Sessions
Incredible Learning Opportunities
Learn more about the incredible range of speakers featured at the Stronger Together Library Conference. Panellists will cover a wide variety of topics, including advocacy, artificial intelligence and technology, issues in the workplace, intellectual freedom, governance, and programming.
October 19 Pre-Conference
The Stronger Together library Conference is pleased to announce that we will host a three-hour pre-conference workshop on October 19, 2026.
- Facilitator: Carol Brown
- Date: October 19, 2026
- Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Additional Fees May Apply
October 20 Sessions
Presented by: Jeremy Dias
Description:
Libraries are often the first “safe space” a person finds when seeking community or identity. However, in today’s complex socio-political climate, keeping those spaces open and safe requires advanced, practical strategies. Moving past the introductory basics, this session is designed specifically for library professionals who already understand the fundamentals of gender diversity but need actionable tools to navigate systemic challenges.
In this timely and strategic workshop, Jeremy Dias (Founder of the International Day of Pink) guides participants through the “how-to” of protecting 2SLGBTQIA+ accessibility. We will tackle the real-world anxieties facing Alberta libraries today—from navigating book bans and inclusive cataloging to managing tense public pushback regarding diverse programming. Crucially, the session will explore concrete ways to stand up for marginalized communities while strategically protecting library funding and resources.
Through a lens of empathy and professional excellence, you will leave this advanced session with the practical confidence, scripts, and strategies needed to lead your library through sensitive community conversations toward a safer, more equitable future.
Presented by: Margaret Law
Description:
Strong and relevant policy is one of the Library Board’s best tools for linking the goals of the Plan of Service with the daily operations of the Library. Good policy allows the Board to express its wishes in a way that guides the Library in the right direction and deals with predictable issues such as human resources, user behaviour and technology use. This session will guide trustees through the purpose of policy, tips for developing and reviewing policy and provide some tools to simplify the process. By the end of it, trustees will understand the link between the Plan of Service and policy, the difference between policy and procedures, and the role that policy plays in expressing the wishes of the Board.
Presented by: Elizabeth Griffiths
Description:
Take your Canva skills from “Meh” to “Marvelous!” in this hands-on, glow-up-focused session. We’ll start with the foundations—layout, typography, and the basic tools everyone thinks they already know—and then push into the fun stuff: matching colors to images, building palettes that actually evoke a mood, and using simple design hacks to make your graphics look polished without spending seventeen hours wrestling with page alignment and the snap tool.
Along the way, we’ll explore creative, practical, and delightfully chaotic examples of making tech and design work for you in ways you never thought of, like magic item card templates for D&D programs, dynamic shelf talkers with clever QR code integrations, and other weird-but-wonderful Canva creations that prove promotional materials don’t have to be boring to be effective. You’ll leave with new techniques, fresh inspiration, and a toolkit you can utilize right away to revolutionize your library’s visual storytelling.
Presented by: Tara Elwood, and Bridgitte Coninx
Description:
Strong libraries are built on strong leadership—and sustainable leadership requires intentional investment in people. For women in libraries and public service, advancement is often shaped not just by opportunity, but by access to mentorship, networks, and allies who actively open doors.
This session explores how building a foundation of women leaders strengthens organizations from the inside out. When women are supported into leadership roles, they don’t just succeed individually—they create pathways for others, reshape workplace culture, and expand the influence of libraries within their communities.
Grounded in real-world governance and municipal leadership experience, this presentation connects advocacy, operations, and organizational culture to leadership development. It highlights how storytelling and demonstrating impact can elevate libraries in funding and policy conversations, while strong internal systems—staff development, inclusive practices, and effective governance—ensure that leadership is sustainable.
Participants will gain practical strategies to foster mentorship and allyship, strengthen teams, and build partnerships that extend beyond library walls. The session emphasizes moving from isolated leadership success to a coordinated, system-level approach where women are consistently supported, visible, and influential.
At its core, this session is a call to action: when libraries intentionally build and support a network of women leaders, they don’t just strengthen their organizations—they strengthen their communities.
Presented by:Angela Kublik
Description:
Many libraries already use community engagement techniques as part of their community assessment process, and anyone who has worked at a reference desk has many of the skills needed to engage effectively.
