Mychal Threets is a librarian, mental health advocate, and the library’s number one fan (according to himself, admittedly). He is a recipient of the 2024 “I Love My Librarian” award from the American Library Association, one of School Library Journal’s 2024 Movers and Shakers, one of TIME Magazine’s 2024 Next Generation Leaders, a 2025 TIME100 creator, and a 2025 The Webby Awards winner for social impact, and he is at OLA to celebrate the launch of his first picture book: I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy. Mychal will be interviewed by author, founder of the Festival of Literary Diversity, and CanLit treasure Jael Richardson. 

This Spotlight has been planned and championed by the OLA Public Library Sector's OPLA Council.

We curate more than information—we curate experiences, relationships, even memories and hopes. Interfluence is the way meaning is shaped—moment by moment—between people in conversation. It is not an abstract theory; it is the often-invisible work that happens in every greeting, every listening moment, and every response to a difficult request. In those moments, we are not just exchanging words—we are curating stories about what matters, what is possible, and how we see each other.

In this session, Dr. Haesun Moon—communication scientist and author of Coaching A to Z—shares insights from decades of research and practice on using conversation as a deliberate act of care. She offers practical ways to notice the stories being told and heard, and to make subtle, useful shifts in tone, direction, and word choice that amplify purpose, possibilities, and progress. Participants will leave with evidence-based tools to curate conversations that make their care both visible and audible. 

David A. Robertson, editorial director of Swift Water Books and Stephanie Sinclair, Publisher of McClelland & Stewart, discuss how publishing can reveal truths and lead writers and readers closer to the long-term goal of true reconciliation. Throughout their conversation, the two Indigenous editors will talk about complex histories, the persistence of Indigenous storytelling, and the joys and challenges of trying to represent the diverse Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island — examining steadiness, wisdom and love in two new anthologies, A STEADY BRIGHTNESS OF BEING and YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS WORLD, as well as in larger publishing work and community. 

This Spotlight has been planned and championed by the OLA School Library Sector's OSLA Council.

Note: the book signing directly after the session has been cancelled.

This presentation examines ableist tropes in children’s picture books to reveal how such tropes limit our collective understanding of disability and constrain the everyday lives of disabled people and communities. Turning to books that actively challenge and resist these patterns, I highlight picture books that center disability politics, cultures, and communities—works that envision disability not merely as an individual condition or deficit, but as a vibrant site of creativity, connection, and possibility. Drawing on the transformative potential of storytelling, I show how narratives grounded in interdependence, collective access, care, and belonging can reframe how we think about and engage with disability, opening new futures for disabled people and communities alike. Rooted in longstanding histories of resistance to ableism and intersecting forms of oppression, disability cultures of access and justice envision worlds where everyone can thrive. In exploring picture books as a generative space for these cultures to expand and flourish, I argue that children’s literature can reorient our relationships to disability and spark our collective imagination toward other ways of being and moving together—inviting readers of all ages to participate in the ongoing work of building worlds animated by disability cultures of access and justice.

In the United States, the nation’s libraries are under attack. More and more libraries are seeing an unprecedented number of book challenges. This is not unique to the US as libraries across Canada are facing similar challenges. Marginalized authors, as well as librarians, have become the new punching bags for extremists. Learn about Amanda Jones' journey from being the target of a harassment campaign to finding the positives and deciding to fight back. Librarians and authors are a force to be reckoned with and by standing together there is hope in the darkness. Amanda will be interviewed by Toronto City Librarian Moe Hosseini-Ara. 

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

Get an honest look at what it’s like to be thrown into the deep end of grant proposals and project execution. We’ll share what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons we learned along the way—so you can do better on your own journey to success. From applying for grants to implementing programs, facing failures, and finding creative solutions, we’ll walk you through the full process. Discover how we empowered youth through bikes, guitars, and even writing their own grants—giving them tools not just to participate, but to lead.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Libraries persist in the face of shrinking budgets and growing demands, but siloed systems create duplication and inefficiency. This session explores how breaking down silos through integration and API-first strategies reduces staff workload, ensures accuracy, and builds sustainable practices. Using examples from consortia and institutions, participants will see how data from programs, attendance, usage, and expenditures can be unified for streamlined reporting that strengthens advocacy. Integration not only saves time and resources but also strengthens equity of access by allowing more effort to be focused on communities, not spreadsheets.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

Human trafficking has a devastating impact on the lives of victims, families, and communities across Ontario. Young women and girls experience increased risk of being targeted and trafficked, especially those from Indigenous and Black communities and youth in care, though boys, men, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ persons are also targeted. The average age of recruitment into sex trafficking is 13 years old. As part of communities across the province, Ontario’s public libraries are uniquely placed to raise awareness about human trafficking.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

Presented by three (Lea Beddia, Mary Jennifer Payne, and Allister Thompson) YA climate fiction authors (two of whom are also educators), this session explores how libraries can empower young readers to engage with the climate crisis. Attendees will discover a range of books, including those for striving and struggling readers and books by Indigenous authors, that not only inform teens about environmental challenges, but also present everyday sustainable practices. Discussion guides and engaging cross-curricular activity ideas to accompany them will be provided, which libraries can use to host groups of young adults, teachers, etc. and inspire activism. Ideas proposed in the session can be adapted for a public library setting or collaboration with school libraries and teaching staff to allow content to be presented as part of a lesson plan. The importance of embedding environmental education and meaningful discussions about the climate crisis into education cannot be understated.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

The poster represents the implementation of five key Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) principles in the merging of three Unity Health Toronto library websites. This initiative which started in 2023, integrated the following principles: being collaborative, data driven, responsive, rigorous, and impact-focused. Application of these principles is illustrated through a series of goal-directed activities involving multiple internal and external stakeholders. In the absence of comprehensive literature to guide the modernization of a health library website, the iterative activities were undertaken over a two year period at Unity Health Toronto allowing for the customization of a website that meets the unique needs of its library users. It has become evident that ongoing efforts are now required to sustain the website as a dynamic entity. The principles and activities presented have the potential to inform website redesign projects undertaken by librarians in other contexts.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

What skills can be introduced through D&D that will help youth to become critical thinkers and literate observers in the future? Critical Failure explores how Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) can be implemented in public libraries as a youth program that builds literacy, math, and social skills, and importantly, connects adolescents to libraries through positive interactions. In D&D, a “critical failure” means instant failure, yet for program participants, it becomes an opportunity to reflect, adapt, and persist. Similarly, library D&D programs provide safe spaces where youth can engage in risk-taking behaviour while acknowledging direct cause-and-effect of decisions through chance. This session articulates the quantifiable benefits of D&D programs for youth, and examines how these programs support resilience, critical thinking, and self-discovery through both successes and failures.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

As a rapidly popularized genre blend, Romantasy has captivated readers and dominated book discussions in recent years. This session will offer an overview of 1) features of this genre that distinguish it from others, 2) the primary appeals of the genre, and 3) key and upcoming authors. It will suggest the most relevant terms to use when searching for romantasy reads and will identify ‘sure bet’ titles for a variety of desired reading experiences.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

In the face of ongoing challenges—budget pressures, digital inequities, and shifting community needs— using data effectively to demonstrate value is one way that Ontario public libraries persist. Join us as we unveil the 2023/2024 Bridge Report and share new key findings and province-wide insights into the impact of library technology services. Library Impact Ontario—powered by Toronto Public Library and funded by the Government of Ontario—continues to lead a growing movement of libraries using data to advocate for inclusive technology access and equitable service delivery. This session will feature highlights from the new Bridge report and showcase how libraries in Ontario are using Bridge, an outcome-based data solution platform, to strengthen strategic planning, expand digital equity programs, and build staff capacity. Discover how libraries persist through data driven collaboration and advocacy in service of their communities.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

The Coulson Family Bracebridge Library marks a once-in-a-generation transformation: moving from a beloved 1905 Carnegie building into a 22,000-square-foot “Heart of Muskoka” within the new Muskoka Lumber Community Centre. This session brings together Crystal Bergstrome, CEO and Chief Librarian of Bracebridge Public Library, and Tarisha Dolyniuk, Partner at MJMA Architecture & Design, to share the story of persistence, partnership, and place-making. Together they will explore how design, leadership, and change management supported the community’s transition from nostalgia to possibility. Themes include reconciling heritage with innovation, weaving local craft and culture into architecture, embedding reconciliation through Indigenous art, and reimagining rural library service with digital literacy labs, maker spaces, and intergenerational programming.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

