BC Library Conference 2017

Khelsilem – pronounced somewhat like chul ∙ sea ∙ lem – is a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh- Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw educator, non-profit founder, university lecturer, and language rights activist. He currently teaches as a lecturer at Simon Fraser University in Indigenous Languages.

Khelsilem tells us that his name is not the one given to him at birth. He became known as Khelsilem starting in October 2011 after he was chosen by his paternal grandmother to receive his name in a traditional Coast Salish name giving ceremony. The handing down of names from one generation to the next is common to many Coast Salish communities. Since then he has chosen to go by his Indigenous name instead of his English name as a commitment to the revitalization of Indigenous ways of being.

In 2015, Khelsilem founded an arts and education non-profit organization called Kwi Awt Stelmexw – a phrase that means “the coming generations.” Its programming is dedicated to creating a society of language speakers, artists, and cultural producers within the Squamish Peoples for the world.

Deb Hutchison Koep is the new Chief Librarian at the North Vancouver City Library. She has several years’ experience in library finance, preparing business cases for operating, capital and staffing resources and participating in public procurement processes for both facility and IT projects. She is an expert in library technology planning and implementation, and in her previous role at West Vancouver Memorial Library recently implemented new models for public technology service and staff technology skills assessment and development.

With leadership and management experience in Co-ops, government, post secondary, public library and private sector environments, Ben’s take on business cases is a little different. For operationalizing inclusive community approaches, and advocating for the use of open tools and social procurement processes, he has been labelled a “lightning rod.” Ben is currently the University Librarian at Vancouver Island University.

Daphne Wood’s experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors includes strategic planning, media relations, and brand management. She is a graduate of Carleton University's school of Journalism with a Masters of Business Administration from Royal Roads University and an Executive Masters of Library Information Science from San Jose State University. Daphne is the Director of communications and Development at the Greater Victoria Public Library and is serving as the President of BCLA in 2016/17.

Linda Garvin is the Executive Director, Customer Experience for Edmonton Pubic Library (EPL). Building on EPL’s Community-Led service, she is responsible for guiding strategies and delivering services, programs, and access to spaces for customers. Key areas of responsibility include Branch Services, material circulation and delivery, volunteer management, Indigenous services, and Facilities and Operations.

Dr. Jackson is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. Her research and professional interests focus on the area of Child and Youth Mental Health as well as vulnerable populations and community health. She incorporates the impact of the social determinants of health as well as trauma informed practice within her researching and teaching. Dr. Jackson has a strong background in qualitative methods, particularly narrative research and participatory action research.

Jevin West is an Assistant Professor at the Information School at the University of Washington and co-director of the DataLab. Broadly, he works in the area of data science and data reasoning and has developed education programs at UW for undergraduates, masters and PhD students. His research centers on an emerging discipline called the Science of Science, which reads the literature at the scale of millions of publications in order to identify the origin of ideas, investigate social biases in science, understand publishing and funding decisions, and build better search interfaces for better navigating large corpora. More details on his research and teaching can be found at: jevinwest.org

Carl Bergstrom is a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington, and a member of the External Faculty of the Santa Fe Institute. His research interests range from evolutionary theory to animal communication to bibliometrics to whatever the other members of his group are working on at the moment.

Amy Ashmore is a Collections Services Librarian at Surrey Libraries. She has previously been a Youth Services Librarian and Adult and Teen Services Librarian, and has been actively involved in library collection development throughout her career. Amy is one of the developers and past Chair of the BCLA Mentorship Program. She is a current organizer of Out of the Stacks, an informal networking group for the local library community, and an active community volunteer.

Rina Hadziev is the Collections & Technical Services Coordinator at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Throughout her career she has worked in both public services, technical services, and collections, and has selected in many subject areas and formats. Rina is passionate about providing excellent collections and loves the challenge of introducing new and unusual collections.

Rebecca Burbank is the Assistant Chief Librarian at the Powell River Public Library where she is responsible for shaping collections. Currently, she is preparing to move them into a new library space. She also has experience working with special collections from her time in Montreal’s Dr. Henry Kravitz Psychiatry Library. Her professional interests include community development through outreach and nixing fiddly work.

Chris has managed a wide range of Vancouver Public Library services, collections and units, including branches and Central branch departments. She currently manages the Selections, Acquisitions, Cataloguing and Resource Preparation units, and Interlibrary Loan Services. An active member of the BC Library Association, she is past Conference Chair, Treasurer, and board member. Chris has been involved with the iSchool at UBC (School of Archival, Library and Information Studies, SLAIS) as an alumni member supporting students and the school, and as an adjunct instructor in the areas of management and human resources.

Colleen Bell is Information Literacy & Web Services Librarian and has spent most of her two-plus-decades career focused on information literacy. But she is finally (finally!) getting the opportunity to move more fully into assessment as an area of primary responsibility. She was fortunate to have a four-month sabbatical in which to develop a draft assessment plan and explore a variety of tools and metrics for assessment.

Amy is the Electronic Resources and Assessment Librarian at Thompson Rivers University.

Laura Thorne is the Communications, Marketing, and Assessment Librarian at UBC Okanagan Library. Responsible for coordinating assessment initiatives, she recently completed an assessment plan for the library that is tied directly to the unit's strategic plan.

Camille Callison is Tsesk iye (Crow) Clan of the Tahltan Nation, holds a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.L.I.S. First Nations Concentration from UBC and is dedicated to the preservation of Indigenous knowledge, culture and cultural materials. She is the Indigenous Services Librarian and Liaison Librarian for Anthropology, Native Studies and Social Work and a Member of the Indigenous Advisory Circle at the University of Manitoba.

