All posts by AAAL

AAAL Sub-Committee Opportunities

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) is seeking volunteers from member institutions to fill the following Sub-Committee Vacancies:

  • Mentorship Committee
  • 2 vacancies (2-year term)
    The Mentorship Committee is responsible for coordinating and supporting the AAAL Mentorship program (Sept-April), including calling for mentors and mentees, pairing participants, and soliciting feedback.
  • Learning and Development Committee 
  • No current vacancies but new members welcome!
    The Learning and Development Committee is responsible for coordinating the Spring AGM and Fall meeting, collaborating with the host institution, and facilitating the running of the meetings.

For a full list of responsibilities for each role/committee, please visit the AAAL Bylaws Page. Any questions about the roles can be sent to Andrea Johnston (andrea.johnston@rdpolytech.ca)

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).

The deadline for expressions of interest is Tuesday October 15, 2024.

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

AAAL Executive Team
aaal.executive@gmail.com

Announcement of New AAAL Chair-Elect

Dear AAAL membership:

I am delighted to announce that Andrea Johnston of Red Deer Polytechnic has been acclaimed AAAL Chair Elect: Andrea’s term officially began on September 27 at our Executive meeting. A few words of introduction to Andrea follow.

Andrea Johnston is a subject librarian at Red Deer Polytechnic overseeing the Nursing, Pre-Health Sciences, and the Visual Arts programs at RDP. Previously, Andrea was the Librarian at Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary and started her new adventure in Red Deer this past August. Andrea oversees the collection in her subject areas, facilitates information literacy sessions, participates in developing and reviewing the curriculum, and will also be working on RDP’s OER initiatives, as well as video creation. While she is relatively new to academia, Andrea has worked as a professional librarian since 2016 and also worked as a Reference Assistant at both the University of Alberta and MacEwan University during her time as a library student. Her research interests include ghost stories and folklore, gamification and effective teaching strategies, and the role of GenAI in academia. Andrea is eager to contribute to her community of peers and looks forward to potentially serving on the AAAL Executive Committee.

We are most fortunate to have a librarian of Andrea’s calibre on the AAAL Executive. Please join me in welcoming Andrea to our Association!

All best wishes,

Jane C. Duffy, B.A., M.A., M.L.S., M.A.C.T.

Chair, Association of Alberta Academic Libraries 2024-25

Librarian for Mathematics & Statistics, Dept of Public Safety and Justice Studies

Liaison for the School of Continuing Education and MacEwan International

MacEwan University

Immediate Opening: AAAL Chair-Elect

Dear AAAL Community,

I hope that you all had a wonderful summer and that your academic year is off to a great start! I am writing today about an exciting AAAL Executive opportunity which is available right now!

Are you interested in high-impact service to your regional academic library association?

The AAAL Executive has an immediate opening for the position of Chair-Elect. If you are interested in self-nominating or in nominating a colleague for this opportunity, please submit an expression of interest to duffyj@macewan.ca by 5pm MT on Thursday, September 12. PLEASE NOTE: If we have more than one expression of interest, a special election will be held per the AAAL by-laws.

The duties of the Chair Elect are listed below.

AAAL Duties: Chair-Elect

  • Call for volunteers for executive and standing committee positions as needed and ensure positions are filled and elections carried out as needed;
  • Communicate changes to the Executive and Committee roster, including position terms, to the Communications Committee.
  • Conduct general meetings in Chair’s absence;
  • Perform other duties as designated by the Chair;
  • Submit written bi-annual reports to the Chair for inclusion in meeting packages three weeks prior to Fall and Annual General Meetings Revised Spring, 2020 page
  • Assist the Chair in conducting the Annual General Meeting e.g. leading the roundtable discussions.
  • Assist Chair in coordinating Executive and Sub-Committee meetings
  • Attend Statistics & Assessments Meetings as an ex-Officio member
  • Solicit applications for the Professional Development award and oversee award disbursement.

Thank you for all for considering! I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Jane C. Duffy, B.A., M.A., M.L.S., M.A.C.T.

Chair, Association of Alberta Academic Libraries 2024-25

Librarian for Mathematics & Statistics, Dept of Public Safety and Justice Studies

Liaison for the School of Continuing Education and MacEwan International

MacEwan University

AAAL Mentorship Program: Application Deadline, July 27

Looking to make connections, share professional advice, meet new colleagues, and gain new perspectives on library challenges?  Join the AAAL Mentorship Program!

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries Mentorship Committee is recruiting mentors and mentees from its member libraries for the upcoming academic year:

  • Mentors: Offer guidance, support, and encouragement as needed to a fellow AAAL library member who might be early on in their career or progressing to new roles. 
  • Mentees: Engage with an experienced library member, develop professional relationships with colleagues in different AAAL library environments, and grow your knowledge of library and information work.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or a mentee, please check out the detailed information available at the AAAL Mentorship webpage. The program is open to all practicing library professionals (i.e., with completed degree/diploma) employed by AAAL member institutions. Please note that the program does not facilitate job placements or internships.

Deadline to Apply: Saturday, July 27, 2024 (with matches communicated in late August).

If you have any questions, please contact the committee: aaal.mentorship@gmail.ca 

Thank you on behalf of the AAAL Mentorship Committee,

Alice Swabey

AAAL Mentorship Program: Find a Mentor / Become a Mentor!

Looking to make connections, share professional advice, meet new colleagues and gain new perspectives on library challenges?  Join the AAAL Mentorship Program!

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries Mentorship Committee is recruiting mentors and mentees from its member libraries for the upcoming academic year:

  • Mentors: Offer guidance, support, and encouragement as needed to a fellow AAAL library member who might be early on in their career or progressing to new roles. 
  • Mentees: Engage with an experienced library member, develop professional relationships with colleagues in different AAAL library environments, and grow your knowledge of library and information work.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or a mentee, please check out the detailed information available at the AAAL Mentorship webpage. The program is open to all practicing library professionals (i.e., with completed degree/diploma) employed by AAAL member institutions. The application forms for both roles are accessible through the AAAL site. Please note that the program does not facilitate job placements or internships.

Deadline to Apply: Saturday, July 27, 2024 (with matches communicated in late August).

If you have any questions, please contact the committee: aaal.mentorship@gmail.ca 

Thank you on behalf of the AAAL Mentorship Committee,

Alice Swabey