Over 20 years in the making, East Gwillimbury Public Library opened its newest branch in 2025 within a shared recreation facility to serve a growing population of 40,000 people. Spearheaded by a small and mighty team of library managers, our leadership committed to completing an accessible project management skills workshop early in the project, providing a firm basis for planning throughout our journey to opening. We also creatively maximized Excel to forgo the costs of hiring a project manager and added software. Applying change management best practice to support our staff, we expanded communication efforts to include weekly “huddles” and regular memo updates, including visuals of the new space. In addition, we collaborated with municipal and Indigenous partners to ensure alignment of services, operations, and communications leading up to the successful opening of a shared facility and library.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

In 2024, Waterloo Public Library received funding from the New Horizons for Seniors Grant to launch an Older Adult Advisory Group—created not for older adults, but with them. The goal: to co-develop programs, services, and collections that reflect the needs and interests of older adults in our community. This session will share the story of our development process, highlight key outcomes and insights, and explore what’s next for this evolving, collaborative initiative. Working alongside 12 dedicated group members, we collaboratively developed our terms of reference and set the direction for our future work. From the beginning, we prioritized meaningful engagement—recognizing and valuing the time, expertise, and lived experiences that members bring to the table. The Group’s work continues today, and already, the Advisory Group has made significant contribution by providing actionable input on collections, programming, library services, online resources, and marketing, with more topics on the horizon.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

With the sunsetting of LibQual, many post-secondary institutions have been left with the question of how to continue accurately assessing their services. At Western Libraries, we’re moving from LibQual to Insync and looking for ways to connect results across these surveys to monitor long-term trends. Our work has included revisiting nearly two decades worth of LibQual data (2004-2023) and exploring how these insights can inform the analysis of our data moving forward, allowing us to continue to monitor service quality and evolving user needs. Amid shifting institutional priorities and limited resources, adapting our assessment practices has required perseverance and flexibility. Evidence-based decision making is crucial to navigating an increasingly challenging landscape, enabling us to demonstrate our impact, advocate effectively, and make informed choices despite external pressures. Attendees will learn practical approaches to managing assessment transitions in an environment where tools and methods are continually evolving.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

With over 1,000 jumps and five skydiving records, resilience strategist, author, and skydiver Lana Starchuck knows what it takes to face the unknown.

Just as libraries persist as essential anchors in our communities, the foundations of big way formation skydiving—consistency and repetition—mirror the qualities needed to navigate change and uncertainty.

Through powerful real-life stories, Lana connects lessons from extreme sport to the everyday challenges of leadership, teamwork, and constant change. She reminds us of guiding principles we already embody but rarely use in bold new ways: awareness, failure, persistence, humility, confidence, and trust. These principles not only help teams stay motivated and adapt under pressure, but they also build cultures where bold ideas thrive.

This energizing session will inspire library leaders, educators, and staff to persist with courage instead of fear, turning obstacles into opportunities.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

What happens when you bring comics, cosplay, and community together under one roof? For the past decade, our library has hosted a free all ages Comic Fest that celebrates local fandom, creativity, and connection. In this session, we’ll share lessons learned from 10 years of planning and growing a library-based Comic Fest that features local vendors, artists, and cosplayers. Discover how we transformed our library into a vibrant fan hub, engaged local creators and businesses, and built lasting partnerships that reflect the diverse interests of our community. From organizing related programs and mapping our the vendor floor plan to managing logistics and volunteer teams, we’ll cover the practical steps—and the unexpected joys—of making a Comic Fest that’s uniquely yours. Whether you're starting small or dreaming big, this session will equip you with tools, ideas, and inspiration to launch or level up your own library event.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

Your digital footprint is being created for you. Birth, death and marriage indexes are common amongst libraries/archives - what do we do when someone asks for their information to be removed? Is it ethical to keep it? Are we erasing history if we remove it? Discover the Right to Be Forgotten, codified into EU law and burgeoning into Canadian case law. In August 2025, Google refused to delist articles after a ruling from the Privacy Commissioner, citing that they would let the courts decide. Are libraries/archives prepared for the law to change? Have we had the necessary discussions to approach removal of historical material in a way that follows the privacy rights of the future? Now is our chance.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

This is an opportunity for attendees to hear from an author whose book has been banned and who is concerned her next titles will be. The talk will incorporate thoughts, experiences, and reflections from other banned authors. In addition, this talk will provide a forum for librarians and book creators to discuss this issue. It would be of interest to libraries who are often the front-face and intermediaries who make these books available (or not) to patrons, as well as receive backlash from the public.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

Student employees play a vital role in the daily operations and service excellence of academic libraries. Their success and job satisfaction often rely on how well they are onboarded and how valued they feel throughout their employment. This session explores practical approaches to student employee orientation and recognition programs within the library setting. Attendees will learn how ongoing training, and meaningful recognition can enhance student engagement, retention, and performance.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

Make your library a launchpad for creativity and innovation. It’s time to move beyond circulating books and start circulating ideas, opportunities, and businesses.

Learn from a TDSB Teacher-Librarian who has redefined the secondary school library by blending arts, entrepreneurship, and real-world learning in her Library Learning Commons. Through her innovative incubator model, students have launched creative businesses, developed leadership skills, and discovered the power of being their own boss—all while still in high school.

This session will give you practical strategies to create, fund, and sustain programs that inspire students, engage staff, and connect with the school community. See how your library can become a hub for innovation, leadership, and student success.

Please note that this session has been withdrawn at the request of the presenter.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

In a climate of rising book bans and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric, libraries remain steadfast allies. “We Persist with Pride” highlights how Canadian libraries are creating affirming spaces and programming that celebrates queer lives while navigating community backlash. From rural drag storytimes that spark dialogue to trans-inclusive cataloguing that respects chosen identities, libraries are going beyond rainbow book displays to champion equity and resilience. We’ll spotlight grassroot initiatives, Pride partnerships, and rural libraries that have faced (and overcome) hostility. Through discussion and interactive exercises, participants will examine policy frameworks, community partnerships, and staff training approaches to sustain meaningful 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion. Attendees will leave with strategies, resources, and confidence to persist with pride- no matter their library’s size, location, or level of local support.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

Combine your library search skills with prompt engineering to interact with AI Large Language Models (LLMs) for relevant, accurate responses that support your library and community work. Discover how to prompt engineer tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot to meet your library’s needs—from managing projects and planning programs and events to coordinating reader’s advisory and communications. This presentation includes real-world examples and techniques you can apply right away. You’ll gain foundational knowledge through example-based learning for public, academic, school, or other libraries serving urban to rural contexts. Control AI rather than have AI control you. We’ll examine how AI can help library professionals reclaim time, stretch shrinking budgets, and persist in delivering vital services, while addressing ethical concerns around bias—including how to maintain 2SLGBTQIA+ and disabled community perspectives in your prompts.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026.

In this pre-recorded virtual Spotlight talk, Dr. Kaitlyn Regehr explores how smartphones shape our habits, health, and attention. Drawing from her book, she introduces a practical, "digital nutrition" framework to manage screen use without losing the internet's benefits. Attendees will learn how to game algorithms, tackle misinformation, and set effective boundaries with technology to improve mental health and focus, empowering healthier relationships with devices in a screen-saturated world.

Libraries are welcoming spaces that foster lifelong learning, build community connections, and provide equitable access to knowledge and resources—values shared by many Pride organizations. The Barrie Public Library’s ongoing partnership with Fierté Simcoe Pride highlights the impact of working together to offer free, inclusive, and creative programming. Their monthly queer programming encourages socialization and community building, and has become a model for year-round 2SLGBTQIA+ engagement in other library systems. By honouring the history of the Pride movement and strengthening community partnerships, libraries can help build a more inclusive future—one program at a time.

How do public libraries move from good intentions to measurable impact for newcomer entrepreneurs? Toronto Public Library’s Newcomer Entrepreneurship Initiative employed a system-wide approach to translate barriers into blueprints: targeted efforts such as residency programs, collaborative offerings, and accessible drop-in small business workshops tailored for newcomer entrepreneurs that widened access. We hope to have a conversation about outreach tactics, staff roles, partner mapping, and light-weight evaluation that tracks what matters. You’ll see what worked (as well as what didn’t), hear some of the community feedback, and leave with some learnings to launch or strengthen support for newcomer entrepreneurs in your communities. We center equity and the resilience of newcomers in this session, offering some concrete steps a library can take to build a culture of belonging around entrepreneurship.

Are you a rural library looking for ways to reach more residents? In Georgian Bay more than half of our population is water access only, creating a real challenge when it comes to ease of use and access to Library services. To create a more convenient service model while working within budgetary and operational limitations we launched our pilot for the 2025 summer season, Paddles and Pages: Marine Library

Hub. Learn how our partnership with Fire and Emergency Services brought Library services closer to the cottage for our water access residents, improved communications and presence in our community and how you can apply a similar partnership in your community (whether on the water or roads!).

