Our September 7 Questions with AAAL Institutions blog post features The Alberta Library.

1. What is the most interesting/unique item or collection in your library?
The great thing about the Alberta Library is that we facilitate resource sharing for library users across Alberta and allow users to request items from across the province. So unfortunately, we don’t really have any unique items, but we help users find them. That being said, I was really happy to find Dungeons and Dragons: Dungeon of the Mad Mage in TAL Online recently 🙂

2. What is the most interesting/unique program offered at your institution?
TAL Online, which is a federated search tool that allows users to discover and request items from across Alberta. Based on feedback from staff and users we have customized to include language filters, reading lists, journal articles and more. It’s been a lot of fun working on it.

3. What event are you most proud of hosting at your institution or library?
TAL is working on a symposium this fall with the U of A called Alberta Library Staff to connect library students with library staff to find more about the realities of working in libraries what the current job market is like and how they can better prepare themselves for professional library work.

4. What is one surprising fact about your institution or library?
We are a small shop with 6 staff. We have a lot of heart, though, and we care deeply about reducing barriers to library services and resource sharing. Also some of us (not all) think that Deep Space Nine was the best Star Trek.

5. What is something that users are often confused about in your library?
That we are a library consortia and not a physical library. No one is confused that we are based in Alberta though.

6. What was the last major project your library or institution undertook?
We recently became members of Project ReShare. ReShare is a community developed resource sharing platform for interlibrary loan being developed by former programmers who worked on Relais and VDX as well as input from library consortia such PALCI, Greater Western Library Alliance, Duke and the University of Chicago. Testing for this new platform is expected to begin this November, we are very excited.

7. What is the newest database/product your library has subscribed to?
One of our newer offerings for our members is Cyprus Resumes. This a resource designed to guide through the process of building resumes and cover letters. This resource is particularly useful for users who are unfamiliar with word processors and building resumes for the first time.