Camille is the Indigenous Representative for the Canadian Federation of Library Associations / Fédération canadienne des associations de bibliothèques (CFLA-FCAB) and Chair of the newly-formed Indigenous Matters Committee, member of the Copyright Committee and was the Chair of the Truth & Reconciliation Committee during its mandate from September 2016 – February 2017. Camille was recently appointed as a Standing Committee Member to the IFLA Indigenous Matters Section for a 4 year term commencing in August 2017 and to the Canadian Advisory Committee for the Memory of the World by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. She is a member of the Public Library Advisory Board for Manitoba, the Past President of Manitoba Library Association; and a volunteer member of the MLA Prison Library Committee providing library services to inmates. She was a member of the UM’s Bid and Implementation Committees formed to bring the Truth and Reconciliation Commission archives to the University of Manitoba, and she convened the 9th International Indigenous Librarians’ Forum (IILF) and co-chaired the 4 day conference with Elder David Courchene Jr. at the University of Manitoba in August 2015.

Scott Hargrove is the Chief Executive Officer of Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) in BC. He assumed the role in January 2015, having served in a series of executive positions at FVRL, starting in 2006 as the Senior Manager of Information Technology. From 2001 to 2006, he was the Manager of Information Technology at the Burlington Public Library, in Burlington, Ontario.

His current professional focus includes the rapidly changing role of public libraries in their communities, new library business models, and the natural intersection between libraries and technology. He frequently speaks on these topics at conferences and to special interest groups.

Scott has served as a Board Director for the BC Libraries Cooperative, chaired a provincial committee on software licensing, and is a current member of the Library Leadership Development Council.

Scott holds a B.Ed from the University of Victoria, an MSc in Computer Science from the University of York, England, and the Executive MLIS from San Jose State University.

An award-winning librarian, Maureen Sawa is the CEO of the Greater Victoria Public Library. Maureen joined GVPL from Hamilton, Ontario, where she developed Hamilton Public Library’s spectacular Central Library renovation project, an innovative partnership with the Hamilton Farmers’ Market. A firm believer in the power of ‘"doing more with more," Maureen is known for her collaborative approach to library service and community development.

A former children’s librarian, Maureen is the author of two critically acclaimed children’s books, "The Library Book" and "Car Smarts" (co-authored with Phil Edmonston, the creator of the iconic Lemonaid Car Guides) and has extensive experience in public relations. She has spoken at numerous library conferences across Canada and is particularly known for her popular "12 Habits of Highly Successful Librarians" presentation.

Sandra joined Vancouver Public Library as its Chief Librarian in December 2010. She joined VPL after serving as the Director of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at the University of British Columbia. Prior to that, she worked at the Vancouver Public Library, first as the Director of Branches East/South and Outreach Services, followed by Director of Systems and Special Projects.

While at VPL as a Senior Director, Sandra served as the National Director of the HRSDC-funded national demonstration project Working Together, which sought to evolve new ways of working with socially-excluded community members, led the VPL website redesign process, and initiated and ran the province-wide Beyond Words program which captured the social impacts of public library service in BC.

Prior to VPL, Sandra served as Port Moody Public Library's Manager of Library Services, as a Cybrarian at Vancouver's online learning community Suite101.com, as a reference librarian and cataloguer in Abilene (TX), and as a cataloguer at Calgary Public Library.

In the past, Sandra served as the President of the Canadian Library Association, on the British Columbia Library Association Board, and as co-editor of the PNLA Quarterly. She also led the establishment of and was a founding Board member of the national not-for-profit Centre for Equitable Library Access. Sandra is currently a Commissioner on Canada Council for the Arts’ Public Lending Right Commission and is the Chair of Library and Archives Canada’s National Heritage Digitization Strategy Steering Committee.

Dr. Norah McRae was awarded the 2016 Dr. Albert S. Barber Award from the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE). This award recognizes Dr. McRae’s continuous outstanding contribution to the advancement of co-operative education (co-op) in Canada, as well as a commitment to quality and excellence, and a deep knowledge of co-operative education that she shares with her colleagues from coast to coast.

Since beginning her career in co-op at the University of Victoria (UVic) in 1992, Dr. McRae has written and contributed to numerous papers and given dozens of presentations about best practices in work-integrated learning with colleagues from across Canada and around the world. Under her guidance, UVic’s Co-operative Education Program has adopted a competency-based framework that encourages students’ reflective learning, developed a consistent professional practice course for all co-op students, and created an online curriculum of more than 100 career-related resources that help students excel at everything from work search and career development to intercultural competence.

Deb Zehr joined the University of British Columbia in 2013 as Director, Community Partnership within the portfolio of the Vice President, External Relations. She has held numerous senior management and leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector and government, with responsibilities ranging from policy development and federal/provincial relations to operations and stakeholder relations.

Most recently, Deb was the Executive Director, Immigrant Integration Branch and Welcome BC within the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, where she was responsible for the design and implementation of settlement, integration, and immigrant labour market services in BC. These services were delivered by more than 100 sector partners across the province. From 2003 to 2009, Deb was the Executive Director of Immigration Policy and Intergovernmental Relations with the BC provincial government, which included the negotiations of the 2004 and 2010 Canada British Columbia Immigration Agreements.

Deb came to BC from Winnipeg in 2003, following four years as Director of Immigration Promotion and Recruitment with the Manitoba government, where she led the development and implementation of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (provincial selection of economic immigrants), the first program of its kind in Canada. Prior to moving to the provincial government, Deb worked for nine years at a community-based organization in Manitoba. Deb has a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Manitoba.

Gordon Yusko joined the UBC Library team in March 2012, after a decade in Silicon Valley as a member of the senior management group of the San José Public Library (SJPL). Together with San José State University, SJPL operates the largest joint academic/public library in North America. While there, he participated in a range of innovative initiatives, including the redesign of community programming and the design of five new branch libraries. He co-managed the jointly run Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and had an oversight role for the public library’s $10 million acquisitions budget.