In summer 2025, a team of three librarians ran a six-week online LIS Research Accelerator program that led participants through the research process, from project ideation to dissemination. Through both mid-way and post-program assessments, participants shared their perspectives on the most useful and valuable aspects of the program. This learning lab will provide a condensed version, demonstrating how new researchers can get started and complete a publishable project. The session will cover basics from identifying a feasible research question to fitting the project into a daily workflow. Attendees will learn and discuss the most valuable take-aways from the LIS Research Accelerator 2025. We will discuss how to persevere when our daily tasks get in the way of our research goals. This session will be beneficial to LIS students, librarians, and library workers across sectors interested in building a research agenda.

Public libraries are a primary source of literacy; however, with an ever-changing technological space, there is a shift towards digital literacy training (DLT). This shift is especially relevant to equity-deserving populations, such as older adults. A cross-sectional survey of Canadian public library DLT programs for older adults began in summer 2025, with 70 responses from library representatives gathered so far. In-person was the most common DLT medium reported, and the majority offered one-on-one support. The vast majority of DLT content pertained to basic mobile device operations, followed by basic computer operations. Over 80% reported evaluating their DLT—most commonly by tracking program participation and attendance, followed by feedback from course participants. For future directions, more than 50% of respondents indicated that program management staff would enhance their delivery of DLT for older adults. With daily tasks quickly transitioning online, it is critical to ensure effective DLT resources within public libraries.

We intend to provide a critical overview and analysis of certain forms of activism that have targeted libraries in Ontario and beyond. Touching briefly on the long and complex history of anti-2SLGBTQ+ movements, and how these movements relate to pseudoscience and the far-right, we will then examine how these movements have transformed and changed to be able to continue into the present day. Using the protest and counterprotest that took place at HPL’s Terryberry branch parking lot as our departure point, we intend to look at certain actions and tactics they have used. This will include an analysis of some of their online forms of activism and in real life activities and we will offer some suggestions on how libraries may persist in the face of such activism.

What if story-time could be both active and deeply engaging, building literacy skills while supporting social-emotional learning? In this interactive session, you’ll experience the innovative "Read-Along, Move-Along" approach using children’s favourites like The Day the Crayons Quit and Narwhal and Jelly. By alternating between reading aloud and embodying a story’s themes, messages, and character traits through movement and music, this multi-sensory method strengthens reading comprehension, fosters empathy, and reaches diverse learners, from wiggly kinders to thoughtful school-agers.  In an age of increased screen time and social disconnection, movement-based literacy programming offers a joyful way to be physically active, regulate emotions, deepen understanding, and connect the Body, Brain, and Being. You’ll leave with ready-to-use activities and a clear framework to adapt for your own classroom or library, empowering you to create inclusive, engaging story-times that stick.

Hosted by Emerald Publishing in collaboration with the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL), this session brings together academic leaders, researchers, and practitioners to explore how education systems can remain resilient in the face of global uncertainty and disruption. We’ll discuss how innovation through digital tools, inclusive pedagogy, and new models of collaboration, can help education not just survive, but thrive. 

This session was originally recorded on 3rd December 2025 in partnership with the International Higher Education Teaching & Learning Association, in support of our latest mission campaign, and was provided for use at OLA with express permission from the organisers.

Find out more about our mission campaign here https://bit.ly/4jQRukh 

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Discover how your public library can leverage data to guide decision-making related to Makerspaces. This session explores key metrics such as utilization rates, program participation, revenue generation, and booking trends. Learn how data-informed decision-making can enhance service delivery, optimize resource allocation, and support advocacy for makerspace initiatives. Real-world examples from our library system will illustrate how data has guided strategic choices and boosted revenue.

This hands-on workshop introduces library staff to the Science of Reading and provides practical tools to support literacy development from infancy to Grade 2. Learn how to teach letter sounds, decoding, and reading skills using evidence-based strategies, and explore how to build a Learn-to-Read Literacy Collection using UFLI’s Literacy Toolbox and other structured literacy resources. As tutoring costs and learning materials remain out of reach for many families, this collection model offers an equitable, library-led solution. By offering tools that align with the Ontario curriculum, libraries can support educators and families, helping to close literacy gaps and empower caregivers to confidently support reading at home. Participants will gain ready-to-use activities, curated book and resource lists, and a framework for creating accessible collections and programming that reflect how children learn to read. Equip your library to remove barriers, meet families where they are, and give every child a strong start.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Libraries are bridges—welcoming, connecting, and amplifying voices. But many librarians and library professionals struggle to be heard, held back by self-doubt, cultural barriers, or imposter syndrome. In this warm and empowering session, Sheena Yap Chan (WSJ bestselling author of The Tao of Self-Confidence) shows how building personal confidence is not just self-development—it’s community work. Attendees will explore how stepping into visibility opens doors: fostering stronger professional relationships, encouraging inclusive leadership, and growing community impact in libraries. Weaving storytelling, shared experiences, and practical tools, this session helps participants become visible and valued contributors—whether presenting at library events, leading initiatives, mentoring colleagues, or advocating for equitable service.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

We launched a seniors program with memory and movement in mind, with the goal of connecting isolated seniors. Our biggest challenge? No one showed up. We tried a different approach by asking our program leads to actively engage with seniors already using their local library to see what types of programs they were interested in - Local Author panels, music ensembles, beginner introduction to Nintendo Switch (to play with their grandchildren!), health workshops, and more. The feedback was in, and we adjusted to customize the programs based on their interests. Now, our seniors programs are lively, well-attended, and rolling out across multiple locations, proving that when it comes to engaging seniors, we’re really hitting all the right notes.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from setbacks. It helps people work through challenges in a positive way. This means not only persevering in the face of adversity but also thriving. These skills can help us manage stressful situations. Yet, resiliency is not innate, limitless or a trait that only certain people have. While we can cultivate resiliency, we can also have our boundaries pushed too far. Ignoring workplace factors that impact employee well-being can have serious consequences. This is true for individuals and organizations. The question remains; how do we create flourishing work environments where people thrive? This session introduces well-being as a shared responsibility in library workplaces. It covers how employees and employers benefit when psychological health and safety is promoted, while covering the risks of inaction. Attendees will leave this session with practical resources to support their journey in advancing psychological safety in the workplace.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

For over a decade, Digital Human Library has been building bridges between learners and the world — one virtual connection at a time. In an era of budget cuts, access inequities, and censorship, our Video Conference with Experts and Virtual Tours/Virtual Reality Library keep learning expansive, inclusive, and deeply connected. These tools spark curiosity, amplify diverse voices, and foster empathy — proving we can keep the world within reach for every learner. This session invites librarians to become connectors, advocates, and change-makers by championing these resources in their communities. Through hands-on demonstrations and storytelling, participants will experience how our tools bring curriculum to life, deepen understanding, and inspire empathy. Together, we’ll explore practical ways to connect learners to new people, places, and ideas — and to advocate for experiential learning as an essential, equitable, and enduring part of education. When we connect learners to the world, we ignite possibility.

Please note that this session has been withdrawn at the request of the presenter.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Adaptation is vital to survival everywhere from nature, politics, education, innovation, and in the library environment. A public library is an information hub for a community, and so, must be prepared to adapt to to the needs and the wants of its' patrons. In an ever changing world, this can be a daunting task for a library to meet. In this presentation, I will speak on being the outreach coordinator of a small library and how I have adapted the needs of the community by using the library space for unconventional programs such as drumming classes, yoga programs, recording studios, planetariums, and so much more while sticking to a budget, while knowing that not every idea is a hit, and learning how to continually make changes in an unpredictable environment. -

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

‘Demystifying Discomfort’ is a presentation that hopes to examine the case of keeping ‘harmful’ materials in the library space, the difference between ‘discomfort’ and ‘harm’ and the importance of teaching and cultivating critical thinking skills in how we absorb information. Protecting intellectual freedoms are more important than ever, and the presentation includes discussions on censorship, the importance of context, and the encroaching expectations placed on library workers as society struggles to clarify the role of libraries. The presentation also examines the changing forms intellectual freedoms may take in light of the global political climate, how intellectual freedoms intersect with politics, and how maintaining intellectual freedoms does not necessarily mean to be politically neutral. Some things in the world will make us uncomfortable - and we have to learn to live with it.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Discover how Niagara Falls Public Library built a successful teen engagement model grounded in relationship-building, strategic partnerships, and data-informed practices. This session explores the evolution of the After School at the Library program, high school outreach initiatives, and the tools used to measure impact—like batch card creation, tagging, and user experience data collection. Learn how a focus on food literacy, safe spaces, and peer support grew into a system-wide teen strategy. Whether you're just getting started or looking to enhance your teen services, this session offers practical ideas you can adapt to meet the needs of your own community.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Not just modern bibliotherapy, but many rationales librarians employ when explaining the value of literacy trace their roots back to nineteenth, and early twentieth century “moral treatment” practices in mental hospitals. Yet these origins remain understudied. Moral treatment’s approach to patient libraries and wellness was normatively oriented around preventing the “idleness” of inmates, and was specifically targeted only to those who were deemed “curable,” i.e. potentially able to return to the workforce. “Uncurables” were often left to labour on asylum farms and workshops. Through reading, “curables” were tasked with making themselves into employable subjects, respectable, agreeable, skilled, disinclined to join labour unions, or challenge medical establishments. This talk will explore the relationship between patient libraries and the long legacy of moral treatment in how librarians position themselves relative to mental health, neurodivergence, and labour under the guise of “career readiness” and career development.

