The SLA Board has been reviewing the structure of the organization over the past few years, and is choosing to take the Association in a new direction.  In an effort to increase programming for members, to create a dynamic organization that is even more responsive to developments in the library environment, and to move from a working board to a policy board, there has been a major change in our staffing.

SLA is pleased to announce the hiring of Loraine Thompson as Executive Director. Ms. Thompson has a Masters of Education from the University of Regina and a Bachelor of Library Science from the University of Alberta. Her professional experience as a librarian and library consultant has involved working closely with a variety of government and community-based organizations, makes her an ideal fit to understanding and realizing the needs of SLA. Ms. Thompson will be starting her position on January 2, 2012. We hope you will join us in welcoming Ms. Thompson at the upcoming AGM.

SLA is also pleased to announce the hiring of Regina-based b-creative group (http://www.b-creative.ca/) to provide administrative support to Ms. Thompson. b-creative group has been providing association management services since 2001 and will work closely with Ms. Thompson and SLA to fulfill its vision, mission and services to its members.

SLA would like to thank Kirsten Hansen, former Program Administrator for SLA, for her tireless work and dedication over a number of years with our organization. We wish Kirsten well in all her future endeavours.

Please do not hesitate to contact any member of the Board Communications Team should you have questions or would like to discuss the changes that have taken place at SLA. The Communications Team is committed to providing timely information and conversing with our members to keep you informed as things happen.

Sincerely,

Communications Team
Gwen Schmidt, Director for Public Libraries
306-975-7606 or gwen.m.schmidt@gmail.com

Charlene Sorensen, Director for Education
306-966-5954 or charlene.sorensen@usask.ca

The Saskatchewan Library Association is undergoing many changes, and now is an exciting time of development and renewal.  The SLA Board is excited about these changes and about our future, and is committed to keeping you informed and to hearing your opinions.

Because there are a lot of changes coming, the first thing we have to announce is the creation of an SLA Board Communications Subcommittee.  Two members of the SLA Board – Gwen Schmidt and Charlene Sorensen – will be creating and sending out regular communications to the SLA membership on developments that you need to know about.  You will find these messages in your e-mail inbox and on the SLA website.

We are committed, too, to hearing from you.  We will be happy to discuss these changes with you by phone or via e-mail, and will consider your feedback very carefully.  Stay tuned for more news!

Gwen Schmidt, Director for Public Libraries
306-975-7606 or gwen.m.schmidt@gmail.com

Charlene Sorensen, Director for Education
306-966-5954 or charlene.sorensen@usask.ca

Penguin library eBook update

The Willow Awards website has added a new feature.  Readers are now able to leave comments on the current nominees as well as the nominees from previous years.  Launched in September there has already been an encouraging amount of traffic.  Sometimes the authors even respond to the comments left by children and their parents.

Reading Raptors Family Book Club held at the Sunrise branch of the Regina Public Library invited board members of the Willow Awards to come and do book talks on the Diamond Willow Award Nominees.  It was wonderful to have the opportunity to interact with the readers.

The Willow Award Board held another successful Buffet & Books fundraiser on October 27, 2011 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Saskatoon.  Carey Rigby-Wilcox, a literacy advocate was the well-received guest speaker.  The Gainer poster was unveiled at the fundraiser with the help of Carol Thiessen, who first pushed forth the idea of SYRCA.  The Regina fundraiser will be held on April 18, 2012 at the Hotel Saskatchewan.

The reading committees are hard at reading to find the 2012 set of Shining, Diamond and Snow Willow Award nominees.  There are many submissions to each category.  This year the Shining had 114 submissions, Diamond had 152 and Snow had 133.  That’s a lot of books to choose between.

For more information about the Willow Awards please visit www.willowawards.ca.

• Donna Frederick has been appointed as the Metadata Librarian, a three year term position effective September 8, 2011. Donna is a recent graduate of the San Jose State University MLIS program.
• Crystal Hampson has been appointed as the Acquisitions Librarian, a tenure-track appointment effective November 14, 2011. Crystal comes to us from the Regina Public Library, where she worked as a technical services librarian for over ten years.

Exciting things are happening at SLA and we wanted to send you a brief update to let you know what the Board has been working on since the AGM.

Search for a new Executive Director:  Our search for a new Executive Director is well under way. The job posting closed on November 7^th and the Personnel Committee will be short-listing and interviewing potential candidates as soon as we can. We hope to have our Executive Director in place by the New Year.

Office Transition: The SLA Board and Executive have worked together to create a transition plan for the association. Part of this plan includes updating the role and duties of the Executive Director to better reflect the needs of our members. We are very grateful for the help of the British Columbia Library Association and the Library Association of Alberta for sharing their job descriptions with us and answering any questions we had about how their Executive Directors fit in with the overall association.

