And of course, all of our libraries have an amazing suite of online resources that are accessible from home, from Ancestry to Zinio. Expanded resources are being added all the time as providers respond to the crisis, so check in regularly with your library.
]]>This course will offer opportunities for dialogue, learning a variety of approaches for navigating change as a strategy for introducing innovation, and partnering with internal and external stakeholders in service of achieving desired community and organizational outcomes.
Topics include:
This online course is 4 weeks in length with approximately 4-6 hours of study per week including readings and optional webinars. There are no examinations. Estimated weekly commitment may vary depending on learning style and interest. This course is asynchronous with synchronous individual and group work expected throughout, as well as a need to keep pace with the course as it progresses week to week.
While the value for the course is $495 (incl. GST), staff working in libraries in BC pay $235 (incl. GST). This online course will run from September 10 to October 5, 2018. For more information about the course and for details on how to register, please consult this info sheet. For more information about the course please contact melanie.molloy@royalroads.ca.
The project partners – the North Central, North East, and Kootenay Library Federations along with Royal Roads University Professional and Continuing Studies – gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Education.
]]>If you are planning to attend the 2018 NWLF Fall Conference, please REGISTER HERE by Monday, October 1, 2018.
The Sunshine Inn in Houston, BC is offering a special room rate for conference attendees and presenters between September 5 – 19, 2018 only. Double occupancy is encouraged if you are travelling with a co-worker, although single occupancy rooms are also available. If you require accommodation during the conference, please book your room by Wednesday, September 19th. Please note that after this date, room availability is not guaranteed or offered at the special rate.
]]>Hazelton District Public Library (HDPL) is looking for an Interim Chief Librarian for coverage of a one-year maternity leave beginning May 2018. Further details about this opportunity can be found here: Interim Chief Librarian – Job Posting. Please note, the March 30th application deadline is coming up quickly!
To give prospective applicants a little taste of this community, HDPL recently hosted a Pi(e) Day Celebration on March 14th (a clever play on Pi = 3.14). The library solicited home baked pies from some loyal patrons and accomplished bakers around town. The library staff and a few board members also brought in pies, which resulted in a total of 26 pies that were either sold by the slice, or auctioned off by silent auction over the course of the day. According to Chief Librarian, Tara Williston, “there was a fun vibe all day long with people hanging out and chatting over pie, coffee and tea. It brought a lot of people into the library, which was really nice.” The fundraiser celebration made over $400 or the HDPL.
If you are thinking about applying for the position outlined above, the community will welcome you with open arms and some mighty delicious pie.
]]>Granisle Public Library
Library Director
The Granisle Public Library has an exciting opportunity for a part-time (24.5 hours per week) Library Director. Working under the direction of the volunteer Board of Directors, the successful candidate will oversee the staff, along with the day to day operations of the library, planning, organizing and delivering adult, youth and children’s services and programs, be responsible for financial management, and outreach to other community organizations and the general public.
The preferred candidate should have post-secondary education in library sciences or an equivalent combination of education and experience; demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and to work in a team environment in a supervisory capacity; effective computer skills and experience in budget development and management; strong written and oral communication skills; and effective time management and organizational skills.
The salary range for this position depends on candidate’s experience and education. A full job description can be picked up at the Granisle Public Library.
Applications will be accepted until April 13th at 12 noon and may be submitted by email or in person at the library.
Please apply to: Granisle Public Library, PO Box 550, Granisle, B.C. V0J 1W0 or email library@granisle.net
We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
]]>Position Description:
The Northwest Library Federation Director supports and facilitates the collaborative partnership activities of its seven member libraries. Reporting to the NWLF board of directors, the Director manages the organization’s operations, oversees implementation of policies, and ensures attainment of organizational strategic goals and objectives. The Director works closely with the Library Directors Advisory Group and is entrusted by the board to make decisions consistent with the organization’s vision, mission, guiding principles, and policy.
Qualifications and Experience:
The ideal candidate is a demonstrated self-starter with the ability to work independently, influence and motivate a team, and provide leadership in a variety of settings. Strong communication, time management and organizational skills as well as the ability to devise, oversee and implement both short-term plans and long-term goals is required. Experience incorporating consensus decision making when facilitating or mediating discussions among stakeholders with diverse needs is critical.