Prior to working in California, Gordon was a Library Consultant for the Province of BC, with liaison responsibilities in the West and East Kootenay regions and the Sunshine Coast. Earlier in his career he was a reference librarian at the BC Legislative Library in Victoria.

Gordon focuses on enhancement of the Learning Centre’s and UBC Library’s community engagement efforts through innovative programs and partnerships, both off and on campus. He provides leadership and management of community engagement programs and initiatives and also collaborates in overseeing the Learning Centre’s physical environment.

As SFU Surrey campus director, Steve sits at a number of community partnership tables, including the City of Surrey’s Social Policy Advisory Committee, the Surrey Poverty Reduction Coalition (co-chair), the Local Immigration Partnership, the planning secretariat of Innovation Boulevard and the Surrey Healthier Community Partnership.

Am Johal is director of SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement, within the SFU Woodward’s Cultural Unit. He's a board member with the Vancity Community Foundation and a member of the steering committee for SFU's Centre for Dialogue.

Alex Garnett is Data Curation and Digital Preservation Librarian at Simon Fraser University (SFU), where, he works on initiatives relating to the new Research Data Repository. At the Public Knowledge Project, he works on new tools for automatic typesetting and rendering of scholarly articles. He also works for the SFU Archives, where he works on on implementing digital preservation tools such as Archivematica and BitCurator. A fun party trick is to ask him how he feels about the H264 video codec and then run away before he can respond.

Carla Graebner is the Research Data Services and Government Information Librarian at Simon Fraser University (SFU). She is responsible for research data management support, including data curation, data management planning, and providing access to data resources. As the Government Information Librarian, she provides support in navigating and accessing government resources. Carla is past Chair of the BCLA Information Policy Committee and sits on the Board of the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association. Carla also organizes GovInfo Day, an annual symposium of information relevant to librarians and library staff interested in government, legal, and data-related information.

Allison Trumble is a Children's Librarian who lives and works on Northern Vancouver Island. She is the Chair of BCLA's Information Policy Committee and is a recent transplant from the city and from the world of Academic Librarianship.

Mary Castellanes is a Web Graphics Designer at Vancouver Public Library with formal training in communication design, who has grown up with libraries very much a part of her life. She is interested in the open nature of web technologies, and the thoughtful application of design in our everyday lives. As a member of the Digital Services Web Team, Mary has been involved in the redesign of VPL.ca. The firsthand observations and feedback gathered from consultation and testing sessions with the public helped inform many of the visual design decisions for the new website.

Jessica Whu is a Web Librarian at Vancouver Public Library. Most recently, with her work on VPL’s website redesign project, she’s worked with staff across departments to assess and design web content that supports effective service delivery. Jessica loves how her work in information design, web development, and user experience intersect with her passion for people, communities, and user-centred services.

Kevin Stranack is the Associate Director for Community Engagement & Learning at the Public Knowledge Project (PKP) at Simon Fraser University, where he leads the PKP School for open access publishers and is responsible for the Project’s continuing education, community development, user experience, and communications.

Phil Hall has spent 37 years of his life working in libraries or as a librarian, starting as a “Stack Assistant” in a medical library to his current position as Systems Librarian at Vancouver Public Library. He has operated various collaborative provincial programs for public libraries and non-profit professional communities and helped a wide range of library colleagues identify and learn new techniques, new subjects, and new tools as the world changes around us.

Tami Setala is the Licensing and Business Development Manager for the BC Libraries Cooperative and really hates writing bios. She does love engaging with the library community to talk about ways the profession can thrive through these challenging times. With over 18 years experience in public and special libraries, she’s witnessed lots of changes in the library world.

Ken Haycock is research professor of management and organization with the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, where he develops and directs graduate programs in library and information management. He was previously director at the San Jose School of Library and Information Science, building it into the largest program in the world with four degrees and 2,800 students in the MLIS program in 14 countries; and at the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia, introducing with colleagues the joint MAS/MLIS program, First Nations concentration, MA in children's literature and PhD program. Prior to the academy, he was a member of the senior management team of the Vancouver School Board, responsible for curriculum and program development and implementation, curriculum resources and technologies, and staff development for 7,000 employees at 115 sites.

His consultancies, as senior partner with Ken Haycock & Associates Inc., include leadership development and coaching as well as governance, organizational and program reviews. In the broader community Dr. Haycock has been a public library trustee, elected school board member and chair, and elected municipal councilor. He has served on dozens of government and community boards as diverse as publishing, elimination of sexism, race relations, and community services.

Recognized by many associations, he was awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal for contributions to society and an honorary Doctor of Letters from Capilano University. Ken holds an Ed.D. (Brigham Young), M.B.A. (Royal Roads), A.M.L.S. (Michigan), and M.Ed. (Ottawa). His research interests focus on management and leadership, role clarification and effectiveness, organizational development, advocacy, and influence.
A prolific writer and speaker, Ken is a committed and passionate advocate for public education, libraries, and librarians.

Ken Jeffery is an instructor in the Digital Arts Department at BCIT and is a BCcampus Faculty Fellow for 2017. He is co-chair of the Open Education Working Group at BCIT, holds a Master’s Degree in Learning and Technology from Royal Roads University, and is a co-author of the open textbook Graphic Design and Print Production Fundamentals. With over 18 years of prior experience in visual communications, typography and design, Ken has a keen interest in how technology and openness converge to provide unrestricted access to all learners.

Arthur Gill Green is a passionate advocate for and trailblazing creator of open education resources (OERs). Green teaches geographic information science and environmental geography as a faculty member at both the University of British Columbia and at Okanagan College. He believes that OER is a core component of responsible, open pedagogical approaches. He is an open textbook author and developer of open source educational software. He is also a 2016 BCcampus Open Textbook Faculty Fellow and a 2016-2017 Hewlett Foundation Open Education Research Fellow. His research on property rights issues in Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and North America has been featured in several international conferences including the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). His current research program examines textbook costs for students in British Columbia, develops best practices for open pedagogy, and creates virtual reality OERs for environmental education.

Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani is the University Teaching Fellow in Open Studies and a Psychology Professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where he conducts research in open education and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Dr. Jhangiani serves as the Senior Open Education Advocacy and Research Fellow with BCcampus, an Associate Editor of Psychology Learning and Teaching, and a faculty workshop facilitator with the Open Textbook Network. Dr. Jhangiani’s most recent book is titled Open: The Philosophy and Practices that are Revolutionizing Education and Science, and was published with an open (CC-BY) license by Ubiquity Press.

Farhad Dastur is a faculty member at Kwantlen Polytechnic University where he teaches evolutionary psychology, perception, and cognitive ergonomics. His research interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning, sensory perception in pregnant women, the determinants of intersection collisions, and the role of anxiety in pattern perception. His involvement with openness weaves together teaching, research, scholarship, development, and advocacy. Highlights of this involvement include using OER to teach introductory psychology, researching the efficacy of open versus commercial textbooks, co-creator of the online open course, Introduction to Psychology for the OERu, selection as an Open Education Group 2016-18 OER Research Fellow, published the book chapter, How to Open an Academic Department, member of the BCcampus Advisory Group, and advocacy more openness through committees, workshops, and conferences. In 2017, Farhad will be co-leading a field school into the Amazon ecosystem to learn about its indigenous cultures and biodiversity.

Els Kushner has been a Children’s Librarian at the Vancouver Public Library since 2008. Previously, she worked as a Teacher-Librarian and as the BC Summer Reading Club Coordinator. Her professional work focuses on vulnerable families and young children in library and community settings, most recently in the Strathcona and Downtown Eastside neighbourhoods. Els believes strongly in the power of individual relationships as drivers of change and progress.

Robyn Lean has worked with the YWCA, in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, for the past two years. She currently works as an Aboriginal Infant Development Consultant (by providing culturally safe support for Aboriginal families with children 0-6 years of age, at risk of developmental delays) and Regional Advising to other consultants and programs in the North Fraser Region. She has a strong background in program facilitation and providing 1:1 support and advocacy for women. Robyn strives to be a visible Cree woman in a positive leadership role to represent and champion for equal rights of Aboriginal women and children.

Jeff Narver is the Director of Infrastructure and Resources at Fraser Valley Regional Library. For the past 26 years, Jeff worked for 3M Canada in various sales, marketing, business development and operations management roles. During the past 10 years, Jeff worked as a senior rep for the 3M Library Systems Division, planning, selling, and implementing hundreds of technology projects in Western Canada and the United States.

Fraser Valley Regional Library's Chief Executive Officer, Scott Hargrove, is a known and respected presenter in Canada and the US at events designed for library leaders, boards, and government officials. His presentations focus on technology trends, new business models for libraries and emerging competition for libraries

Kyla is the Member Engagement Officer with the BCIT Faculty & Staff Association. With almost two decades of experience in non-profit administration, governance, fundraising, engagement and communications, Kyla is an active volunteer having served on many boards including Check Your Head, PEDAL, Kiwassa St. David's Preschool, Rising Star Co-op, and Next Up. She currently sits on the executive for the PAC at her son's school, serves as a Director with the BC Library Trustees Association (BCLTA), and is a 2017 participant in the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference. In her final term with VPL she is honoured to be serving as the Chair. To fill in her free time Kyla loves to read and is lucky to have a child who still loves to be read to.

Karen is in her second term as President of CUPE 2950. She is no stranger to UBC as she graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit and Political Science. She came back to UBC in 2007 where she started as a temp in Staff Finders and then went on to become the Assistant to the Director at the Irving K Barber Learning Centre until 2013 when she was elected President of CUPE 2950.
Karen is actively involved in the labour movement.
She was elected General Vice-President of CUPE BC at the 2015 convention and currently chairs the CUPE BC Library and CUPE BC Women’s Committees. She also represents the local on the CUPE BC Universities Committee. She represents BC as the co-chair of the CUPE National Library Workers Committee and was elected as Trustee for the national union at the 2015 CUPE National Convention.
Karen also represents CUPE BC as an Officer of the BC Federation of Labour.
In 2012 Karen was selected as one of Canada’s 230 emerging leaders at the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.

Alex Hemingway’s work focuses on the state of BC’s public services, including education, healthcare, social services and regulation, particularly in the face of growing societal challenges that require a collective response. He also investigates the taxation system and its relationship to inequality and the capacity of government to provide high-quality and accessible public services.

Carlos currently works as the Labour Staff Representative at the United Way of the Lower Mainland. As part of his role at the United Way, Carlos works with provincial, national and international unions towards a better understanding of the work the UW does in the community as well as how to engage members during community impact campaigns. Originally, as a member of CUPE Local 402 (Surrey City Workers) Carlos worked as an executive at large and communications rep for 10 years. During that time, Carlos participated and  completed the NextUP Leadership Program led by the Canadian Centre for Public Policy. Carlos also facilitates the Labour Community Advocate program at CLC Western Region Winter School and is the host of the Labournauts podcast.

Kiersten Duncan is in her second term on Maple Ridge City Council. Duncan is a full time Geography student at the University of the Fraser Valley with a focus in environmental science and urban development. She serves as the council liaison on the following committees - Active Transportation Advisory Committee, Public Art Steering Committee, Parks and Leisure Services Commission, Ridge Meadows Recycling Society and the Audit Committee. 

