Call for AAAL’s Mentorship Micro-Residences Working Group

AAAL Committees

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) is seeking 1 co-chair and 3-4 volunteers for AAAL’s Mentorship Micro-Residences Working Group. You would work with the working group’s chair, Caitlin Ratcliffe, to create and implement a Micro-residencies program which would allow AAAL library staff to spend a day at another AAAL library, shadowing the work of one or many staff at the host location.

This Working group’s work would begin in June 2026, for a two year term (from Spring 2026- Spring 2028) with the possibility of renewal.

All staff (library assistants, library staff, pages, library technicians, librarians, managers  etc) from AAAL member institutions are eligible. We ask that interested candidates include a brief statement of interest (2-3 sentences) in your email.

Please forward your interest to Caitlin Ratcliffe at caitlin.ratcliffe@norquest.ca before June 12th 2026.

Call for AAAL Resource Sharing Community of Practice Participants

Announcements

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) is launching a new AAAL Resource Sharing Community of Practice (CoP). The AAAL Resource Sharing CoP will launch in August 2026 and have regular online meetings, which will be initially facilitated by Anne Carr-Wiggin. 

With NEOS ending, AAAL seeks to support its members in discussing how to efficiently share resources. Although the AAAL Resource Sharing CoP would not replace the NEOS infrastructure, it would allow for a networking environment in which AAAL members could share challenges and successes as it relates to resource sharing.

All staff (library assistants, library staff, pages, library technicians, librarians, managers  etc) from AAAL member institutions are eligible to participate in this CoP.

If you are interested in joining the AAAL Resource Sharing CoP, please contact Anne Carr-Wiggin at anne.carr-wiggin@ualberta.ca

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!

2026 CAPAL / ACBES Virtual Conference – June 22 & 23 2026

Member News

The conference may be of interest to AAAL Members.

The theme for CAPAL26 is The Irreplaceable Librarian: Reasserting Human Value in Librarianship. Librarianship is deeply embedded in the lived experiences of the communities we serve. Our work is shaped by human relationships, social justice concerns, and the broader societal and information systems within which knowledge is created, accessed, and governed. This theme speaks to the importance of centering humanness in an era of rapidly advancing technology and the widespread proliferation of generative AI.

As librarians, our roles often require us to continue to prove our value within this shifting landscape. Our profession revolves around providing information, as well as its ethical uses, critical evaluation, and various tools.

Join us at the 2026 CAPAL/ACBES Conference, a virtual event being held on June 22 & 23, 2026.  Find out more on the conference website. Registration is FREE via Zoom!

Register for NWILL! Early Bird Registration Deadline: June 22, 2026

Member News

This conference may be of interest to AAAL members.

 

“The Full Spectrum of Access” 2026 Northwest Interlibrary Loan & Resource Sharing Conference (Hybrid), September 1-3, 2026

Early Bird pricing ($250 in person, $85 virtual) available through June 22, 2026

2026 Northwest Interlibrary Loan & Resource Sharing Conference (Hybrid) has been published on the Whova Web and Mobile apps! Registration is open now!! REGISTER HERE

The NWILL conference will be held September 1-3, 2026, in a unique hybrid format; attendees can join us in person at University of Oregon Portland in Portland, Oregon, or virtually through the Whova conference platform. Regardless of how you attend, you will have access to amazing presentations and networking opportunities!

Most presentations will be in person and livestreamed to our virtual audience. The full program will be posted on the NWILL website and on the Whova conference platform.

Keynote Speaker:  Dennis Massie first got involved with ILL more than 40 years ago at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory library.  After serving as head of ILL at NYU’s Bobst Library, Dennis spent the next 28 years coordinating the SHARES resource sharing consortium for RLG and OCLC, conducting original research on collection sharing, and helping design and build free tools such as the OCLC ILL Cost Calculator and the International ILL Toolkit.  Currently, he helps foster community amongst ILL practitioners through his new organization, Borrower and Lender Be.

To learn more, visit https://nwill.org/

Have questions? Get in touch with the planning committee at nwillconf@gmail.com. 

Sent on behalf of,

nwillconf@gmail.com

NWILL Conference
Organizer,
2026 Northwest Interlibrary Loan & Resource Sharing Conference (Hybrid)

Statement Regarding Bill 28 – Invitation to Sign Open Letter

Announcements

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) is strongly opposed to the proposed Bill 28 and the changes to Alberta’s Libraries Act. Academic libraries across Alberta support the principles of intellectual freedom, privacy, and equitable access to information. These principles are the foundation for a strong democratic society and a thriving post-secondary system. Bill 28 undermines free speech and expression, local decision-making, and the privacy of Albertans.

Our colleagues in public libraries are trained professionals who develop library collections using established policies, industry standards, and community-informed processes. Libraries in Alberta work because they are locally governed, professionally staffed, and responsive to the people they serve. Centralizing control at the provincial level threatens that balance and risks harming institutions that already function well and are widely trusted. 

We respectfully call on the Government of Alberta to pause further implementation and meaningfully consult with libraries, municipalities, and Albertans before making such significant changes. We believe there is an opportunity for a collaborative approach that addresses concerns about age-appropriate access while respecting parental responsibility and protecting privacy.

The AAAL has drafted a letter to the Premier and Minister of Municipal Affairs regarding the proposed Bill 28. All AAAL members are welcome to sign it before Friday, May 15th: Open Letter to the Government of Alberta

We encourage Albertans to write, call, or email the Premier of Alberta, Minister of Municipal Affairs, and your local MLA to express your concerns.

Learn more about Bill 28: https://www.caplibraries.ca/stand-up-for-albertas-public-libraries