AAAL Spring AGM: Keynote and Full Program Now Available

Spring Meeting

AAAL’s Spring 2022 AGM, Care Work: Practices and Ethics of Care in Academic Libraries, will be held online Thursday, May 12th, 9am-3pm. Registration is free and open to all employees of AAAL Member Institutions.

Register until Friday, May 6th: https://forms.gle/as2hSud9y1XhrurT9.

The full program and schedule is available in the AAAL Meeting Package. The business meeting, including AAAL updates and member roundtable, will run from 9-10:45 followed by our keynote speaker presentation, presentations, and lightning talks from AAAL members across Alberta.

If you cannot attend the business meeting, you may absolutely still join for presentations!

About our Keynote: 

  • Dr. Nicole Dalmer, McMaster University
  • Presentation: “Who Cares? Caring Through our Work and Spaces“

 In this talk, Dr. Nicole Dalmer will speak to two of her projects that examine the complex intersections between information and care.

First, she will illuminate findings from a study that made visible the information work that permeates the care work of families of people living with dementia who are also aging at home. Results suggest a disjuncture between the ways that families experience information in their everyday lives and the ways that information is understood in policy and professional practice.

Second, she will highlight preliminary findings from a large-scale study that seeks to understand the many ways public libraries serve as caring, social infrastructures for older adults. Together, these studies, while very different, collectively reveal the necessity and the invisibility of the care work that is imbricated and embedded in information – in information work and in information spaces. 

We look forward to seeing you online!

Kind Regards,

Ali Foster, AAAL Chair (2021-2022)

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Register to Attend the AAAL Spring AGM, May 12th, 9am-3pm

Spring Meeting

Registration is now open for AAAL’s Spring 2022 AGM: Care Work: Practices and Ethics of Care in Academic Libraries, hosted online by AAAL on Thursday, May 12th from 9am-3pm. 

Please register using the Registration Form no later than Friday, May 6th.  https://forms.gle/5VeAYqmY4TPi7Ym1A. 

We are pleased to announce the preliminary program lineup, including our featured Keynote speaker, Dr. Nicole Dalmer presenting “Who Cares? Caring Through our Work and Spaces.”

  • 9am-10:45am: Business Meeting: Reports from the Executive, Voting, Roundtable, and Elections 
  • 11am-12pm: Keynote: Dr. Nicole Dalmer. “Caring through our work and spaces” 
  • 12:45-3pm: Afternoon Presentations and Lightning Talks (full schedule announced this week) 

We look forward to seeing you online! 

Sincerely, 

Ali Foster, AAAL Chair (2021-2022)

AAAL Call for Nominations: Chair-Elect and Learning & Development Committee

AAAL Committees

The Alberta Association of Academic Libraries (AAAL) is seeking volunteers for the following Executive Committee and Sub-Committee positions, to begin this Spring. 

All staff from AAAL member institutions (https://aaal.ca/membership/membership-list/) are eligible. We ask that for Executive Committee roles (we accept nominations or self-nominations) that interested candidates include a brief statement of interest in your email.  For Sub-Committee positions, we only require an expression of interest.  

Please forward Executive Nominations and Sub-Committee nominations to Alison Pitcher (pitchera2@macewan.ca). 

The deadline for applications/nominations is Friday, April 29th at noon. 

For a brief description of roles please see below. If you have any questions about the roles, please reach out to Ali Foster (fostera25@macewan.ca).    

Executive Committee Vacancies

Chair-Elect (2-3 year term – first as Chair-Elect, second year as chair, third year as Past-Chair). Responsibilities include: 

  • 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. 
  • Solicit applications for the Professional Development Award and oversee award disbursements

 Sub-Committee Vacancies

Learning & Development Committee – 2 vacancies (2-year term)

The Learning & Development Committee is responsible for coordinating and supporting Professional Development activities for AAAL, particularly planning the professional development portion of the Fall and Spring meetings, including: identifying theme, managing the call for and evaluation of presentation proposals, and arranging keynote presenter(s). 

For a full list of responsibilities for each role/committee, please visit the AAAL Bylaws Page. 

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

Kind Regards, 

Ali Foster (AAAL Chair) 

Call for Applications: AAAL Professional Development Award

Spring Meeting

Are you considering presenting or attending the Alberta Association of Academic Libraries’ (AAAL) virtual Spring AGM on Thursday, May 12th, 2022? 

In the past, AAAL has offered the Professional Development award to cover travel expenses for those who wish to present at or attend the meeting.  AAAL has extended the criteria to accept applications for technology-related expenses.  This can include technology upgrades (devices, monitors, headsets) or software/subscription fees.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be affiliated with a AAAL member institution OR
  • Applicants must be currently attending an LIT or MLIS program

Priority will be given to applicants presenting a session/workshop at the AAAL meeting, or who have limited funding for professional development through their institution, however this is not a requirement.  Apply!

For additional details about the award and applicable expenses that can be claimed, please visit the AAAL Professional Development Award page on the website. To apply, fill out the application form. 

PD Award Application Form
 

The deadline for PD award submissions is Friday, April 15, 2022.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the AAAL Chair-Elect.

Survey: Autism Spectrum Disorder Employee’s Experiences 

Uncategorized

This call for survey participation may be of interest to some AAAL members:

Autism Spectrum Disorder Employee’s Experiences Working in Canadian Academic Libraries

Lori Giles-Smith and Emma Popowich 
University of Manitoba Libraries 

We are conducting a research study of autistic librarians and library support staff in the Canadian academic community. The main objective of this study is to obtain information from autistic people currently or recently employed in Canadian academic libraries about the benefits and difficulties they face. There is little research into the area of autistic librarians and support staff and your participation in this short survey will be invaluable in developing recommendations for recruitment, hiring and management practices.  

The research project includes an anonymous online survey containing a series of multiple choice and open-ended questions. It should take between 10-20 minutes to complete. All questions are optional, and you can leave the survey at any time by closing the window, tab, or browser. If you would like to participate, please click on the survey link below to access the consent form and survey. You can print a copy of the consent form for your records or request one from the researchers. 

If you would prefer to participate through a one-on-one interview over the telephone, please contact Lori Giles-Smith using the contact information below. Please note that this option means your information will not be anonymous to the researchers but your personal information will be kept confidential and your responses will be anonymized. Your answers will be entered directly into the survey software by the researcher with no personal data that could identify you (e.g., place of work, name, contact information) entered. Information gathered through the telephone interview will be anonymized and secured in the same manner as those submitted directly by participants via the survey software. Your contact information will be destroyed by the researchers immediately upon ending the telephone call.  

Survey Link
 

The survey will be open from March 17th – April 17th, 2022. 

If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to contact: 

Lori Giles-Smith 
Coordinator, User Services and Fulfillment 

Thank you in advance.  

Lori Giles-Smith and Emma Popowich 
University of Manitoba Libraries