Shannon Ozirny is the Head of Youth Services at the West Vancouver Memorial Library. In her five years at WVML, she has implemented a youth technology petting zoo, technology lending kits (including Raspberry Pis and MaKeyMaKeys), a district-wide school library card program, a World War local history research partnership with secondary schools, and a Raspberry Pi program that involves more than 140 children each year. Shannon has a monthly young adult book column in the Globe and Mail and also reviews regularly for Quill & Quire. She is on twitter @shannonozirny

Dan Pon is a librarian based in unceded Coast Salish territories. He holds a MLIS degree from UBC (2012) and works as a librarian at Langara College and the West Vancouver Memorial Library. Dan manages the archive at grunt gallery and is currently conducting research on behalf of the Belkin Art Gallery and Geoffrey Farmer's outdoor public art project Nothing Can Separate Us (When the Wheel Turns Why Does a Pot Emerge?).

Tania Alekson has been part of the small but robust Capilano University Library team since 2010. As Student Experience Librarian, she has been responsible for coordinating the library's assessment and communications efforts for the past three years.

Rob Bittner is a PhD Candidate in the department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University. His main field of study is the emergence of new sexual and gender identities in fiction for young people-most notably intersex, transgender, and gender nonconforming individuals—as well as exploring the possible social, institutional, and political implications of such portrayals. Rob is an advocate for greater gender and sexual diversity in literature, and also for increased service to gender and sexual minority populations in libraries and schools.

Tara is a librarian who doesn't work in a library. She likes figuring out how things work, why they break, and how to make them work better. She's really interested in ethics and exploring collections and places where open access to information is not appropriate.

She's passionate about universal design, access to information, open source software, intellectual freedom, feminism, and Fluevog shoes.

Jarrett M. Drake is the Digital Archivist at the Princeton University Archives, where his primary responsibilities include managing the Digital Curation Program and describing archival collections for the Princeton University Archives. He also is one of the organizers and an advisory archivist of A People’s Archive of Police Violence in Cleveland, an independent community-based archive in Cleveland, Ohio, that collects, preserves, and provides access to the stories, memories, and accounts of police violence as experienced or observed by Cleveland citizens. In addition to those responsibilities, Jarrett serves on the advisory boards of Documenting the Now: Supporting Scholarly Use and Preservation of Social Media Content and The Eugenic Rubicon: California’s Sterilization Stories.

Outside of archives, Jarrett is a humanities instructor in the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) Consortium through the Princeton Prison Teaching Initiative, teaching preparatory and introductory college composition. He also is a member of the 2016 cohort of the Mandela Dialogues on Memory Work, a program organized by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Global Leadership Academy that convenes an international dialogue series for thought leaders and change agents in the field of memory work. Jarrett earned a B.A. in history from Yale College and an M.S.I. from the University of Michigan School of Information. His prior work experience includes the University of Michigan Special Collections Library, the Bentley Historical Library, and the Maryland State Archives.

Michael Wynne is the Digital Applications Librarian at Washington State University, where he provides support and training for Mukurtu CMS, and helps run community-oriented digitization and digital preservation workshops. Michael is a recent graduate from the iSchool@UBC, where he completed the First Nations Curriculum Concentration, and worked as a student librarian at Xwi7xwa Library.

Daphne Wood is the Director of Communications and Development at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Her career spans magazine reporting in Toronto, corporate philanthropy at FedEx Canada, and city-wide consultation projects in Vancouver. She brings extensive experience in marketing and is recognized as an accomplished facilitator. Daphne has a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University, an MBA from Royal Roads University, and an Executive Masters of Library Information Science from San Jose State University. She is a member of the Leadership and Management Professional Advisory Committee at San Jose State University and is president of the BC Library Association.

Jessica Woollard is the Communications Officer with the Greater Victoria Public Library, where she tells the library’s stories through traditional and social media, promotional material, and online marketing. With 10 years’ experience in communications for not-for-profits, Jessica uses language to inform, engage, and inspire stakeholders, boosting their connection to and involvement with the library. She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Victoria and hones her rhetorical skills by writing freelance for magazines, businesses and non-profits.

Stephen joined Vancouver Public Library in 2012, and has extensive expertise and experience leading marketing and communications in large, diverse organizations; he has worked with agencies, non-profits and public-sector organizations. A journalist by training, his earliest communications work was in community and national media as a reporter, editor and photographer, and he was a Vancouver-based Western Canada correspondent for several U.S. and international news organizations.

He moved into marketing roles at the B.C. Institute of Technology and then Vancouver Community College, where for nearly 10 years he led the college's marketing and communications department, which during his tenure won several national excellence awards for its work. He has been a faculty member in part-time studies at BCIT, and is an e-communications contributor supporting one of B.C.'s largest non-profit development agencies.

Formally the Executive Director at BC Libraries Cooperative, Ben is now University Librarian at Vancouver Island University. A leader, technologist, and policy strategist, he has held positions in Co-ops, government, public and post-secondary libraries, and private sector environments. For operationalizing inclusive community approaches, and advocating for the use of open tools, he has been labelled a “lightning rod.”

Dan Phillips has been the Director, Technology and Risk Management at the Greater Victoria Public Library since 2007. Prior to joining the Library he worked in a variety of capacities in the BC government, including a Systems Engineer, Data Analyst, Business Analyst Risk Management Consultant, and Project Manager. He is a strong supporter of libraries and a firm believer in open access and freedom of information. He is a current a member of ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) and past member of the BC Libraries Cooperative Board.

In addition to 20 years of IT/IM experience, Dan is also well-versed in risk management and acts of the Privacy Officer at GVPL. He holds a CRM (Canadian Risk Manager) certificate from Simon Fraser University, a CRISC (Certified Risk and Information Systems Controls), a CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor), a CGEIT (Certified Governance Enterprise Information Technology), and a CISM (Certified Information Security Management) through ISACA.

Paul Joseph is the Systems Librarian and Solutions Architect for the University of British Columbia Library. For eight years, working with Library IT and UBC IT, he has lead the development of innovative software solutions focusing on integrating data and applications from the Library’s various systems to improve discovery of and access to the its collections and services. Prior to UBC, Paul has been in a variety of roles in the public and private sector, working with government documents and maps, cataloguing various media objects, and designing information architecture solutions.