In addition to revising the Executive Director’s role, our plan includes moving many of the current duties of the Program Administrator to the Executive Director and restructuring the office without the Program Administrator. As a result, Kirsten Hansen, who served SLA for three years as the Program Administrator, left SLA in October to seek other opportunities. Kirsten was a great asset to SLA and we wish her the best in her future endeavors.

During this time of transition, and until we find a new Executive Director, the SLA office will be without paid staff. However, the SLA Executive is working to ensure SLA business continues. During this time there may be delays in answering emails, phone calls and other inquiries. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but we know SLA will be in a better place once this transition is complete.

Stay tuned for further updates in the coming months!

Kind Regards,
SLA Executive

SLA is a provincial, volunteer, non-profit organization designed to further the development of library service in Saskatchewan and through libraries, the culture of the province. SLA achieved charitable status in 2003. The Saskatchewan Library Association includes as members: individuals, institutions, and organizations who share a common interest in library service and cultural activities. SLA provides information, advocacy, awareness, education, membership benefits and cultural opportunities for library workers and the public at large through its general operations and programs.

Responsibilities:

• Plan organization-wide activities including the Saskatchewan Library Association’s annual conference (i.e. setting objectives, developing strategies, budgeting, developing policies and procedures, and organizing the functions necessary to accomplish the activities)
• Seek out and builds appropriate funding opportunities to support the Association
• Develop, implement and evaluate a strategic plan, policies and procedures
• Effectively present information to membership, board members, executive and the public
• Along with the President and the Vice-President, represent SLA to The Partnership
• When requested, arrange and attend meetings of committees and task forces as an ex-officio (non-voting) member
• Arrange for and attend, as an ex-officio (non-voting) member, all board meetings; prepare and distribute materials; record and distribute the minutes

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate has:

• Creative, visionary leadership skills
• An enthusiastic, energetic work ethic
• Passion about libraries and information issues
• Effective and proactive leadership and organizational skills
• Experience in strategic planning
• Experience in writing successful grant applications
• Strong written and verbal skills
• Strong financial management skills
• Experience in liaising with stakeholders
• The ability to utilize new media (website, blogs, social networking, etc. for communication with the public and members)
• An undergraduate or graduate degree
• Knowledge of library/information issues

Desired Qualifications:

• 2-3 years experience in running a member driven organization
• Experience in communications and/or experience within the not-for-profit sector
• Experience with not-for-profit fundraising
• Experience reporting to a board or Executive Committee and working with a board to develop and implement its policies

Compensation Type:

This is a 1-year contract position with the strong possibility of renewal. The wage is $30/hour and includes a comprehensive benefits package.  This is a .80 position, at 4 days a week (28 hours/week).

Contact Information & Resume Submission:

Please forward your resume to SLA President, Amber Christensen, by email (slaexdir@sasktel.net).  The deadline for applications is November 7th, 2011 at 4:30pm CST.

The complete job description is included below.

Executive Director Job Description

See the Call for Volunteers for more information

Submit a Volunteer Application Form

Canadian Library Association
1150 Morrison Drive, Suite 400
Ottawa, ON K2H 8S9

The WILU 2012 conference will be hosted by Grant MacEwan University, Edmonton, Alberta, from May 23-25, 2012.

The Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU) is an annual conference that highlights the latest research, education, and innovations in the areas of information literacy, library instruction, and research skills. This is the 41st annual WILU conference.

“We must never lose sight of the values of the past, vigour, thrift, self-resourcefulness, upon which the individual and the nations of the world will stand or fall.”
~ Grant MacEwan (Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, 1966-1974)

Inspired by the words of our namesake, this year the conference theme of “Vigour, Thrift, and Resourcefulness” builds upon Grant MacEwan’s legacy and encourages participants to reflect on how we might ensure sustainable, accountable information literacy programs that build on past successes while embracing growth and change.

Call for Proposals and Registration Information coming soon!

Contact wilu2012@macewan.ca for more information.

2012 CLA National Conference & Trade Show

May 30 – June 2, 2012

Ottawa

CLA is pleased to announce that the call for proposals for the 2012 CLA National Conference is open. We would like to encourage proposals for program and poster sessions from the library, information, archive and related communities for consideration to present at the Conference.

The CLA National Conference seeks to provide a broad range of high quality professional development opportunities to the Canadian library and information community. The conference is an opportunity for individuals to share their expertise to an engaged an enthusiastic audience. Your contribution ensures the continued success of this national event.

Detailed instructions for submitting proposals are available at www.cla.ca/conference/2012. The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2011. Accepted presenters will be notified by the end of December 2011.

Questions?

Questions may be addressed to Wendy Walton at 613.232.9625 extension 302 or email wwalton@cla.ca