The Alberta Library

Everyone deserves access to information 💛

A new guide shows how libraries and organizations in Canada can legally make content accessible for people with perceptual disabilities like large print, audio, or other formats 🎧📖

Accessibility shouldn’t be an exception it should be expected 🤝🌟
Libraries have a big role in making knowledge available to all 🍁

How can your library make content more accessible? 👀💬


https://www.slaw.ca/2026/01/21/from-exception-to-expectation-advancing-accessible-content-in-canada/

The guide linked therein
https://www.carl-abrc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AccessibleContent_EN.pdf

Libraries are starting to use AI in some pretty interesting ways, but it’s not just about jumping on a trend!

This recent Choice 360 article looks at how AI is being used to make it easier to find information, improve collections, and allow resources to be more accessible for everyone. At the same time, librarians are thinking carefully about important issues like privacy, bias, and how these tools actually impact users.

The big takeaway: AI can be powerful, but it works best when it’s used thoughtfully and with people in mind. Libraries are showing how technology can support learning, research, and access in meaningful ways.

What do you think about AI being used in libraries? 🤔

Evaluating AI in Practical Library Applications: Discovery, Collections, and Accessibility - Choice 360 Three talks at CNI center on evaluating practical applications of AI in libraries, including discovery, digital collections, and accessibility.

Equity isn’t just an idea, it’s something we can actively practice in our libraries 🌈

Imagine Canada has released practical guides to help organizations (including libraries) look honestly at their equity, diversity, and inclusion work and turn reflection into real action. These tools walk through things like assessing current practices, building inclusive teams, and keeping accountability at the heart of everything we do.

For libraries, this means creating spaces and services that reflect and serve all members of our communities, not just in words, but in everyday practice 🤝🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Equity is a journey we grow on together and these resources can be a helpful map 💡



https://imaginecanada.ca/en/research/equity-guides

We would like to invite you to participate in Climate Action Week 2026. Join libraries and other GLAM organizations across Canada in tackling climate change related challenges and emergencies facing our communities.

Participation can come in many different forms!

It ranges from book displays, movie-screening programs, panels on seeds and food security, nature walks to fight climate anxiety, climate cafés, recipe swaps—the sky is the limit! We want to empower libraries of all sizes to be seen by their communities as a tangible support during the climate crisis facing the planet.

Climate Action Week runs during the week of Nov 2 – Nov 8, 2026 to show our united commitment to climate literacy and community support.

Climate Action Week (CAW for short) is hosted by the BC Library Association and driven by libraries and library staff like you in all our provinces and territories!

Our website has lots of different documents, lists, templates, and tools to help you brainstorm what participation could look like for your organization. So, please get inspired by other participating libraries (https://bclaconnect.ca/climateactionweek/participating-libraries/) and use some shared ideas and resources (https://bclaconnect.ca/climateactionweek/ideas-and-resources/) to get started.

Please confirm your participation by e-mailing [email protected] with the name of your library and we will list you with the other esteemed library organizations around the country. We also ask you use the CAW logo on any of your promotions.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Reference interviews help librarians connect people with the info they really need 🔍

By asking the right questions and listening carefully, librarians can make sure users find what they’re looking for! 📖

It’s a small step that makes a big difference 💡

What’s one question you think every librarian should ask? 🤔



https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/reference-interview-lift.html

What if libraries helped support local news? 📰

A recent article from Library Futures looks at how libraries and newsrooms can work together to share community stories and improve access to reliable information.

As local news declines, partnerships like this could help keep communities informed and connected 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

It’s a simple idea, but one that could make a big difference 💡

What do you think? Should libraries play a role in local news? 🤔

New report on library-local news collaboration by Thomas Alexander | Library Futures posted on the topic | LinkedIn How can libraries, journalists, and newsrooms collaborate to create the future of local digital news? Our new report Exploring the Future of Library-Local News Collaboration by Thomas Alexander seeks to answer that question. https://lnkd.in/enhu2Qb2

Censorship is becoming a bigger challenge for public libraries. ⚖️

More libraries are dealing with book complaints and pressure to remove certain titles. This raises important questions about access to information, representation, and the role libraries play in their communities.

There’s no easy answer but it’s an important conversation. 💬

What do you think libraries should do? 🤔



https://www.linkedin.com/posts/david-mcmenemy-37415352_censorship-challenges-in-public-libraries-activity-7361369733721427968-u4Cn?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABcCKRUBAPJPtVWHIHPUoqW_6I-loZhmIsY

We want to share with you the opportunity for you to join over a thousand communities all across Canada to celebrate Canadian film and culture on CanFilmDay, which is April 15, 2026. 🦌🎬

How to participate:

Hosting an event for your library and community is easy and fun. The CanFilmDay team is here to help you find the right film for your audience and provide everything you need to put on a great event.

Best of all, it’s completely FREE. 🍁❤️

This year’s programming spotlight, Let’s Dream Together, features a list of films curated by Margaret Atwood, Atom Egoyan, Deepa Mehta, and 48 other Canadian icons! 🍁

See the full list and find the perfect film for your screening at canfilmday.ca/spotlight

Interested? Visit canfilmday.ca/register to get started, even if you’re still deciding on a film.

Does your community prefer a virtual event? Get in touch with CanFilmDay for more ways to participate.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email [email protected]

It's no joke! 🤡
Our Intellectual Freedoms are fundamental, as such it is important to communicate these freedoms appropriately to library patrons and keep the conversation going!

This interactive game by Library Futures is designed to help work on these skills and keep library staff informed on Intellectual Freedoms! 😎


https://www.libraryfutures.net/post/library-futures-presents-imagine-if

We are now receiving submissions for speakers at the 2026 Stronger Together Library Conference, to be held October 20-21 in Edmonton.

Breakout sessions will be 60 minutes in length. Speakers can use a range of session formats, including presentations, workshops, interactive games and more. We encourage you to find interesting ways to engage the audience.

The organizing committee has identified the following general topic areas for this year’s conference:
📚 Impact & Advocacy
📚 Leadership & Teamwork
📚 Community & Partnerships
📚 Operations & Sustainability
📚 Governance, Policy & Ethics

Apply today: https://strongertogetherconf.ca/call-for-speakers/

The deadline for submissions is 4:00 p.m. MDT on March 31, 2026.



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