Just a reminder -

MLA AGM will be held on:

Date: Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Time: 4:30 pm
Place: Room 15, Winnipeg Convention Centre

Food and beverage will be provided.

Open to all.

See you there!

On May 3, 2013, Benjamin Gillies called for the need to cut public library branches in Winnipeg advising that perhaps instead the Winnipeg Public Library could provide 3 or 4 larger branches. The full article can be read here.

MLA President Stephen Carney has written the following letter in response. The letter was published with minor edits here. Special thanks to Dawn Bassett, Kim Parry and Monique Woroniak for assisting in writing the response.

"Benjamin Gillies, in his article City needs to innovate, not slash (May 3, 2013 A9), suggests that the City of Winnipeg should consider reducing the number of physical library branches to three of four large branches and a number of small satellites for retrieving requested material. Gillies does not take into consideration the many roles that public libraries play in addition to their loaning of materials in a range of formats.

Libraries are a space for study and learning, provide meeting places for individuals, groups and organizations, and offer programs for community members. Winnipeg Public Library (WPL) offers literally thousands of programs each year out of its 20 locations (in 2011, for example, 3239 separate public programs saw a total attendance of 73, 496 http://wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/pdfs/annualreport2011.pdf). The types of programs and services offered range from family, child and teen focused programming, author readings, literacy instruction, English as an Additional language programming and Aboriginal services programming to name just a few.

Branch libraries are centres of the community where the public can access information and services without having to leave their neighborhoods. Suggesting the City shut down a number of branch libraries ignores how libraries are used by the public and their role in the development of strong, healthy communities.

Stephen Carney, President
Manitoba Library Association

Access 2013 is Access is Canada’s premier library technology conference bringing librarians, technicians, developers, programmers, and managers together to discuss cutting-edge library technologies. Join us in St. John's Newfoundland, September 23-26 for Access 2013!

The theme for Access 2013 is In Context:

As this will be the 20th conference, we’d like to reflect on the way that Access has grown and developed along with our libraries over the past two decades. What have we learned on this long strange trip? What were our triumphs? How have our failures made us wiser? Where will we go next? We’re looking for proposals that consider:

• our present context, and the challenges facing our user communities in digital preservation, in data archiving, in alternative publishing models, and in large scale search and discovery and more.
• the future context. How can we engage with trends like big data, linked data, open access, and interoperable cloud-based services? How can we build agile organizations that can respond quickly to emerging needs?
• the community context, the potential for new partnerships in digital humanities, in evidence-based practice, in web metadata, in maker/hacker spaces, in online cultural spaces. How can we reach out into non-traditional areas?
• our administrative context: the rise of interdisciplinarity and internationalization within our universities; new vendor business models; legislative reform around copyright, privacy, and access to information. How can we help to shape our context? How shall we advocate?

This year we want to take advantage of the flexibility of single track conference planning by letting you propose your preferred session length and format. Let us know if you want to do a traditional session, a quick demo, audience participation, storytelling, Pecha Kucha, lightening talks, a panel of experts or something completely different. Be creative. We’ll accept proposals in any format. You choose a length from 5 minutes to 45 minutes. Sessions over 15 minutes will be selected via peer-review. Please submit proposals to accesslibcon@gmail.com by May 15, 2013.

Krista Godfrey
Web Services Librarian
Queen Elizabeth II Library
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, NL
A1B 3Y1
t:709-864-3753

As the Vice-President of the Manitoba Library Association, and Chair of the Scholarships & Awards Committee, it is my pleasure to invite applications for two MLA awards: Jean Thorunn Law Scholarship and the John Edwin Bissett Scholarship. These awards provide substantial support to future librarians who are either entering, or are already in an ALA-accredited program.

The following awards are available:

John Edwin Bissett Scholarship (up to $6500)
Available to eligible undergraduates of the University of Manitoba who are pursuing a graduate program in library and information science. Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Manitoba.

Further information about the scholarship and application process is available on the Manitoba Library Association’s website at http://mla.mb.ca/awards-bursaries. The Application deadline is June 1, 2013.

Dawn Bassett
Manitoba Library Association
606-100 Arthur Street
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1H3
(204) 943-4567
http://www.mla.mb.ca/

The Manitoba Library Association is pleased to extend the deadline for our annual Manitoba Library Services Award and the Library Innovation of the Year Award to May 1, 2013. If you have not done so already, please visit http://mla.mb.ca/awards-bursaries for additional information or forward your nomination to manitobalibrary@gmail.com

The Manitoba Library Association is seeking nominations for several positions on our Board of Directors beginning in May 2013. Nominees to the board will be appointed/elected in May at the MLA Annual General Meeting during the Canadian Library Association Conference in Winnipeg (date and location TBA).

Volunteering for the MLA board is an excellent opportunity for building relationships, gaining experience, and contributing to and supporting the Manitoba library community.

We are looking for individuals who are interested in serving in the following positions:

• Vice-President
• Secretary
• Professional Development Director
• Director-at-large

The Vice President typically serves a 3 year term, taking on the role of President and Past President in subsequent years.

The Secretary and Directors serve a two year term on the board and are assigned to a variety of standing committees depending on their interests. Some directors will chair committees while others serve as directors-at-large with membership on various committees. Committees and position descriptions are available on the website at http://mla.mb.ca/mla-committees-positions

Board meetings are held in Winnipeg. Those living in rural Manitoba may participate in meetings via teleconference. We are also able to assist in covering a portion of travel expenses for in-person meetings for board members who reside outside of Winnipeg.

The deadline for receiving nominations is April 30, 2013. Nominations may be submitted to manitobalibrary@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Stephen Carney, President
Manitoba Library Association
606-100 Arthur Street
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1H3
(204) 943-4567
http://www.mla.mb.ca/