Find out how libraries can use community engagement techniques to better serve their communities and improve library services, beyond the needs assessment. We will talk about opportunities for libraries to use community engagement and introduce the essential elements of respectful engagement and a variety of engagement tools and best practices. Participants will have the opportunity to complete a one-page Public Engagement Plan for a project of their choosing during the session. The session will close with practical tips for implementing your plan successfully.
Presented by: Graeme Matichuk, Margaret Law, and Tom Slater
Description:
Friends of the Library volunteers are often a library’s strongest champions, but sustaining their support requires an intentional team effort. In “How to Keep Your Friends,” we will identify the hallmarks of effective Friends groups, unpack common friction points, explore how to cultivate healthy Friends relationships, and learn about innovative fundraising initiatives and governance approaches from Friends groups worldwide.
Whether your Friends are a dream team, hitting a rough patch, or not yet established, you will learn how to keep your volunteers energized and your library well-supported for the long haul.
Dr. Margaret Law, author of Friends for Small Libraries, will lead this session in partnership with longtime Friends of the Library volunteers, Graeme Matichuk and Tom Slater, from St. Albert and Spruce Grove. Their expertise covers organizational behaviour, volunteer management, community engagement, and strategic governance.
Presented by: Megan Sellmer and Jessica Desormeaux
Description:
Audio, e-text, braille: these are the formats used by people who face barriers to reading traditional print. However, the need for accessible text in your library does not stop at alternate format collections. People who read in alternate formats to print need to be able to read your signs, your promotional materials, your website and be able to access every aspect of library service. Through polls and discussion, we will explore ways to make text in different components of library service more accessible to those who read in formats other than print.
Join Jessica Desormeaux from CELA and Megan Sellmer from NNELS to learn more about how to increase print accessibility throughout your library, from promotions to programming. Making your library more accessible not only makes it more inclusive to people with disabilities, it also raises awareness of different ways of reading and moving through the world. When you dare to do things differently and make your library a more inclusive place, you make a brighter future more accessible to all.
Presented by: Kristen Duke, and Lisa Hardy
Description:
Calgary Public Library’s journey toward play-centered spaces began with the integration of playful elements designed to engage children and families in both indoor and outdoor settings, with the most recent children’s space incorporating Indigenous Placemaking and sensory elements. In this participatory session, attendees will develop actionable strategies for co-designing culturally responsive, play-centered library spaces, highlighting the following areas:
1. Information Gathering: Practical tools and strategies to consult with communities to inform space redesign and to honour cultural knowledge.
2. Space Assessment: Methodologies to evaluate existing spaces and guide future design decision.
3. Design Development: Forming and articulating the concept, vision, and function.
Presented by: Megan Ginther
Let’s be honest—almost nobody loves performance reviews. Managers dread writing them, staff dread receiving them, and by the time the meeting finally happens, everyone has forgotten what happened six months ago anyway.
In this lively and practical session, Megan Ginther shares how a small rural library ditched the traditional once-a-year evaluation model and replaced it with something far more useful: regular, employee-centered feedback conversations. Instead of formal report cards, the library now uses quarterly G.O.O.D. Meetings — Goals, Obstacles, Opportunities, and Decisions — to support staff growth, address challenges early, and keep conversations focused on what actually matters.
This approach shifts performance discussions from awkward judgment sessions to collaborative conversations about learning, problem-solving, and support. It also separates feedback from pay decisions, helping reduce stress and encouraging more honest dialogue.
Through real-world examples, humour, and a few interactive exercises, participants will explore why traditional performance appraisals often fall flat and how simple coaching-style questions can transform difficult conversations. Attendees will leave with practical tools they can start using immediately, including conversation prompts, meeting structures, and strategies for building trust with staff.
Whether you supervise one person or an entire department, this session will help you turn performance reviews from something everyone dreads into conversations that actually help people grow—and might even make them a little less painful.
Presented by: Kelli Rae Morning Bull, and Kim Wagner
Description:
Truth and Reconciliation is a major priority in the Calgary Public Library’s strategic direction. This session will explore how CPL established a stewardship group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff and leaders working together to build system-wide capacity for this transformative work. We will share the consultation process that led to the adoption of our formal Land Acknowledgement as an essential tool for reconciliation, as well as the unexpected learning pathways it opened. These insights have shaped new, impactful initiatives across the library system.
