Leader in Residence
About the conference
Each year a library leader is invited to speak on topics of interest to a wide variety of librarians and library staff members. These leaders have come from academic libraries, public libraries and governmental libraries. Some keynote presentations have been recorded and are available through the UBC Open Library portal. Attendees come from across the Okanagan to learn and share their experiences at this annual event.
Leader in Residence 2021
The Leader in Residence conference will take place virtually on June 28, 2021. We are pleased to announce that Kayla Lar-Son is the keynote speaker. This year, Leader in Residence will be jointly hosted by UBC Okanagan Library and Okanagan College Library.
About Kayla Lar-Son:
Originally from Treaty Six territory Kayla holds a Bachelor of Native Studies and a Masters of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) from the University of Alberta. Her professional areas of focus include Indigenous librarianship, Indigenous data sovereignty, Indigenous research methods, and embedded librarianship with Indigenous communities. Kayla is the Program Manager Librarian for the Indigitization program and the Indigenous Programs and Services Librarian for the X̱wi7x̱wa Library at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Kayla is also one of the co-hosts of masinahikan iskwêwak the Book Women Podcast.
Tentative Schedule
9:00-9:15am Welcome & Land Acknowledgement
9:15-10:15am Keynote: Kayla Lar-Son (UBCV)
Respecting Our Knowledges: Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Protocols in Canadian Libraries
Abstract: Libraries have long been the stewards of Indigenous cultural materials including Indigenous stories, Knowledges and Indigenous research that may or may not have been ethically conducted. But are libraries actually the best stewards for these collections? In this talk we will explore the concept of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and how it relates to libraries, as well as discover ways in which libraries can work with Indigenous communities to evaluate our own institutional priorities and procedures to develop culturally appropriate data protocols, and repatriate digital and non-digital collections.
10:15-10:30am Break
10:30-11:30am Lightning Talks x 4
Online reading lists – did they save the day?
Lindsay Wilson (OC)
Abstract: Okanagan College Library adopted Talis Aspire, an online resource and reading list system, in the spring of 2020, coinciding with campus shutdowns and the move to online learning due to COVID restrictions. Lindsay will discuss the joys and pitfalls of implementing and promoting online reading lists during a pandemic, how the reading lists have been used to date, and where we go from here.
Kickstarting a Library Accessibility Plan with a Student Practicum Project
Eva Gavaris (OC)
Abstract: Due to COVID-19, the Human Service Work (HSW) program was unable to place their students in the usual community organizations for their practicum. As a result, the library has the opportunity to work with the HSW students on an accessibility audit. Over a period of eight weeks, nine students (supervised by a librarian) are collecting secondary and primary research to assess the accessibility of each of the four campus libraries at Okanagan College and the library website. The result of this research project is a report and project presentation with recommendations for improvement which will presented on June 4th. This lightning talk will discuss the experience of supervising students and the results of the accessibility audit.
Archiving BC’s wine industry: where preserving history begins
Paige Hohmann (UBCO) & Emma Robinson (Quails Gate)
Abstract: In today’s future-oriented world we often neglect the past. Old records overfill storage spaces, while digital files quickly become obsolete, but oftentimes these documents can provide deep insight into our shared histories. Understanding our past and learning from it is critical to successfully lead the way forward. This talk will introduce the archival project undertaken by UBC’s Okanagan Campus Library to collect historically significant materials from wineries throughout British Columbia, beginning this summer in collaboration with Quail’s Gate Vineyard. The project combines archival appraisal and acquisition processes that will help preserve the wine industry’s past, with the implementation of records management strategies that will serve the vineyard moving forward. By preserving records that illuminate regional histories, culture, environmental change, and viticulture practices, and making them available through the UBC archive, the project will facilitate knowledge rediscovery and collaboration as the province’s wine industry continues to evolve.
Introduction to Freedom Libraries
Mike Selby (Cranbrook Public Library)
Abstract: Mike Selby’s book FREEDOM LIBRARIES was published last year by Rowman & Littlefield, and is now a required text in LIS education in the United States. Mike has been featured on numerous Library podcasts, and has spoken (virtually) at LIS classes and at public libraries. FREEDOM LIBRARIES won the Outstanding Academic Title of the Year by the Association of College and Research Libraries in December of 2020. The CBC is making a radio documentary about the book.
11:30-11:45 Break
11:45am-12:45pm Presentation
Pandemic Inspired Insights: A Conversation About Library Values
Barbara Sobol (UBCO) & Amy Paterson (TRU)
12:45-1:00pm Closing
4:30-5:30pm Trivia with Freida Whales
Please review our Code of Conduct
2021 Leader in Residence Code of Conduct
UBC Okanagan Library’s Leader in Residence Conference is meant to foster community and inclusion for library folks in the Interior of British Columbia. It is dedicated to providing a space that is positive for everyone regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), political beliefs and personal beliefs.
As a result, the conference planning committee has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of discrimination, harassment, or abuse in any form towards any participants, contributors, or presenters verbally, or non-verbally in the chat or otherwise.
Unacceptable behaviours include, but are not limited to:
- Harassment of any kind, even if it is in a joking or ironic manner
- Intentional or deliberate intimidation, stalking, or social media harassment
- Trolling, insulting or derogatory comments, or prolonged disruption of any of the conference content or events
- Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a workplace setting
If you witness or experience any form of harassment, or feel unsafe please contact a member of the committee (included below) or complete the anonymous form here. All complaints will be kept anonymous. Anyone adhering to this policy will be prevented from continued participation in the conference. Acts of harassment, discrimination, or abuse will result in the removal of the individual.
Participants are not to record or copy any of the content presented through the conference, unless it has been granted by the owner of the material. Minimal screenshots for individual use is permitted unless otherwise noted.
Thank you for helping us make this a welcoming space for folks to engage, learn, and share!
LIR 2021 Conference Planning Team
Donna Langille (co-chair) donna.langile@ubc.ca
Sajni Lacey (co-chair) sajni.lacey@ubc.ca
Barbara Sobol
Jeff Stonehouse
Lindsay Willson
Jennifer Finlay
Adapted from:
ACRL Statement of Conduct 2021
CAPAL Conferences as Critical and Empathetic Spaces: Towards A “Safe” Space
BC Library Conference Code of Conduct
The Conference on Academic Library Management Code of Conduct
Previous Leader in Residence Speakers:
- 2020: Cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions
- 2019: Camille Callison, Learning & Organizational Development Librarian and PhD student (Anthropology) at the University of Manitoba and Elliott Shore, Executive Director at Association of Research Libraries
- 2018: Gillian Byrne, Manager, Toronto Reference Library (recording)
- 2017: Terri Tomchyshyn, Department of National Defence, Government of Canada
- 2016: Pilar Martinez, Chief Executive Officer, Edmonton Public Library (recording)
- 2015: Margaret Haines, University Librarian, Carleton University
- 2014: Ernie Ingles, former Director, School of Library and Information Studies, and Chief Librarian and Vice-Provost, University of Alberta