Governance

James Hope Howard is the Director of the Pahkisimon Nuye?áh Library System, a multitype and federated library system that represents and supports all public libraries, school libraries, postsecondary libraries and library boards in the Northern Saskatchewan Administrative District.

He is a present member of the Saskatchewan Information & Library Services (SILS) Consortium Board of Directors, and served as the Chair of the Saskatchewan Multitype Library Board (MLB) from 2017 to 2022.

James has also been a longtime presence in SLA activities and events, including multiple appearances as Master of Ceremonies for the Saskatchewan Libraries Conference, Co-Chair of the 2017 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference in Waskesiu, a Member-At-Large on the SLA Board of Directors from 2015 to 2017, and a member of the Logo Redesign Committee that selected the SLA’s current logo.

Michele comes to SLA with more than 30 years of public library experience, having worked in a variety of urban and rural settings across Saskatchewan and Alberta. She currently works as a branch manager with Regina Public Library.

Morgan Kelly is SLA’s Vice President of Advocacy and Development, and has been involved with SLA on several committees since 2021. In addition to her role with SLA, Morgan is also  the Community Services Manager for Southeast Regional Library. Her work includes region-wide programming initiatives such as TD Summer Reading Club, Saskatchewan Library Week, and Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling Month, as well as the development of regional resource kits.

Danielle is a library technician and currently works in the library at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. She has volunteered on many boards and committees, including the Saskatchewan Association of Library Technicians (SALT).

Deborah was born in to a Michif family and community, descendants of the Red River Metis, who moved from Manitoba to settle in other parts of what was then, the Northwest Territories.  Deborah’s family settled in the Qu’Appelle Valley near Lebret in the late 1800’s and later moved to the City of Regina in the 1960’s to access formal education and employment opportunities.  Deborah obtained a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Regina through SUNTEP and subsequently, completed a Master of Library and Information Services Degree from the University of Alberta.  She has since worked as an educator, a librarian, and an archival and information management senior advisor on Indigenous matters.  More recently Deborah retired from Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa and has returned to Saskatchewan.  She continues to research and write about her Metis history and through her own business, Michif Matters Consulting, provides advisory and research services.

Desirae has been working in Saskatchewan’s public libraries since 2019 and recently finished her MLIS with the iSchool at Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY). She sees the library as the heart of the community being served — fitting not only the “third space” concept, but personally sitting at the centre of her Ikigai (the Japanese concept of something that gives a person a sense of purpose, a reason for living). Desirae loves working with people and credits the great librarians she grew up with for the inspiration to finally pursue her dream of being a librarian when she “grows up” (although astronaut still sounds fun). She looks forward to continuing her work in library leadership roles that strengthen and build our communities.

Oksana Moshynska brings several decades of experience in research, management, and library and information science. She has completed graduate degrees and post-doctoral fellowships in health sciences from Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University and the University of Saskatchewan, and holds the Master of Management in Library and Information Science degree from the University of Southern University. Prior to joining Saskatoon Public Library as a Branch Manager, Oksana worked at the University of Saskatchewan as a Professional Research Associate, then as Research Advisor, and as a Head Librarian and Branch Manager of the North Battleford Public Library. Oksana has served on multiple boards and national committees. This is her first term on the SLA Board.