By sharing our experiences, we aim to support other libraries in advancing their own Reconciliation journey with confidence and care.
Presented by: Angie Thom, and Dan Hackborn
Description:
Learn from Angie Thom, the Director of Jasper Municipal Library, and Dan Hackborn, a library researcher, about how they used Photovoice, a method combining photo documentation and focus groups, as a way of documenting and learning from the experiences and observations of the library’s staff and volunteers in the year after the 2024 Jasper Wildfire Complex. Photovoice proved to be a valuable and insightful way for Jasper Municipal Library to catalyze reflection and conversation about the impacts upon its staff, service model, and community, as well as the role that the library plays during recovery and staff’s hopes for the future.
Evidence-based best practices for disaster recovery assessments recommend interactive processes that centre the perspectives of those who’ve been affected, rather than purely quantitative approaches directed by emergency managers and officials.
Presented by: Corrina Chetley-Irwin, and Sharon Day
Description:
At the Edmonton Public Library (EPL), we often talk about the importance of hiring the right people. That led us to ask a fundamental question: what indicators are most predictive of exceptional performance in a Library Assistant? Our interest in understanding what truly drives exceptional performance and how we might better identify and assess it in the hiring process became the starting point of this project.
This session shares the journey that EPL took to better understand what truly predicts exceptional performance in a Library Assistant role. The project began with a clear question and a willingness to test what we believed mattered most in hiring. Using a data driven approach, including manager assessments, competency analysis, and a review of recruitment tools, the project focused on examining the knowledge, skills, competencies, and behaviours we were prioritizing, and whether those aligned with what actually drives exceptional performance.
During the project, many of our observations were confirmed while some assumptions were challenged. Factors we thought were critical turned out to be less predictive than expected, while other elements emerged as more important than we had anticipated. The experience highlighted not only the value of analytics, but also the importance of being open to insights and letting evidence guide decision making.
This session focuses on how we approached the project: how the question was framed, how data sources were selected, and how insights are being translated into action. Participants will gain a practical example of how a data informed approach can reshape recruitment practices, informing changes to competencies, job postings, interview questions, and assessment tools.
Panelists: Dr. Toni Samek, Luciana Erregue-Sacchi. and Haley Amendt
Moderator: Peter Midgley
Description:
Since Bill 28 was passed in May 2026, the Government of Alberta has introduced new provincial regulations for libraries to restrict certain library materials based on age. Public libraries, as well as writers and readers, have raised concerns about government interference in what people may read and access, and what these restrictions mean for intellectual freedom in Alberta. In the face of these new regulations, Albertans are forced to think about the consequences that book banning, censorship, and everything in between will have on present generations and those to come. What are we to do as regulations like this are issued, ones that seemingly affect our civil freedoms? What does this mean for libraries, their staff, and, most importantly, their visitors, as we look to the future? Join our panelists as they discuss Bill 28 and Alberta’s new library regulations, their implications for intellectual freedom, and how writers, readers, libraries, and communities might respond.
Presented by: 
October 21 Sessions
Presented by: Ainslie Harris
Description:
AI is now a part of our daily lives, whether we realize it or not. Libraries are knowledge and empowerment hubs for our communities, but many of us are using AI without understanding how it actually works, how to use it safely, and when we shouldn’t be using it.
In this session – designed for a non-technical audience – you’ll learn how AI generates outputs (spoiler: it’s not actually intelligent!). You’ll learn what an LLM is and why AI can give us false information that looks like real facts. We’ll cover how to manage privacy risks, the importance of governance, and explore how built-in bias in AI tools can affect our communities in ways we might not realize.
We’ll work through a few real-world scenarios interactively so you can see how to apply the strategies and techniques we’ve covered.
You’ll leave this session with clear frameworks that give you foundational knowledge you can use immediately to promote safe, responsible, and productive AI use in your institutions and communities.