The successful candidate must have:
A background in strategic planning, government relations, event management, marketing, communications or fund development are assets.
Education:
Post-secondary education in the field of library science or equivalent knowledge and experience is preferred.
Terms of employment:
This position offers part-time employment at approximately 15 hours per week; starting salary will range from $25 – $30 per hour based on qualifications and experience, plus a percentage in lieu of vacation and benefits. The Federation operates from a subsidized home-based or virtual office.
The application deadline is February 2, 2017. To apply, send a resume and cover letter outlining how you meet the requirements of the position to the selection committee at applications@nwlf.ca. Please put NWLF Director in the subject line.
We thank all applicants for their interest, but only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Responsibilities
Oversees the day-to-day operations of the NWLF:
Communication:
Financial:
Other duties as assigned by the Board
]]>Because the library formerly shared space with the public school, it was constrained by school open hours. “The new space allows the library to be open at night and on weekends,” explains board chair Sylvia Alderton, “and we are quite excited about that.” The library’s location in the historic Zeffert building also offers easier access for residents, and more visibility to tourists. One idea the board is considering is creating a coffee area during the winter months when restaurants in town are closed, making the library an even more social spot to visit.
“The new space is charming and cozy and we love it,” says Sylvia.
]]>
Just a few such examples of this included the library working with the local Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre for National Aboriginal Day and a career week event, providing a VolunTeen Program that empowers youth to participate in planning programming for the broader community, and sending a BC Summer Reading Club Mobile Literacy Tent to the nearby Wet’suwet’en community of Moricetown. As a nomination submitted in support of the Smithers library noted, ‘’Since establishing and maintaining this cross-cultural relationship there has been an increase in local First Nation community members accessing the library and realizing it as a place that is open, equitable, and inclusive.’’
Each year, the British Columbia Library Association (BCLA) invites the library community, partners, and stakeholders to nominate individuals and organizations for awards recognizing outstanding work in libraries throughout BC. The BCLA Building Better Communities Award was developed to recognize an individual or organization responsible for increasing the relevancy and impact of library service through partnership, collaboration, and building trust where little has previously existed.
Both Smithers Mayor Taylor Bachrach and Library Director Wendy Wright attended the awards ceremony in Vancouver to accept their award.
]]>Thanks to a number of donations and bequests to the library, the TPL board was in the enviable position to consider a new initiative to benefit the community. “Geography, size, and economic constraints are the principal drivers of our community’s needs, so we wanted to use the money to address as many of these as possible,” says board chair Melanie Wilke. “We wanted to be sure that whatever we did, it would be a high value offering that kept the library fresh and relevant.”
After the board evaluated a number of options, library director David Tremblay implemented a community survey on what Things would be of most interest to their borrowing public. He also consulted with the many other public libraries in BC offering Libraries of Things to gather information on the how-to and what-if aspects of such an initiative.
Melanie stresses that the decision to offer a Library of Things was not made overnight: “The board actually discussed the implications of such a project for over a year.” Issues for the board to resolve included liability, replacement and repair costs, and how to handle wear and tear.
For more information on Terrace Public Library’s Library of Things, please contact library director David Tremblay at dtremblay@terracelibrary.ca.
]]>Kitimat Public Library’s French language programs provide tremendous value to the families from France and Quebec arriving in Kitimat each year for work, and position the library as a centre for French language and culture in the community.
Along with substantial holdings of materials in French, the library serves francophone patrons in their own language, and is typically the sole community source for French language support.
KPL has offered many workshops and programs in both English/French or French only, including a French-language Summer Reading Club, a bilingual English/French African storyteller, and a bilingual storyteller who spun stories with string.
In addition, KPL partners with the Association des Francophones et Francophiles du Nord-Ouest (AFFNO) to deliver the annual Cabane à Sucre, a community-wide French-Canadian breakfast and music festival. AFFNO has also provided readings in French for children prior to English author events at the library.
“We do our best to keep the French language alive in Kitimat,” says library director Virginia Charron. You can contact Virginia for more information at vcharron@kitimatlibrary.ca.