Day of Action initiative put forth by LAA. AAAL will continue to advocate and discuss the vital role all librarians play in our community and support the core values of librarianship.

Thank you,

Aurora Frewin, AAAL Secretary

On behalf of the AAAL Executive

Call for Sub-Committee Members

AAAL Committees

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) is seeking nominations for members for the following Sub-Committees for 2-year terms beginning Fall 2026:

  • Communications
    Responsibilities include coordinating AAAL communications, including social media, blog, and website communications.
  • Learning and Development
    Responsibilities include coordinating the Spring AGM and Fall Meeting and coordinating potential professional development partnerships or programming opportunities with other library associations.
  • Mentorship
    Responsibilities include coordinating and supporting the AAAL Mentorship program (Sept-April), including calling for mentors and mentees, pairing participants, and soliciting feedback.

All staff from AAAL member institutions are eligible. For Sub-Committee positions, we only require an expression of interest. Expressions of interest can be sent to the AAAL Executive (aaal.executive@gmail.com).

For a full list of responsibilities for each committee, please visit the AAAL Bylaws Page. Any questions about the roles can be sent to the Chair Elect, Merran Carr-Wiggin (merran.carrwiggin@ucalgary.ca)

The deadline for applications/nominations is October 31st, 2026.

Please let us know if you have any questions, and thank you for considering!

Merran Carr-Wiggin
(Chair Elect)

AAAL Executive Board
aaal.executive@gmail.com

Response from the Government of Alberta about Statement Regarding Bill 28

Announcements

We would like to thank our members for their high level of engagement with our Statement Regarding Bill 28 – Invitation to Sign Open Letter. Our community’s support for our colleagues in public libraries is heartening. As we have witnessed, Bill 28 did pass.  

We are writing this follow-up to share with you that we recently heard back from the Alberta Government with the following letter AR122873 – Minister signed letter.pdf. It is disappointing to see no changes, despite efforts from the Alberta library community to engage respectfully. That being said, the AAAL executive is proud to see a membership that is willing to support the principles of intellectual freedom, privacy, and equitable access to information. AAAL is keen to continue advocating for Alberta Libraries and support the core values of librarianship. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you, 

Céline Gareau-Brennan, AAAL Chair

On behalf of the AAAL Executive

Call for Sub-Committee Members

AAAL Committees

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) is seeking nominations for members for the following Sub-Committees for 2 year terms beginning Fall 2026:

  • Communications
    Responsibilities include coordinating communications of AAAL, including social media, blog and website communications.
  • Learning and Development
    Responsibilities include coordinating the Spring AGM and Fall Meeting and coordinate potential professional development partnerships or programming opportunities with other library associations.
  • Statistics and Assessment
    Responsibilities include collecting, compiling and distributing statistics from each member institution, maintaining the storage and preservation of AAAL statistics and reporting on statistical trends and developments.
  • Mentorship
    Responsibilities include coordinating and supporting the AAAL Mentorship program (Sept-April), including calling for mentors and mentees, pairing participants, and soliciting feedback.

All staff from AAAL member institutions are eligible. For Sub-Committee positions, we only require an expression of interest. Expressions of interest can be sent to the AAAL Executive (aaal.executive@gmail.com).

For a full list of responsibilities for each committee, please visit the AAAL Bylaws Page. Any questions about the roles can be sent to the Chair Elect, Merran Carr-Wiggin (merran.carrwiggin@ucalgary.ca)

The deadline for applications/nominations is August 14th 2026.

Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you for considering!

Merran Carr-Wiggin
(Chair Elect)

AAAL Executive Board
aaal.executive@gmail.com

Call for AAAL Financial Statement Auditors

AAAL Committees

AAAL is seeking two auditors to review our 2025-2026 Financial Statement. The yearly review of our Financial Statement is a key piece for renewing our status as a Society.

What does auditing entail? Essentially, you would look at our financial transactions for the year, as presented on the Financial Statement, and make sure that there are no irregular transactions.

In reality, you do not need to cross-check every single transaction, but if you would like to verify a transaction, you will have the supporting documentation (e.g., bank statements, receipts) to do so.

Once you are satisfied that the financial information is correct, you would sign the Financial Statement, and return that document to the AAAL Treasurer.  

If we do not submit our yearly paperwork to the Alberta Government, the ultimate consequence is that AAAL would lose its status as a Society and have to give away all of our money.

If you are interested in serving AAAL in this capacity, or if you would like more information, please contact Yvonne Phillips, AAAL Treasurer, at yvonne.phillips@rdpolytech.ca by June 26, 2026.