Presented by:Andrea Johnston
Description:
Considering moving from public to academic librarianship but not sure where to begin? Look no further as this session offers a practical roadmap for making the transition with confidence and style! Drawing on six years in public libraries and successful roles at two academic institutions, I’ll share firsthand insights into adapting core public library skills to meet academic expectations. We’ll explore key cultural differences, competencies for academic roles, as well as targeted professional development resources to help hone your already-awesome skillset. Attendees will leave with concrete strategies for tailoring their experience, preparing for interviews, and positioning themselves as strong candidates. This session empowers public librarians to view academic librarianship not as a leap, but as an achievable next step in their careers.
Presented by: Katherine Gibson
Description:
This session will introduce attendees to the Edmonton Public Library’s highly successful Capital City initiative, which includes supporting local writers, musicians, and artists. We will focus on different ways this initiative has leveraged local partnerships by exploring one of our most popular programs, Sounds from the Valley. This weekly summer series brings together local musicians, writers, and artists for free public concerts, readings, pop up art displays, and interactive exhibitions. The result is immersive evenings that celebrate local creators, set against the backdrop of the Rainbow Valley.
The session will begin with a brief overview of how the collaboration started in 2022 and how it has evolved over the past five seasons. We’ll share what has gone well, what has been challenging, and how our approach has shifted over the years, providing practical insights for libraries interested in exploring similar initiatives in their own communities.
We’ll also highlight key considerations such as budget and time requirements, strategies for leveraging community partnerships, tools for connecting with local creators, and how this type of program can be adapted and scaled to suit libraries of any size.
Presented by: Alison Pitcher
Description:
This session will explore insights into workplace accessibility drawn from a recent study of neurodivergent academic librarians in Canada, highlighting how these findings can guide efforts to make libraries more accessible workplaces for neurodivergent employees, regardless of role or setting. Neurodivergent is an umbrella term, encompassing labels such as autism, ADHD, OCD, etc., that describes people who have a brain that functions in ways that differ from what is considered the norm. While libraries might consider neurodivergent patrons, there can be a knowledge gap when it comes to neurodivergent employees.
Some key findings from the study will be shared to provide context for the session, but the primary focus will be on understanding why workplaces may want to be more neurodivergent-friendly, what to consider when making workplaces more accessible, and some initial areas to target to increase accessibility for neurodivergent employees. Areas of possible improvement will range from neurodivergent awareness in workplace culture to physical workspaces. This session will be interactive, offering opportunities for attendees to brainstorm, share, and learn from one another. Attendees will be prompted to consider broader questions, such as why pre-emptive changes might be warranted rather than waiting for official accommodation requests, and why ‘whole person’ rather than just ‘employee’ awareness might matter. The session will focus on raising awareness of neurodivergent employees, giving concrete suggestions for increased accessibility, and sharing ideas and experiences among attendees.
Presented by: Allison Sivak
Description: In this session, join members of the Prison Libraries Project (PLP) to discuss offering feasible, low-resource literacy programs for people who are incarcerated. Members of the PLP will share successes and failures experienced during our two decades of volunteer work, with the aim to engage other library staff and board members to step into expanding equitable access to people in jails and prisons, We envision a province-wide network of libraries and volunteers who can share program templates, contacts, strategies, and ideas. We hope to build with others in Alberta to increase information access to a group that is so often denied that access. The PLP is a volunteer group, formed within the Greater Edmonton Library Association, which has worked on many literacy projects and programs for people who are incarcerated, as well as for those post-release. We have worked with people in many different institutions, as well as with people on parole. Our work has included parent-child reading programs, book clubs, writing workshops, art projects, résumé workshops, beading circles, collection building, information resource development, and game sessions. We have learned a great deal about working in relationship with community members and correctional staff. We propose that we build relationships between library workers and volunteers to build better supports together.
Presented by: Jim Turk, and Sharon Day
Description:
The Centre for Free Expression, in collaboration with the Edmonton Public Library, will provide an overview of the aggressive new forms of challenges being increasingly faced by public and school libraries to items in their collections, programs, exhibits and displays, as well as meeting rooms and other community use of public spaces. The new forms of challenges include notices of legal liability, public protests, demonstrations, petitions, aggressive use of Instagram and other social media, government orders, and systemic vandalism. Most significantly, the Government of Alberta’s Bill 28 gives the Minister of Municipal Affairs unrestricted authority over management, administrative and operational decisions by all Alberta local and regional public library boards and by public library professional staff. The Minister of Education has used his power to issues Ministerial Orders banning materials of his choosing from all school libraries.