Note: this on-demand session has been withdrawn.

Facing stagnant public funding and ballooning costs, libraries rely on their networks of private donors, corporate partners, and foundations more than ever to sustain their operations. Opportunities to make these connections are abundant in a service-oriented profession designed to cultivate community. But how does one differentiate a potential donor in a sea of engaged patrons? Prospect research unlocks these insights to reveal where your strongest connections lie. With an affinity first approach, prospect research becomes the ultimate act of optimism, embodying the hope of an organization that a collective effort from folks sympathetic to their cause will translate to mutually beneficial relationships. This session will outline what qualifies a prospect, starting with affinity as a base for a prospect profile. From this base, participants will build out this profile with linkage and capacity to apply their learnings to seeking out prospects from a wide array of sources.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

The creation of Kitchener Public Library’s Southwest Branch was a rare opportunity to set a new standard for sustainability by designing to NetZero Carbon standards; and to create a space grounded by thoughtful and continuous engagement with Indigenous Land Right Holders. The result—one of the first libraries in Canada with a Zero Carbon Certification from the Canadian Building Council, with a design that not only reflects the people who use it, but the land on which it stands. In this session, you will hear from a panel that includes representatives from project leads: mcCallumSather, Indigenous engagement consultant and landscape architects: SpurceLab, and Kitchener Public Library team members. Learn how Indigenous engagement, and climate conscious governance can shape a building, and inspire a community.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

This presentation will explore professional and legal obligations under the Duty to Report suspected child abuse and neglect, with a particular focus on how these responsibilities affect library workers and the communities they serve. It will also create space for critical reflection on how reporting decisions are shaped by identity factors and systemic inequities. Drawing from consultations with mandated reporters and community partners, the session will highlight the complexities of current practice, including how personal perceptions and organizational cultures influence reporting outcomes. Participants will be invited to consider the emerging framework of a Duty to Support, which emphasizes prevention, collaboration, and equity-informed responses to child welfare concerns. By exploring both compliance requirements and opportunities for transformation, the session aims to deepen understanding of how library professionals, and professionals across sectors, can fulfill their statutory duties while also contributing to safer, stronger, and more supportive environments for children, youth, and families.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

It is noteworthy that in many academic and popular discussions about library representations in film, the most frequently referenced examples are contrived sets rather than actual libraries (e.g., 1957's Desk Set or 1999's The Mummy). This begs the question: what about genuine libraries in film? Where do we find them appearing (intentionally and incidentally)? Do libraries often play themselves? When they don't, what kinds of spaces are they being used to depict? And what might all of this suggest about how filmmakers--and by extension, the movie-going public--tend to view libraries and library spaces? Drawing on hundreds of screengrabs collected on a Tumblr site, this presentation combines aspects of public scholarship, library history, architectural appreciation, and audiovisual essayism to answer the question: how can a close reading of library appearances in film helpfully inform library professionals' efforts to better understand how our publics see us?

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Considering graduate studies to advance your library career? Wondering how public administration education connects to leadership in public libraries? This session explores how understanding local government, and gaining the skills to navigate it, can strengthen your influence and impact. In this panel discussion, GDPA and MPA graduates working in public library middle management and library service share how their programs shaped their leadership, strategic thinking, and career growth. Attendees will gain practical insight into whether pursuing graduate-level public administration education is the right next step on their own professional path.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Protecting 2SLGBTQIA+ access to library materials that represent their specific needs and interests has become a challenge as the current socio-political climate has eroded the safety and freedoms previously gained. Recent policy updates in the U.S. under the Trump administration retaliate against “gender ideology extremism,” purposely targeting terminology and initiatives related to the transgender, nonbinary, and the larger 2SLGBTQIA+ community. This has caused a ripple effect, feeding pre-existing anti-2SLGBTQIA+ sentiment, in Canadian school and public library communities. These challenges necessitate revision of MLIS and teacher-librarian diploma programs to better acknowledge and overcome challenges based on self-censorship and the lack of information science professionalization in the field. This hands-on session aims to explore topics such as collaborative librarianship practices alongside youth advisory boards, exploring new information needs through new mediums such as tabletop games and video games, and policy development practices directed at protecting and cultivating 2SLGBTQIA+ collections.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

In today’s climate of financial cutbacks and resource scarcity, sustaining scholarly projects is both difficult and urgently necessary. The Margaret Atwood Annual Bibliography, sponsored by the Margaret Atwood Society since 2007, faced repeated funding setbacks during its 2024 update—“no money available” was a constant refrain. Persistence proved essential: a University of Calgary librarian championed the project’s scholarly value and student potential, forging partnerships across the Library, English, and Graduate Studies that created space to hire a graduate student bibliographer. This collaboration demonstrates how advocacy, creativity, and inclusion can transform barriers into opportunities. It sustained an international scholarly tool while integrating librarian, student, faculty, and global scholarly perspectives, and highlighting feminist research. By reframing bibliographic work as both infrastructure and student-centered training, this case study offers an innovative, reproducible model of persistence and collaboration that libraries can adapt to drive equity, resilience, and change.

NOTE: This on-demand session has been withdrawn.

One might expect reading and writing to become obsolete in a hyper-competitive attention economy dominated by audiovisual media. However, sharply observed prose about real-world experiences written for humans by humans have yet to be replaced, even by free-to-use generative AI tools. The role of the author will persist so long as there are writers seeking to correct the record by telling their own version of events. The role of the reader will endure while there are folks keen to connect with these perspectives. This session will investigate how this relationship continues to evolve outside of traditional print media thanks to platforms that have created new lanes for sharing and supporting written work like Substack, Patreon, and podcast feeds. The session will also explore how library programming can support patrons interested in contributing to this new literary canon and how archivists can involve themselves in its preservation today.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Although many are familiar with Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit, hearing the term “Wikimedia Movement” may leave them scratching their heads. In this session, we will tour the less widely known world behind Wikipedia. Drawing on examples from Canadian institutions like the Archives of Ontario and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, we will also explore how libraries can utilize various projects from the Wikimedia Movement for community outreach, programming, collection visibility, as well as ensuring that information by and about marginalized communities is made more widely available.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

Looking for new ways to build bridges between your library and the students you serve? This session will describe the University of Regina's Archer Library and Archives’ Student Welcome and Orientation Team’s partnerships with student groups on our campus. Participant’s will learn how we facilitated student-led events in the library. This novel, but not trivial, approach has laid a foundation for new ways of thinking about library as place and how we engage with students outside of the classroom. This session will use a trivia night event as a case study to illustrate our approach.

Traditional surveys capture a moment in time, often missing underrepresented voices and seasonal shifts in user needs. Continuous feedback, by contrast, offers an ongoing, inclusive way to understand and respond to communities. This session demonstrates how libraries can collect patron input across multiple touchpoints, analyze structured free-text comments, and visualize positive, neutral, and negative feedback in real time. Participants will learn how continuous assessment reduces bias, informs service improvements, and strengthens advocacy. By adopting this model, libraries can persistently improve services and ensure that every voice is heard.

Please note that this session has been withdrawn at the request of the presenters.

Perseverance is also about getting your Message out, even when faced with setbacks. Discover how the Newmarket Public Library found its unique difference, and how valuable that difference was in connecting with community assets and key players in the Town of Newmarket. Libraries need to fight for mind share and heart share, and you can build spectacular good will in difficult times.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

This workshop offers a unique opportunity to show how students can allow their voices to be heard by blending the creative worlds of hip-hop music production and Python coding. Using the EarSketch platform, they'll remix beats from iconic artists like Pharrell and Alicia Keys, and discover fresh samples from talented Indigenous artists from across Canada like Samian, Dakota Bear, Jaylee Wolf, Aysanabee and Dr. Duke Redbird. This experience goes beyond just technical proficiency. We'll be fostering critical conversations about social justice using content developed by Black and Indigenous educators, encouraging participants to explore and address real-world issues through the lens of music and technology. Librarians will leave this lesson with a solid grasp of EarSketch basics, ready to inspire their students to dive in and enter the 'Your Voice Is Power' contest, with a chance to win a $5000 scholarship.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

The CULC Digital Content Working group works on behalf of public libraries to increase awareness of digital content issues and advocate for sustainable solutions. Advocating for fair access and licensing for Canadian content and addressing the challenges of public digital content access in Canada are key priorities for the group. These efforts have continued through 2025. In this session, members will share details about the Canadian pilot of the Digital Public Library of America’s Palace Project in Vancouver and Edmonton, recent vendor advocacy, work on legislative solutions to ensure eBook sustainability, and planning efforts for the upcoming 2026 One eRead nation-wide book club. Find out more about these initiatives, the impact for libraries and the communities we serve, and what to expect next.