Ken Haycock is research professor of management and organization with the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California where he develops and directs graduate programs in library and information management. He was previously director at the San Jose School of Library and Information Science, building it into the largest program in the world with four degrees and 2,800 students in the MLIS program in 14 countries and at the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia, introducing with colleagues the joint MAS/MLIS program, First Nations concentration, MA in children's literature and PhD program. Prior to the academy, he was a member of the senior management team of the Vancouver School bBoard, responsible for curriculum and program development and implementation, curriculum resources and technologies and staff development for 7,000 employees at 115 sites.

His consultancies, as senior partner with Ken Haycock & Associates Inc., include leadership development and coaching as well as governance, organizational and program reviews. In the broader community Dr. Haycock has been a public library trustee, elected school board member and chair, elected municipal councilor and served on dozens of government and community boards as diverse as publishing, elimination of sexism, race relations and community services.

Recognized by many associations he was awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal for contributions to society and an honorary Doctor of Letters from Capilano University. Ken holds an Ed.D. (Brigham Young), M.B.A. (Royal Roads), A.M.L.S. (Michigan), and M.Ed. (Ottawa). His research interests focus on management and leadership, role clarification and effectiveness, organizational development, advocacy and influence.

A prolific writer and speaker, Ken Haycock is a committed and passionate advocate for public education, for libraries and for librarians.

Michael Burris is the Executive Director at Public Library InterLINK. InterLINK is a federation of 18 public libraries in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Sunshine Coast and the Sea-to-Sky corridor. Prior to his tenure at InterLINK, Michael was the Executive Director of the British Columbia Library Association for 10 years. His other experience includes serving as Chief Librarian in Kitimat and as Public Services Librarian in Yellowknife. He holds an MLIS from the University of Alberta and a BA in American History from the University of Lethbridge.

Elizabeth Tracy a passionate leader with a clear understanding of the importance of connecting with community; a visionary with experience who can engage in the transformative process without losing sight of the now.

Andrea Freeman joined Vancouver Public Library in 2016, and is responsible for system-wide planning, development, implementation and evaluation of circulation services. Prior to VPL, Andrea served in leadership roles in both public and health libraries in Metro Vancouver.
Andrea received a Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) from the University of B.C. in 2006, and has been collecting certificates in leadership and coaching ever since. She is a current member of the inaugural Library Leaders Excellence and Development (LLEAD) program.

Barbara Sobol coordinates the UBC Okanagan Library’s services for undergraduate students. This includes oversight of the Inclusive Technology Lab and programming professional development for library staff.

Emma is the Director of library services for the residents of the Village of Pemberton and Area C of the Squamish Lillooet Regional District. Prior to moving to Canada in 2013, she worked in both public and school libraries in England, Northern Ireland, and Germany.

Sabina helps public libraries help readers with print disabilities find books in accessible formats. She is the public services librarian with the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) and is based in Alberta.

Caroline Daniels is the BC PDL Steering Committee Chair, and a member of the PDL Administrative Team. She is the Systems, Interlibrary Loan and Web Librarian at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and a BCLA Board Member.

Dan Sifton is a member of the PDL Admin team and the lead on the project platform/infrastructure. He is the Coordinator of Library Automation and Technical Services at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, where he works with technology (and people!). He’s an avid fixed gear cyclo-commuter, and most days he’s really excited to get to work. 

Jenny Benedict is a member of the BC PDL Steering Committee. She has served as a senior public library administrator for ten years, seven of them at West Vancouver, and is currently Chair of the Association of British Columbia Public Library Directors.  She has a keen interest in enriching communities by surfacing public library resources through technology. 

Max Otte  is a member of the BC PDL Steering Committee. He is a digital information strategist for the provincial government of British Columbia, where he previously worked as an archivist. Max is also the Vice President (incoming President) of the Archives Association of British Columbia. Max is particularly interested in the question of how to provide access to archives in the digital age and is excited to be involved in the PDL initiative.

Ember Lundgren  is the Preservation Manager at the Royal BC Museum and Archives, responsible for the care of Archival collections, digital preservation and digital access. Ember is passionate about assisting colleagues in the museum to make their digital projects a success. Each project from the museum collections poses a unique opportunity for research into best practices and Ember enjoys facilitating the workflow with colleagues.

Sandra Singh is the Chief Librarian of the Vancouver Public Library. She is also the inaugural Chair of the National Heritage Digitization Strategy.

Emily Drabinski is Coordinator of Library Instruction at Long Island University, Brooklyn. She edits Gender & Sexuality in Information Studies, a book series from Library Juice Press/Litwin Books, and sits on the board of Radical Teacher, a journal of socialist, feminist, and anti-racist teaching practice.

Chelsea Jordan-Makely recently stepped into a new role as Technology and Support Services Librarian at the Whister Public Library, roughly her twelfth library job in just seven years. In 2016, Chelsea was a member of InterLINK's Project LLEAD. She is passionate about critical librarianship, service excellence, advocacy, and outcomes measurement, and applies lessons learned from yoga, mountain biking, and life with a sociologist also to her career. She has lived in Squamish since 2013.

Andrea Freeman recently joined Vancouver Public Library as the Manager, Circulation Services. In addition to making the transition between public libraries, she has also moved between sectors—switching to public libraries after years in health and special libraries. She is committed to developing high-performing teams, believes relationships are the foundation to success, and is obsessed with learning about coaching and emotional intelligence and how to apply these in the library. Andrea was a member of the inaugural year of InterLINK's Project LLEAD.