The session will explore the nature of these new forms and discuss how libraries can effectively prepare and respond.
Presented by: Hailey McCullough
Description: An effective library board doesn’t happen by accident – it’s built through intentional onboarding, strong relationships, and clear governance and communication practices. This session explores practical, real-world strategies to create a board that is informed, engaged, and equipped to lead.
Participants will learn how to design an organized, welcoming onboarding process that sets new board members up for success without overwhelming them, including tools to streamline orientation and clarify roles early. The session will also highlight the importance of maintaining strong relationships with your municipality and how these connections can support recruitment, alignment, and long-term governance success.
Attendees will leave with adaptable tools, templates, and strategies they can implement immediately to strengthen board engagement and overall governance effectiveness.
Presented by: Oneisha Waskahat, Talon Stanley, Colette Poitras, James MacDonald, and Robin McLeod
Description:This panel presentation will take an open, dialogue-based approach to exploring what reconciliation means in library spaces across Alberta. Through guided conversation, panelists and participants will reflect on what reconciliation looks like at every level, from individual practice and professional responsibility to organizational policies, systems, and relationships with Indigenous communities. The session will create space for sharing lived experiences, diverse perspectives, and practical approaches grounded in real-world library work. By bringing together voices from across Alberta’s library systems, the discussion aims to foster meaningful understanding, accountability, and collaborative pathways forward. Participants will leave with a deeper awareness of their role in reconciliation and tangible ideas they can apply within their own library spaces.
Presented by: Gail de Vos and Sheila Smith
Description:
Libraries located in small rural settings must strive to be a central element in the structure of the community that they serve. This is done through providing relevant and exceptional service and through collective engagement with the community itself. One of the difficulties for smaller libraries is the scarcer community organizations to draw upon than their larger counterparts. Join Gail and Sheila as they discuss how their small library in Seba Beach has engaged with the varied local organizations and interest groups in the immediate surroundings.
This session explores the strengths and challenges for small rural libraries. In addition, we will highlight the ways that the board of the small library of the Summer Village of Seba Beach has reached out to all the local social organizations, both formal and informal, in the community to build connections providing social cohesion for the residents and strong support for the library, especially in times of chaos and turmoil. We have done this by building partnerships with local businesses and local organizations to create events and programs that appeal to the members of the community. We also created opportunities for community involvement with the library for volunteers and by asking for feedback on numerous topics and issues.
Gail and Sheila will also lead brainstorming discussions developing additional possibilities of community engagement relevant to your own libraries and local communities. Share your success stories along with ours to develop a large repertoire of ideas to strengthen the bonds between the library and the wider community.
Presented by: Katrin Sannig
Description:This interactive session will support library staff in understanding and responding to diverse communication needs, including those of individuals who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC). Participants will learn how communication accessibility goes beyond words and will explore practical strategies such as using supportive language, visual tools, and environmental adjustments. Through hands-on activities and real-life examples, attendees will leave with simple, effective ways to foster inclusive, communication-friendly library spaces. On a side note, October is AAC awareness month. With the Stronger Together conference taking place in October, this would be a perfect way to increase awareness for this very important topic.
Presented by: Melissa Ramsey
Description: Library collections users often see browsing as a meaningful and important part of a library visit. While searching requires a user to articulate what they want before they encounter it, browsing enables exploration and creates opportunities for unexpected delight. As most library users access physical collections as part of branch visit, designing spaces that promote serendipitous discovery could both promote library checkouts as well as encourage visitors of all ages to re-discover the joy of reading.
Recently, the Edmonton Public Library conducted an observational study to develop a stronger understanding of customer experiences with physical collections in physical library spaces. Through this study, we explored browsing behaviours, popular browsing locations, and more, with implications for library space design and results that can be extrapolated to any sized library. Come learn more as we take a deeper dive into this observational study and talk about reading for fun, browsing, and serendipitous discovery in physical library spaces.
Presented by: Cole Boychuk
Description: The session will give people pointers on creating retention schedules, as well as general records management guidelines. This will NOT be covering specific POPA/ATIA updates or legislation guidance, rather it will show how a retention schedule can help keep employees aware, generate guidance for policy and procedure, and keep institutions compliant with any legislation.