This is an on-demand session that will be available from January 29 until June 2026. 

In the landscape of public libraries, Teen Librarians are no strangers to being persistent: we constantly advocate for better spaces, collections, and services for an often-overlooked demographic. Teens are a vibrant community and when libraries provide services that respect their evolving identities, autonomy, and social dynamics, a formative connection can flourish. While some library workers may find working with youth intimidating, we hope to demystify any worries and demonstrate how libraries can empower youth voices and foster inclusive environments through relevant programming and services that support their critical thinking, creativity, and social connections. Using Vancouver Public Library's annual Teen Summer Challenge as an example, we will share tools and insights for teen-centered and teen-led programs that are developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and equity-informed, expanding the traditional concept of literacy.

In times when both Canadian identity and the right to read face challenges, turning to the wisdom and words of Canadian authors has never been more crucial. Join Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, Mattea Roach, host of CBC's Bookends, and Antonio Michael Downing, host of CBC's The Next Chapter, for an expansive conversation on the significance and vibrancy of the books, authors, and stories that unite us during turbulent times.

Mychal Threets is a librarian, mental health advocate, and the library’s number one fan (according to himself, admittedly). He is a recipient of the 2024 “I Love My Librarian” award from the American Library Association, one of School Library Journal’s 2024 Movers and Shakers, one of TIME Magazine’s 2024 Next Generation Leaders, a 2025 TIME100 creator, and a 2025 The Webby Awards winner for social impact, and he is at OLA to celebrate the launch of his first picture book: I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy. Mychal will be interviewed by author, founder of the Festival of Literary Diversity, and CanLit treasure Jael Richardson. 

This Spotlight has been planned and championed by the OLA Public Library Sector's OPLA Council.

We curate more than information—we curate experiences, relationships, even memories and hopes. Interfluence is the way meaning is shaped—moment by moment—between people in conversation. It is not an abstract theory; it is the often-invisible work that happens in every greeting, every listening moment, and every response to a difficult request. In those moments, we are not just exchanging words—we are curating stories about what matters, what is possible, and how we see each other.

In this session, Dr. Haesun Moon—communication scientist and author of Coaching A to Z—shares insights from decades of research and practice on using conversation as a deliberate act of care. She offers practical ways to notice the stories being told and heard, and to make subtle, useful shifts in tone, direction, and word choice that amplify purpose, possibilities, and progress. Participants will leave with evidence-based tools to curate conversations that make their care both visible and audible. 

David A. Robertson, editorial director of Swift Water Books and Stephanie Sinclair, Publisher of McClelland & Stewart, discuss how publishing can reveal truths and lead writers and readers closer to the long-term goal of true reconciliation. Throughout their conversation, the two Indigenous editors will talk about complex histories, the persistence of Indigenous storytelling, and the joys and challenges of trying to represent the diverse Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island — examining steadiness, wisdom and love in two new anthologies, A STEADY BRIGHTNESS OF BEING and YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS WORLD, as well as in larger publishing work and community. 

This Spotlight has been planned and championed by the OLA School Library Sector's OSLA Council.

Note: the book signing directly after the session has been cancelled.

This presentation examines ableist tropes in children’s picture books to reveal how such tropes limit our collective understanding of disability and constrain the everyday lives of disabled people and communities. Turning to books that actively challenge and resist these patterns, I highlight picture books that center disability politics, cultures, and communities—works that envision disability not merely as an individual condition or deficit, but as a vibrant site of creativity, connection, and possibility. Drawing on the transformative potential of storytelling, I show how narratives grounded in interdependence, collective access, care, and belonging can reframe how we think about and engage with disability, opening new futures for disabled people and communities alike. Rooted in longstanding histories of resistance to ableism and intersecting forms of oppression, disability cultures of access and justice envision worlds where everyone can thrive. In exploring picture books as a generative space for these cultures to expand and flourish, I argue that children’s literature can reorient our relationships to disability and spark our collective imagination toward other ways of being and moving together—inviting readers of all ages to participate in the ongoing work of building worlds animated by disability cultures of access and justice.

In the United States, the nation’s libraries are under attack. More and more libraries are seeing an unprecedented number of book challenges. This is not unique to the US as libraries across Canada are facing similar challenges. Marginalized authors, as well as librarians, have become the new punching bags for extremists. Learn about Amanda Jones' journey from being the target of a harassment campaign to finding the positives and deciding to fight back. Librarians and authors are a force to be reckoned with and by standing together there is hope in the darkness. Amanda will be interviewed by Toronto City Librarian Moe Hosseini-Ara. 

You are invited to a special screening of The Librarians at the University of Toronto, sponsored by IFLA’s North American Regional Division, IFLA’s Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE), University of Toronto Libraries, Toronto Metropolitan University Libraries, and York University Libraries. This is in conjunction with OLA. The Librarians is a 2025 documentary film exploring censorship in the United States. The screening will be followed by a discussion with librarians featured in the film.

Seating is limited — reserve your spot here. 

This is a Pre-Conference meetup and is taking place offsite at the North York Central Library (5120 Yonge Street, approximately 40 minutes by transit or 40-60 minutes by car from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre). Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Attendees will be responsible for their transportation to and from this offsite pre-conference meetup. Pizza lunch and refreshments provided by CVS, Library Bound and White Hots.

Join us for a full-day Pre-Conference session focused on all aspects of Collections in public libraries. Connect with peers to share insights on topics such as AI, Intellectual Freedom, Collections Policies, digital resources, Library of Things, shelving renovations, and budgeting. Learn how others are persisting to addressing challenges in these key areas. Pizza Lunch and refreshments provided by CVS, Library Bound and Whitehots.

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

This is a Pre-Conference workshop and has an additional fee of $50 per participant to cover the cost of workshop materials and light refreshments. Space is capped at 18 spots and pre-registration is required. This pre-conference workshop will be taking place offsite at the University of Toronto, St. George campus (15-20 minutes by transit, 10-15 by car). Attendees will be responsible for their transportation to and from this offsite pre-conference workshop.

Resource Description and Access (RDA) is an international cataloguing standard used by academic, research, and public libraries to describe collection resources. RDA is accessed through the online utility, RDA Toolkit. With Original RDA set to retire in May 2027, this workshop guides cataloguers through the cataloguing process using Official RDA. This workshop is for current practitioners who are curious about Official RDA and willing to examine their assumptions about bibliographic description. Persistence is key to adapting to Official RDA. Attendees will need to bring a laptop to participate in hands-on activities. The trainers are members of the RDA Training in Canada Working Group, RDA Steering Committee, and Program for Cooperative Cataloging. 

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

Please note that this pre-conference requires pre-registration as space is limited.

In this provocative workshop, participants will step into a dystopian future where libraries are no longer publicly funded, information access is privatized, and the very existence of knowledge centres on campuses and in communities is under threat. Public access to knowledge has been dismantled. But a network of underground librarians gathers in secret to imagine a different future.

Libraries Are Illegal is an immersive experience that blends speculative storytelling, futures thinking, and collaborative design. It is not just a thought experiment. It’s a strategic simulation designed to challenge assumptions, ignite inventive thinking, and find meaningful paths forward. 

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

This session is a pre-conference and requires pre-registration.

Human-centred design is an approach to innovation that blends strategic thinking with practical tools for change. In this interactive two-hour workshop, participants will learn core business design methods from contextual research and problem framing to prototyping and implementation and explore how these can be applied to libraries and the challenges faced by information workers. Through real-world examples and hands-on exercises, attendees will discover how to tackle complex challenges, foster creativity, and drive meaningful transformation within their institutions.

This session is a pre-conference workshop and requires pre-registration.

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore The Most Magnificent Idea by Ashley Spires through Story Drama, an immersive approach to storytelling. Instead of simply listening, participants engage in the story as it unfolds. The book will be read in short segments, with pauses for drama, movement, writing, and music activities that bring characters, settings, and themes to life. Using techniques such as tableau, role play, improvisation, writing in role, and poetry, participants will actively investigate character choices, collaborate in small and large groups, and build imaginative environments. The session provides step-by-step guidance on how to integrate Story Drama into regular storytelling for learners of all ages. Attendees will also receive a practical resource package, including 15+ Story Drama exercises, a sample unit plan with Ontario Curriculum links, and assessment templates. This workshop equips educators with creative tools to make picture book storytelling dynamic, participatory, and deeply meaningful.