Director of Customer Experiences at Coquitlam Public Library is a new role for Maryn Ashdown, who spent nine fun years at Port Moody Public Library prior. Like the other speakers on this panel, Maryn took part in InterLINK's Project LLEAD in 2016.

Ravi Basi is Manager of Multicultural Services at Surrey Libraries. For the past 25 years she has provided outreach, programs, and workshops to newcomers, immigrants, and refugees in Surrey, BC, one of Canada's most ethnically diverse cities, as well as formed strategic liasions with community stakeholders such as immigrant settlement agencies and the City of Surrey's diversity departments. Ravi has also been involved with ongoing anti-racism programs and initiatives.

Ravi's work with multicultural communities is fuelled by her own family's experience as immigrants, as well as the conviction that immigrants enrich our communities and are vital to Canada's success on the world stage, and that libraries can play a crucial role in their transition and success.

Fereshteh Kashefi is Multicultural Services Librarian at North Vancouver City Library where her passion for all things multicultural is focussed on building multilingual collections and improving library services to immigrant communities.
Prior to moving to Canada, Fereshteh was Head of National Bibliography at the National Library of Iran and also taught Cataloguing and Classification at the University of Tehran.

Shannon Ozirny is the Head of Youth Services at the West Vancouver Memorial Library. In her five years at WVML, she has implemented a youth technology petting zoo, technology lending kits (including Raspberry Pis and MaKeyMaKeys), a district-wide school library card program, a World War local history research partnership with secondary schools, and a Raspberry Pi program that involves over 140 children each year. She has a monthly young adult book column in the Globe and Mail and also reviews regularly for Quill & Quire. She's on twitter @shannonozirny

Jenny Benedict is Director of Library Services at West Vancouver Memorial Library. She has served as a senior public library administrator for ten years, seven of them at West Vancouver, and is currently Chair of the Association of British Columbia Public Library Directors. She is keenly interested in the intersection of community, digital literacy, and public libraries, as well as the opportunities and impacts of technological evolution.

Sarah Felkar is the Digital Access Librarian at the West Vancouver Memorial Library. She specializes in making technology happen to library initiatives, as well as digital literacy training for staff and patrons. Active on Twitter, she is also interested in knitting, fantasy novels, and shiny gadgets.

Daphne Wood is the Director of Communications and Development at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Her career spans magazine reporting in Toronto, corporate philanthropy at FedEx Canada, and city-wide consultation projects in Vancouver. She brings extensive experience in marketing and is recognized as an accomplished facilitator. Daphne has a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University, an MBA from Royal Roads University, and an Executive Masters of Library Information Science from San Jose State University. She is a member of the Leadership and Management Professional Advisory Committee at San Jose State University and is president of the BC Library Association.

As Head of Archives, Access and Digital, David oversees an integrated department that includes the BC Archives, physical and digital access to collections, and preservation and digital services and initiatives. David is responsible for the care of the archive’s collection, growth and maintenance of the archive’s and museum’s collections management databases, the development of strategic partnerships and an array of related services. David has an MA from Royal Roads University focussing on digital communications and a BA from the University of Victoria. He is President of the BC Museums Associations and Development Chair at the Greater Victoria Public Library.

Allison Trumble is a Children's Librarian who lives and works on Northern Vancouver Island. She is the Chair of BCLA's Information Policy Committee and is a recent transplant from the city and from the world of Academic Librarianship.

Maryann Kempthorne has worked in news, business, software development, cultural institutions, and libraries in and around Vancouver. A bibliographer and media librarian by trade, she works hard to broaden and engage access to resources in the form any user might require. She is committed to library systems that optimize discoverability, is engaged around creating rich, user-centred digital delivery, and is driven to advocate for fair and open access principles in library service design.

Andre is the Business and GIS Librarian at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He obtained his MLIS from UBC in 2011, and has strengths in both business research and data services. Andre's library experience includes Simon Fraser University, Douglas College, and North Vancouver City Library. Prior to obtaining his MLIS, Andre worked for 10 years as a small business owner of a sound editing company.

Irena is the Reference and Instructional Librarian at UBC’s David Lam Management Research Library. She has worked as a librarian in Ottawa for a few years before moving to BC. Irena has a BCom degree which is a great asset when working with business collections and communicating with Commerce students and faculty.

Mark Bodnar has been working as a business librarian for many years, but still loves to learn about new tools that he can share with colleagues, entrepreneurs, and anyone who will listen.

Joe Haigh is a reference librarian at the New Westminster Public Library and Langara College. His professional background is in reference services, collections, instruction, and online course creation. His research interests are libraries and social justice, assessment, library support for degree completion, and the relationship between libraries and the welfare state.

Shelley Wilson-Roberts is Acting Head of Public Services at the New Westminster Public Library. She has been in public libraries for 12 years in a variety of roles, but always with a public service focus. She is co-chair of the BCLA Readers' Advisory Interest Group.

Faith Jones is Library Director at Columbia College and teaches public librarianship at UBC's iSchool. Her research interests are library history and libraries in the social sphere.

Peggy Lunn has worked in many roles in school, public, and academic libraries in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and now British Columbia. These roles have ranged across information services, programming, collections, instruction and administration. No matter what the role, what has remained constant is that finding and participating in a community of practice is the best way to get better at your job and enjoy your workplace.

Christina Nilsen has been a Research Services Librarian, liaison to the Colleges of Science and Engineering, and Lead Librarian for Assessment at Seattle University since 2015. Before that, she worked as a Reference Librarian at Highline Community College in Des Moines, Washington; Campus Librarian at Thompson Rivers University's (TRU) Williams Lake, BC, campus; and as the Borrower and Data Services Librarian at TRU's Kamloops, BC, campus. Christina holds BA and MA degrees in History from the University of Victoria and an MLIS from the University of British Columbia.

