BC Library Conference 2016

Working and living in small communities where everybody knows your name (and where you live) is a special kind of librarianship, and presenters Emily Mathews and Amy Dawley have been transformed! In 2014 both Emily and Amy chose to disrupt their careers as librarians in West Vancouver and Prince George and transform themselves into rural librarians on Vancouver Island. With fresh eyes, Emily and Amy will share the challenges they have faced as librarians new to serving small communities, sharing their two very different experiences getting settled and building community relationships as newcomers. This presentation will focus on creative planning and programming to deliver services to rural and remote communities, giving session attendees a chance to share some strategies on how to adapt big city library ideas to small places. Emily and Amy will also make the case for more young professionals to consider making the leap to live and work in communities beyond the city limits.