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

Always wanted to see what happens at the Toronto International Film Festival library? Well, now is the time! TIFF is offering several opportunities for attendees of the OLA Super Conference to tour the TIFF Library. Please note that the TIFF Library is approximately 10 minutes' walk away from the conference centre.

For those unable to attend an official OLA Super Conference tour, you may still visit the TIFF Library during your time in Toronto. Library hours are from 10am-5pm Monday to Friday. 

UPDATE: This tour is no longer available.

This is a pre-conference tour and requires pre-registration.

The Toronto Reference Library is the largest and most visited branch of the Toronto Public Library. It hosts the TPL Book Sanctuary, the Marilyn & Charles Baille Special Collections Centre, a Preservation & Digitization Lab, the TD Gallery, and much more.

This session is a pre-conference workshop and requires pre-registration.

This training explains what Naloxone is, when & how to use Naloxone. 

Session topics include: 

• what an opioid overdose is and how to recognize one
• how Naloxone works
• how to administer Naloxone in both injectable and nasal spray formulas
• aftercare once an overdose is successfully reversed. 

By the end of this training you will: 

• know how to recognize and opioid overdose and when to administer Naloxone
• how to use Naloxone to temporarily reverse an opioid overdose
• where to obtain additional help when needed
• where to obtain a Naloxone kit

This is a pre-conference workshop that requires pre-registration.

This year, OLA is excited to launch Library Manager Training Day at Super Conference—designed specifically for managers who want to grow their skills, refresh their confidence, and connect with others facing the same challenges.

Our theme, Finding Meaning in Management, offers practical, real-world learning led by experienced library managers and trainers. You’ll dive into the skills that matter most: defining your leadership values, building trust, navigating tough staff conversations, and becoming the kind of leader your team needs.

Whether you’re new to management or looking for a skill refresh, you’ll walk away with new tools, renewed confidence, and a community of colleagues you can lean on long after conference week is over.

Schedule:

• 10:00AM - 11:00AM: Locating Your Leadership Values
• 11:00AM - 12:00PM: Showing Up, Holding On: Persistence in Practice for Library Leaders
• 12:00PM - 1:00PM: Lunch (provided) and Optional Networking Opportunities
• 1:00PM - 2:15PM: Courage and Candour: The One Conversation
• 2:15PM - 3:00PM: Quiet Strength: Why Introverted Leaders Are Essential to Library Success
• 3:15PM - 4:00PM: Level Up: Leadership Professional Development Panel

Please note: This workshop is not included in the Full Conference registration and requires a separate purchase through the registration site. The cost is $345 for non-Super Conference attendees and $275 for Super Conference attendees. We encourage you to secure your spot early, as space may be limited. This event is limited to OLA members - update your membership today to ensure you can register. This event includes catered lunch. 

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

This session is a pre-conference and requires pre-registration. 

Misunderstandings and stereotypes about what comics and graphic novels (GNs) are and can be remain prevalent and abundant. This workshop will create an opportunity for librarians working in different information settings (schools, public libraries, universities, etc.) to draft an output (a text or an intervention) that addresses these common stereotypes. As the time, work, and skills of convincing an audience (a manager, a parent, a teacher, a coworker, etc.) about the relevance and merits of comics is one that needs to be practiced, we will highlight the importance of preparing an informative and supportive message that advocates for the active inclusion of comics and GNs and demonstrates the value of developing networks of support for this type of message building and advocacy work.

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

The Penguin Random House head office is just a block away from the Convention Centre and they are inviting library guests to tour their 12th and 14th floor. There will also be time for a brief publishing Q&A. 

*This is a walking tour - please dress appropriately. 

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

This session is a pre-conference workshop and requires pre-registration.

PAVE Prevention recognizes that libraries are experiencing rising public aggression toward staff, as documented in the 2022 Urban Library Trauma Study. To meet these challenges, PAVE delivers training designed to strengthen staff safety and resilience. Our sessions equip participants with practical skills in situational awareness, trauma-informed de-escalation (verbal and non-verbal), boundary setting, conflict resolution, bystander intervention, grounding techniques, and self-care practices. We emphasize intercultural communication, cultural humility, and the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility (DEIJA). Using adrenalized, real-life scenario learning—proven highly effective for adult learners—participants practice applying strategies under pressure in safe, guided settings. PAVE has trained library staff across North America in proactive safety and community care. For the OLA Super Conference, we will deliver a 3-4 hour workshop equipping attendees with actionable tools to navigate complex workplace dynamics, strengthen staff wellbeing, and build safer, more inclusive library environments.

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

Are children wandering off when you’re telling a story, or worse, falling asleep? Are adults scrolling through their phones or checking their watches? Do you get to the punchline of a hilarious book and hear nothing but crickets? Unfortunately, this workshop cannot get rid of the cricket infestation in your library, but it can help create an engaging and interactive storytime experience to drown out their chirping. The goal of this workshop is to unlock your creativity, unleash your inner thespian, and bring a story to life. You’ll learn how to choose the right book, use your body to help tell a story, develop the silliest of voices, and create meaningful audience participation. With humour and humility, we shall persist through storytelling blunders and flops!

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

This session is a pre-conference workshop and requires pre-registration.

The world of Wikimedia is openly licensed, interconnected, and centred around 14 different projects. The most well known of these projects is Wikipedia. In an ever-changing technological landscape, it is important for library workers to understand the role that the Wikimedia projects play in shaping how and what information is delivered to users. For example, large language models rely heavily on Wikipedia for training and information sourcing, elevating the need for Wikipedia to have reliable, well-sourced content. This hands-on workshop will walk participants through the basics of Wikipedia, as well as Wikimedia Commons, an openly licensed media repository, and Wikidata, a free and open knowledge base. Through various contribution exercises, participants will gain an understanding of how editing on one project affects the information available on another. Participants will also learn about how contributing to these Wikimedia projects can have wide-reaching effects on the broader digital landscape.

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

This is a pre-conference and pre-registration is required. 

We seem to find ourselves increasingly seeking creative practices that give us respite from screens.This workshop aims to do just that, offering participants the experience of learning through making. The simple act of folding and assembling layers of paper, a resilient material, is a meditative one, helping to develop a creative practice while teaching patience and persistence. Participants will make a commonplace notebook and a structural book (all materials and tools provided). Commonplace books are collaged DIY notebooks, put together quickly with paper and glue, designed to be a customized place for brainstorming, note-taking and observations. Structural books are interactive and adaptable for a variety of purposes including creating a personal archive, a tool for teaching or an abstract piece of art. Using our hands and minds in different ways allows us to intertwine materiality and content and build bridges with others as we work.

This is a pre-conference workshop and requires pre-registration.

Join IFLA’s North American Regional Division and the Canadian Federation of Library Associations for an exploration of library values – especially intellectual freedom and the right to read - in the context of challenging political and financial pressures in North America.

In a period of intense political polarization, distrust of institutions and the erosion of information integrity, libraries are under unprecedented pressure to defend free expression and information access. This session will highlight a range of perspectives on how trends in censorship, information integrity and access are impacting our sector, as well as an interactive exploration of library advocacy for intellectual freedom. Following a panel discussion featuring voices from North American library associations and IFLA, we will explore collaboratively how library institutions are best situated to persist in defending their core values.

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

Always wanted to see what happens at the Toronto International Film Festival library? Well, now is the time! TIFF is offering several opportunities for attendees of the OLA Super Conference to tour the TIFF Library. Please note that the TIFF Library is approximately 10 minutes' walk away from the conference centre.

For those unable to attend an official OLA Super Conference tour, you may still visit the TIFF Library during your time in Toronto. Library hours are from 10am-5pm Monday to Friday. 

This is a pre-conference workshop and space is limited. Please pre-register through this link to save your seat. 

New to the library and information sector? Or are you in a technician, IT, HR, or policy role and finding your way through the library sector? Connect with sector leaders and others at the Sparking Forum, generously funded by the Maggie Weaver Legacy Fund. Gain leadership insights from the Fire-side Chat with Beth Rudden, CEO and Chairwoman of Bast AI, a tech leader pioneering ethical, human-centred AI.

In times when both Canadian identity and the right to read face challenges, turning to the wisdom and words of Canadian authors has never been more crucial. Join Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, Mattea Roach, host of CBC's Bookends, and Antonio Michael Downing, host of CBC's The Next Chapter, for an expansive conversation on the significance and vibrancy of the books, authors, and stories that unite us during turbulent times.

