Your chance to share your Canadian library experiences!

[With apologies for cross posting]
Do you work in a library in Canada? Are you involved in information literacy instruction or customer training at your library? If you answered yes to both these questions, you are invited to participate in a Canadian survey exploring the experiences of library staff as instructors/trainers. Please consider contributing to this survey. It will take approximately 10 minutes to complete, and your experiences will make an important contribution to knowledge. If you are interested in learning more about this study or if you wish to participate please follow this link:
https://surveys.aict.ualberta.ca/tsqs/rws4.pl?FORM=lib

Travaillez-vous dans une bibliothèque au Canada? Participez-vous au développement des compétences informationnelles ou à la formation des usagers? Si vous avez répondu par l’affirmative à ces deux questions, nous vous invitons à participer à un sondage canadien qui a pour but d’explorer les expériences du personnel de bibliothèque dans leurs rôles d’éducateur(trice)s et de formateur(trice)s. Nous vous prions d'accepter de contribuer à ce sondage. Cela vous prendra environ 10 minutes. Vos expériences constitueront une importante contribution au savoir de notre profession. Si vous voulez en savoir plus au sujet de cette recherche ou si vous souhaitez participer, cliquez sur ce lien:
https://surveys.aict.ualberta.ca/tsqs/rws4.pl?FORM=libf

Need $$ to attend the CLA Conference this year?

Why not apply for the CAPL Conference Bursary? For more info. please see below.

CAPL Conference Bursary
As part of its commitment to ongoing professional development for publiclibrarians, particularly newcomers, the Canadian Association of Public Libraries provides financial assistance towards recognized library training programmes.

The 2008 CAPL Conference Bursary was awarded to Kelli Woo Shue.

$1,000 TOWARDS CLA 2009 CONFERENCE

You are eligible if:
* you have received an MLS degree within the last seven years;
* you are a personal member in good standing of CAPL;
* you need financial assistance to attend the CLA conference.

To apply for the bursary, please submit a current resume and a one to two page summary of the professional benefit expected from attending the conference. Please note that consideration will be given to the distance of the applicant's place of residence from the conference site.

APPLY IN WRITING BY *March 31 ,* 2009
TO:Petra Mauerhoff
Eastern Counties Regional Library
P.O. Bag 2500
Mulgrave, N.S.
B0E 2G0
Tel: 902-747-2597
Fax: 902-747-2500
Email: pmauerhoff@nsme.library.ns.ca

Please disregard this post. It is just a test message. Thank you.

New Members of CAPL Executive

Please join me in welcoming to the CAPL Executive:

Maureen Sawa, Hamilton (ON) Public Library as Secretary/Treasurer Sherri Bain, Brampton (ON) Public Library as Councillor Petra Mauerhoff, Eastern Counties (NS) Regional Library as Councillor And Lita Barrie as the new CACL representative on CAPL.

Maureen, Sherri, Petra, and Lita will become active members of the CAPL Executive at the CAPL AGM on Friday May 23, 2008 from 4:30-6pm.

CAPL's First Teleconference Town Hall Meeting

Notes from the CAPL Teleconference Town Hall Meeting
A Cross-Country Conversation, March 6, 2008

What Our Members Said About …

Communication
Appreciate the opportunities presented by the various Town Hall meetings
Positive feedback about the visibility and open communication of CAPL
Member participation is important for discussion and content on the blog and Facebook.
Would like to see more dialogue via the listserv (a Canadian parallel to Publib)
“Different strokes for different folks” in terms of communication vehicles – some prefer blogs, some listservs
Establish an RSS feed for the blog

Continuing Education
Positive feedback about the Education Institute
Interest in knowing more about the current curriculum at library schools
Interest in web-based or self-guided learning opportunities

Member Involvement
Continue to expand avenues for member involvement (e.g. committees to address some of the strategic directions)
Involve members in the planning and implementation of strategic directions
Cross-Canada representation and involvement is important

Our Very First Teleconference Town Hall Meeting
The immediacy was great
An intimate, cross-country conversation
Videoconference would be a great next step!
A good avenue to hear more voices from more areas of the country

Public Library Careers
There’s a role for CAPL in making the profession attractive to new librarians in light of workforce changes identified in the 8Rs study

Other Ideas for CAPL to Explore
Liaise actively with the Intellectual Freedom Committee to achieve a two-way dialectic relationship
Informal and formal mentorship initiatives (with individuals self-identifying as potential mentors in areas of interest; coordination of job shadows or job exchanges)
Investigate a more formal liaison relationship with PLA (e.g. dialogue, links between blogs)
As an organization, CAPL could play a central role in addressing the lack of public library service on federal Aboriginal reserves and Metis settlements (e.g. through taking the lead in creating an advocacy kit for band leaders)

Thanks to our participants from:
Brampton Public Library (ON)
Chinook Arch Regional Library (AB)
Gatineau Public Library (QC)
University of Alberta (AB)

Join us for the AGM and CAPL/Brodart Award

Join us for the CAPL AGM/Award presentation and reception in Vancouver. We will be honouring this year's winner of the CAPL/Brodart Outstanding Public Library Service Award with a presentation and reception following the AGM. The CAPL AGM and reception will take place from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 23, 2008 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre.
We look forward to seeing you there!

Susan McLean
CAPL President 2006-2008

CAPL Continuing Education Committee

We are reviving CAPL's Continuing Education Committee and we're looking for members to serve a two or three year term who are interested in developing programs and conference sessions for CLA conference, for the Education Institute, and for regional workshops.

Meetings will take place by teleconference and listserv three or four times during the year.

Our immediate goal is to develop ideas for public library-related sessions for CLA ‘08 in Vancouver (around the theme of connecting writers and readers in the digital age) but we'll be very interested in following up on some of those ideas for the Education Institute and for possible regional program opportunities.

If you are interested in helping to develop continuing education programs for Canadian public libraries, please contact:
Barbara Love
Kingston Frontenac Public Library
613-549-8888, Ext. 1180
blove@kfpl.ca