Laura Tribe is the executive director of OpenMedia, a grassroots advocacy organization committed to protecting the free and open Internet. With a background in the intersection of human rights and information communication technologies, Laura loves the Internet and is excited to keep fighting for what makes it great. Laura has been working with OpenMedia since 2015, previously leading the organization’s campaigns and advocacy on digital privacy. Before working with OpenMedia, Laura's experience includes working with Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), IFEX, and Canadian tech startups. She holds a BA in Media, Information and Technoculture from Western University, and an MA in Communications from Carleton University.

Rina Hadziev is the Collections & Technical Services Coordinator at Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL). Rina is part of the team who developed the Emerging Local Authors Collection, and has been involved in building and managing every year of the collection. She is proud of how this collection/service has allowed GVPL to say "yes" to authors.

Lara Riecken is the Senior Librarian, Collections Services at Greater Victoria Public Library. She is part of the team who developed the Emerging Local Authors Collection, and has worked closely with the authors who have contributed to the collection each year.

Carl Cavanagh is a Public Services Librarian at the Greater Victoria Public Library, with a focus on Adults, Seniors, and All Ages Literacy. He has been very involved in working with emerging local authors on programming at GVPL, and is involved in the planning for the 2016/17 Emerging Local Authors Collection.

Susan Paterson graduated from Western University with an MLIS and has worked at the Ministry of Natural Resources in Ontario and the Legislative Library of British Columbia in Victoria, BC.

She has worked as a government information librararian at UBC since 2009, is the Information Co-ordinator for the International Documents Task Force, part of the Government Documents Roundtable Section of ALA, as well as the Information Officer for the Government and Information Section of IFLA. Susan is currently involved in provincial and national web archiving projects including the Canadian Government Information - Digital Preservation Network, where she is a co-chair. Her other subject liasion areas include Social Work and French Language and Literature.

Carla Graebner is the Data Research Management and Government Documents Librarian at Simon Fraser University.

Dawn Ibey is the Director (Acting), Library Experience for the Vancouver Public Library. Dawn joined Vancouver Public Library in 1993 as a children's librarian and held various positions before joining the management team in 2007. She has served as Area Manager, Manager, Information Services and Manager, Circulation Services. She accepted the position as Acting Director in 2016.

Dawn is an adjunct faculty member at the iSchool at UBC and currently sits on Langara College’s Library & Information Technology Program Advisory Committee. She serves as the treasurer for BCLA. Dawn is currently working on the development of the Central Library’s renovation of levels 8 and 9, the operating agreement between VPL and Library and Archives Canada, and is on the planning committee for the relocation of the City of Vancouver Archives to the Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch.

Marnie Burnham is the Manager of Regional Services at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). She holds a B.A. in Anthropology, a Master’s degree in Archival Studies, and a certificate in Public Sector Management from the University of Victoria. Marnie began her career as an archivist at LAC in 1998 and has held numerous positions within the organization, including Manager of the Pacific Regional Service Centre and Strategic Advisor to the Director-General of the Public Services.

In her current role, Marnie manages LAC’s team of archivists and technicians providing services to government clients and the public via LAC’s offices in Halifax, Winnipeg, and Burnaby. In addition, she coordinates Public Service Branch initiatives pertaining to Indigenous-related research including serving as LAC’s representative on the Steering Committee on Canada’s Archives’ Response to the Report on the Truth and Reconciliation Task Force. Marnie has been actively involved in planning for the LACs transition out of its current regional warehouse facilities to more publicly accessible venues within the Vancouver Public Library and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax.

Heather Gordon is the City Archivist for the City of Vancouver. She holds a master's degree in archival studies from UBC and a BA (honours) in history from the University of Calgary. In 2005, she joined the City of Vancouver, where she managed the city’s corporate records standards project, an initiative aimed at standardizing records classification and records retention scheduling across the city. In 2006 she became the manager of the City of Vancouver Archives and then in 2013 was appointed City Archivist.

Her previous experience includes eight years working as an archivist for the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph in Kingston, Ontario, and six years as corporate records manager for the City of Coquitlam, BC. Heather serves on the board of Canadiana.org and is the co-chair of the Steering Committee on Canada's Archives' Awareness Strategy Task Force. She is currently working on the planning committee for the relocation of the City of Vancouver Archives to the Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch.

Gregory K. Dreicer is Director of Curatorial and Engagement at the Museum of Vancouver, one of Vancouver’s oldest and most innovative cultural institutions. He is an engagement strategist, curator, and historian known for explorations of cities, technology, and society. Gregory’s responsibilities include interpretive planning and the development of exhibitions, programs, and public access to collections.

He has worked and lectured internationally and has developed more than 20 exhibition projects, including, most recently, Your Future Home: Creating the New Vancouver (2016), which presented some of Vancouver’s most creative minds grappling with the city’s thorniest issues. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University's Department of Science and Technology Studies. Gregory is currently developing a public engagement/social connection project that revolves around trust.

Anita Sarkeesian is an award-winning media critic and the creator and Executive Director of Feminist Frequency, an educational nonprofit that explores the representations of women in pop culture narratives. Her work focuses on deconstructing the stereotypes and tropes associated with women in popular culture as well as highlighting issues surrounding the targeted harassment of women in online and gaming spaces. Anita earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies at California State University Northridge and her Master’s degree in Social and Political Thought at York University.

Anita lectures and presents at universities, conferences, and game development studios internationally. She has been a guest panelist at the United Nations and a guest speaker at various fan, media, and technology conferences including XOXO, The Media Evolution Conference, Women in the World, and GeekGirlCon. Anita has been interviewed and featured in publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Colbert Report.

Anita was named one of TIME's 100 most influential people in the world, was the recipient of the 2014 Game Developers Choice Ambassador Award, was given the 2013 honorary award from the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers, and was nominated for Microsoft’s 2014 Women in Games Ambassador Award. In 2016 Anita was awarded an honorary PhD from The New School in New York City.