Join us as we kick off this milestone year with a welcome reception right after the opening keynote. It’s the perfect chance to connect, share stories, and celebrate the spirit of persistence—together. Meet new faces, reconnect with old friends, and let’s make this anniversary unforgettable!

Convention centre carpets and heavy publisher catalogues will do a number on your body! Join us for yoga and ease into your day with some gentle stretches. Librarian and yoga instructor Justine Cotton will guide you through gentle poses and mindful breathwork to boost your energy and mood for the day ahead.  Everyone is welcome (no yoga experience required) and mats will be provided - simply wear comfortable clothes and bring some water to drink. No registration required. 

As makerspaces gain traction in library systems across the country, it’s just as important to build relationships with community partners as with individual makers. This session examines the unique partnership public library makerspaces can offer to school groups with an aim at creating lifelong library users. Join Mel and Elisa to discuss both the librarian and teacher perspectives of building these partnerships and how to engage school groups regardless of budget, grade level, or timeframe. We’ll include a special in-depth look at Elisa’s Grade 7/8 class’s year-long makerspace assignment, currently in its third consecutive year.

Discover how the innovative Community Scholar's Program is bridging the gap between academic resources and the nonprofit sector. This session will explore how participating Ontario institutions are supporting staff working at nonprofit organizations by providing access to scholarly materials and wrap-around librarian support. Learn about the benefits for both institutions and community organizations in participating in this unique community-based program. This panel will feature academic library representatives from Ontario’s Community Scholar Program, sharing perspectives from their first two years of participation. Panelists will discuss the value of fostering a Community Scholars Community of Practice – both within Ontario and beyond – and highlight the impact of collaboration, access, and shared learning across institutions.

The 4 Seasons of Reconciliation program at Western Libraries was more than a professional development initiative, it was an intentional process of planning, collaboration, and reflection. A working group of staff from User Services and User Experience teams developed a process to guide the program, grounded in principles of respect, collaboration, understanding, and accountability. Over six months, staff engaged in self-paced modules supported by discussion circles, a book club, an Indigenous beading workshop, a tour of the Wampum Learning Lodge, and a visit to Ska-Nah-Doht Village. This session will share not only what the program looked like in practice, but also how the working group shaped the process: from balancing operational demands with learning goals to creating space for meaningful reflection and relationship-building. Attendees will learn how strategic planning, team collaboration, and community partnerships can create sustainable reconciliation-based learning in libraries.

“Golden Tales: Chronicles of Our Community” is a storytelling initiative by Clarington Library, Museums & Archives (CLMA) celebrating the lives of local seniors (55+). Through engaging interviews and community events, the project captured and preserved over 35 oral histories, shared by more than 200 participants. These stories, presented in both print and digital formats, fostered connection, reduced isolation, and honored the rich heritage of Clarington’s older adults, ensuring their voices are heard and remembered for generations. From October 2024 to March 2025, CLMA recorded over 35 heartfelt interviews and connected with more than 200 individuals through events and outreach. Each story was captured in a digital archive, printed memoir, and featured on a new CLMA webpage, ensuring these voices live on. The Golden Tales project exemplifies how public libraries and museums can preserve community memories and build connection through Oral Storytelling.

Hamilton Public Library (HPL) has expanded its large-scale programming post-pandemic. Marquee events such as Hamilton Zineposium, Seedy Saturday, Black History Month celebrations, and Steel Town Love: A Festival for Romance Readers and Writers have collectively drawn thousands of attendees. From celebrating creativity in DIY culture to advocating for sustainability and supporting underrepresented voices, these events reflect the enduring role of libraries in building and bridging communities. Join HPL’s Program Development team as they share practical strategies, explore impact of community partnerships, highlight success stories, and discuss the rewards and realities of hosting large-scale events.

Networking can feel overwhelming, especially for those who are unsure where to start. But building professional connections doesn’t have to mean “working the room” or pretending to be someone you’re not. In this interactive, conversation-style session, we’ll explore practical, low-pressure ways to connect with colleagues and grow supportive professional relationships in the library community and beyond. Through small group discussions, simple practice activities, and real-life examples, participants will discover that networking can be genuine, approachable, and even enjoyable. Together, we’ll reflect on how small steps, like talking about the weather, offering a compliment, or following up after a meeting can help us persist in supporting one another and strengthening our professional network.

Librarians have long had to deal with difficult people simply because we work with the public, and now with deepening political divides, expanding income inequality and growing loneliness epidemic the need for programs to connect people has never been more urgent, and the obstacles to maintaining those programs have never been more difficult to overcome. This is an opportunity for librarians and library staff to share their experiences in dealing with difficult patrons who attend public programs and offer each other solutions to de-escalate, resolve and end the issue.

This session includes the following Shop Talks: 

• Evidence-Based eBooks in Transition: Responding to Changes in eBook Collections at Large & Small Academic Libraries
  • In this session, collections librarians from two quite different academic libraries—one large with primarily in-person courses, the other small with primarily online distance courses—discuss how they navigated eBook transformations at their institutions. Evidence-Based Acquisitions (EBA) plans feature at the core of both transitions. Royal Roads University (RRU) relied largely on ProQuest eBooks, so ProQuest’s recent announcement exiting title-by-title purchasing meant a need to pivot to new strategies, such as EBAs. The University of Victoria (UVic) had moved to EBAs during the COVID-19 pandemic, but recently navigated cancellation of a plan amidst budget pressures. Attendees will learn how both librarians handled these transitions, and how both institutions manage the EBA plans effectively with different staffing complements.
• Starting With Our Values, Not Our Software: Process-Mapping Our Resource Sharing (ILL) Service
  • After years of tweaking our ILL software, we took a step back to return to basics. Instead of letting ourselves be led by the product, we chose to prioritize the service. Why do we do resource sharing? Our systems had made it very easy to share resources with other academic libraries, but our relationships with Canadian public and government library partners had suffered. We mapped our resource sharing process from request to return and redefined our policies, grounding ourselves in our values and the why of what we do at each step. In this session we will talk about how we approached process mapping, and how a common understanding of why we do this work has helped us redefine our service.
    
    
  • WITHDRAWN- Beyond Paywalls: Practical Tools for Locating Open Access Journal Content
    • Access to scholarly literature should not be limited by paywalls, yet many valuable research publications remain locked behind them. Librarians play a crucial role in connecting users to free, legal versions of scholarly works through open access (OA) discovery tools. This session introduces participants to four powerful, easy-to-use resources: Unpaywall, CORE Discovery, Open Access (OA) Button (Browser Extensions), and Ulrichsweb (open access filter). Through live demonstrations and real-world search scenarios, attendees will learn how these browser extensions, plugins, and databases streamline the process of locating legal OA research articles. Whether embedded in library instruction, used for reference services, or integrated into faculty research support, these tools empower librarians to provide equitable access to scholarly resources. Participants will leave equipped with strategies to promote these resources to patrons, faculty, and researchers, maximizing their reach and impact.

This session includes the following Shop Talks: 

• Stories of Hope: Digital Literacy Skills Training and Dementia Inclusive Library Programming
  • Stories of Hope provides an opportunity for intergenerational library programming and for interested community members to develop their digital literacy skills. Those living with dementia and their caregivers have a chance to record their personal stories and to take part in a community event. Dementia impacts over 500,000 Canadians with numbers increasing annually and include our friends, family and neighbours. This initiative enables those living with dementia and their caregivers to help those developing digital literacy and interviewing skills by sharing their story. The project creates social cohesion and breaks down the barriers of isolation by connecting members of the community through challenging life changes. Library staff and those participating in the digital literacy skills training program have received training on conducting interviews, using video equipment and working with those living with dementia.
• You’re Smarter Than AI: Teaching Kids to Think for Themselves
  • How do we help young students learn to research historical information about their own communities and heritage without using AI? In this Shop Talk, we will share curriculum guides developed in our intern program that take the form of digital scavenger hunts. These are designed to help teach searching skills, critical thinking, and engage students in research activities that are fun.
• Persistence in a Box: Engaging with Library Staff Around AI
  • Library staff persist daily in responding to the challenges posed by rapidly evolving technologies. This Shop Talk showcases the University of Guelph’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Library Workshop in a Box [https://hdl.handle.net/10214/29081], developed from a day-long conference-style event designed to engage staff across diverse roles in exploring AI’s place in academic libraries. Attendees will learn how to adapt structured activities, facilitator guides, handouts, and reflection tools for their own contexts. The session shares lessons learned from our experience, offering best practices, highlighting pitfalls to avoid, and including practical suggestions for tailoring to their own institutions. Participants will leave prepared to support library staff in going beyond persistence towards fostering curiosity and creativity in the shifting AI landscape.

Book challenges are on the rise—are you ready? Join OSLA for a dynamic panel discussion featuring a school librarian, a school administrator, and an academic expert. We will break down real-life cases from every division (K-12) to help you navigate the complexities of censorship and intellectual freedom. Featuring Wendy Burch Jones, Joel Krentz, and Jim Turk, this session is fully interactive. Come prepared to dive in, ask questions, and leave with a fresh perspective on defending your collection!

Meet and network with other library professionals working in makerspaces and recording studios. Discuss the latest trends, program ideas, and the relevance of makerspaces and recording studios in the library community. This meetup provides an opportunity to engage and collaborate with fellow makers.

Do we enjoy our career, or do we just want to retire? Many people retire early or at the age of 65; some people continue to work. We are graduates of the Library Technician programs and have had fulfilling careers. Doug and Liz will outline why they chose to retire and the plan they had in place and the things they do now. So busy now they will have to retire from retirement! Janna Munkittrick-Colton is still working and has just turned 69. She loves her job and is doing what she always wanted to do at the end of her career. What is she doing now? Why did they retire? Why is she still working? They have all decided to make their own trail and persist in their own way. There will be a moderator with questions and will enjoy a question and answer period from attendees.

Marketing, outreach, and engagement may not be the first things that come to mind when we think of special and research libraries that serve a private client base, but these libraries face the same challenges as others in spreading the word about their services. In this session, staff from the Library Services department at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories will share some of the things we’ve done to spread awareness of our services, advocate for ourselves, and foster engagement with our patrons. We’ll talk about the sometimes-unexpected internal and external partnerships we’re developing, the activities we’ve run over the past couple of years, and the ways we’ve communicated all of it to the colleagues we serve. Our goal is for attendees to leave with ideas they can customize for their own special and research libraries. We welcome sharing and discussion about your own experiences during the final part of this session!

In this session, I'll share tips and tricks for successful school visits from both the school librarian and creator perspectives. Ask any author, illustrator, or educator and they’ll tell you that hosting creators in schools used to be much more commonplace and a whole lot easier to book. Nowadays, educators and creators alike are faced with a multitude of barriers, limiting these exceptional learning opportunities. With advice for and from both sides of the table, this session will also dive into navigating budgets, Ministry of Education directives, and board policies. Come join the open dialogue between both sides of this important issue facing schools and creators across the country.

With increasing awareness of neurodiversity, public libraries are intentionally designing library programs and services to support a wide range of sensory needs. In this session you will learn about some of the tools, principles, and approaches the Edmonton Public Library has implemented to make the library more accessible and welcoming for families with neurodivergent children. You will also have the opportunity to share ideas with colleagues and learn what other libraries have tried and what has worked (or hasn’t). Whether you have been running a Sensory Storytime for many years or are just starting to think about how you can support a particular family, join us as we share practical suggestions you can explore or implement to make visiting the library a more positive experience for all. Although the focus will be on young children, many of the ideas discussed can be applied to services for other ages.

Please note that this session has been withdrawn at the request of the presenter.

In May 2025, the American Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision in Little vs Llano County, invalidating 40 years of precedent protecting intellectual freedom in libraries. Their decision renders library collections as “government speech,” permitting elected officials and their appointees to dictate library collections and services on ideological bases without regard for free speech or intellectual freedom. I will summarize the relevant case, ruling, and dissent, highlighting both the uniquely American and transferable political and legal arguments impacting libraries, especially transgender patrons and materials. Subsequently, I will identify the particular political mechanisms operative in the case and how they could operate within the Canadian library context. Finally, I will propose responses to this form of censorship. These responses aim to support librarians—both organizationally and on the front lines—in resisting political interference and defending intellectual freedom.

In 2025, Lambton County Library asked Maajiigin Gumig Greenhouse at Aamjiwnaang First Nation to consult on a DIY activity for the Summer Reading Challenge. A request for the names of a few native plants to use for seed bombs evolved into a language and culture sharing project where Dylan Henry, the greenhouse's technician, developed a list of 41 seed species with names in Anishinaabemowin wherever possible, instructions for making seed bombs in English and Anishinaabemowin, and a version of the Turtle Island creation story, again with many words in Anishinaabemowin all in consultation with Aamjiwnaang community members. The library team supported with graphic design and funding to create and publish a living document, and by the end of the summer, over 2000 people from a cross section of the community received a copy along with hand gathered native plant seeds from traditional Aamjiwnaang Territory.

There are four shared print programs across Canada which are tasked with balancing the preservation of scholarly resources with the practical pressures around space, cost and access.  The following panel will feature representatives from North: the Canadian Shared Print Network/ Nord: Réseau canadien de conservation partagée des documents imprimés, Council of Pacific and Prairie University Libraries, Partenariat des bibliothèques universitaires du Québec (PBUQ) and Keep@Downsview who will reflect on collaborative strategies and approaches to developing and managing different shared print programs and future opportunities for growth.

Panelists will examine both the opportunities and complexities of shared print in the Canadian context, with attention to governance models, collection development practices, and long-term sustainability. The discussion will focus on areas of alignment highlighting ongoing research and projects as well as distinctive perspectives, providing participants with a nuanced view of how regional and national efforts can work together to strengthen collective stewardship of library collections.  

• Learning Objective 1: Attendees will learn and gain practical insights into how shared print partnerships can advance access, ensure preservation, and build resilience.
• Learning Objective 2: Attendees will develop a stronger understanding of how shared print programs have engaged with members to achieve collective and institutional objectives.
• Learning Objective 3: Attendees will learn about challenges and opportunities facing shared print programs.

Health librarians are essential defenders of information integrity. Recent U.S. administrative actions include funding cuts, data censorship, and threats to key information infrastructure, such as MEDLINE and PubMed. These actions impact every stage of the evidence-to-practice pipeline, from biomedical research to clinical guidelines and point-of-care tools, in ways that extend beyond the U.S. border. An online guide, “Beyond Borders: Impacts of U.S. Administration Decisions on Canadian Healthcare,” was launched by Canadian health librarians to tracks these policy shifts and their implications for Canadian health information. This guide aims to equip researchers, clinicians, and policymakers with strategies to navigate evolving threats to evidence quality, which affect research integrity, health equity, and clinical practice. This session highlights how the collective action of librarians plays a vital role in preserving the quality of information for informed decision-making, safeguarding clinical practices, and demonstrating the value of librarians in advancing public health and research integrity.

This Spotlight has been planned and championed by the OLA Technology Sector's OLITA Council.

Ron Deibert will speak about his new best selling book, Chasing Shadows, which details the unseemly marketplace for high-tech surveillance, professional disinformation, and computerized malfeasance, and how his team at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab have lifted the lid on dozens of covert operations targeting innocent citizens.. Chasing Shadows provides a front-row seat to a dark underworld of digital espionage, dark PR, and subversion. There, autocrats and dictators peer into their targets’ lives with the mere press of a button, spreading their tentacles of authoritarianism through a digital ecosystem that is insecure, poorly regulated, and prone to abuse. The activists, opposition figures, and journalists who dare to advocate for basic political rights and freedoms are hounded, arrested, tortured, and sometimes murdered.

Ce programme a été planifié et soutenu par le Conseil ABO-Franco.

Des auteurs francophones de livres jeunesse présentent leurs livres. Ils seront accompagnés de leurs éditeurs. Venez les écouter et les rencontrer! Une présentation de Québec Édition avec Comme des géants, Fonfon, Michel Quintin, La Pastèque, Québec Amérique, KATA / Planète rebelle, La Montagne secrète.

It’s an exciting time at LAC! Join Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, and her colleagues to learn more about exciting initiatives such as the landmark Ādisōke facility that will open next year in the heart of Ottawa, our innovative work with artificial intelligence, and everything else we’re doing to improve access to our collections.

Library workers are invited to join OCULA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Community of Practice for a conversation on navigating discussions of genocide, global conflict, and human rights in professional spaces. How can we speak ethically and safely about these issues within the workplace and what are the limits of library neutrality? 

This session will explore how censorship, whether institutional, social, or self-imposed, and how censorship pressures, external or internal, shape our collections, services, and professional expression.  Participants will examine working definitions of academic and intellectual freedom, antisemitism, and Islamophobia to reflect on the limits of neutrality and share best practices for addressing censorship and conflict in today’s climate. Together, we’ll consider how to uphold intellectual freedom, support colleagues, and foster workplaces that make space for difficult but necessary conversations.

The following themes will be used as discussion prompts:  

• Neutrality - Do personal beliefs have a place in library work? Is neutrality ever possible? 
• Avoidance - Do contentious conversations take place where you work? Should they? 
• Assumptions - Do you fill in the blanks about how your colleagues and students feel based on their identities?
• Actions - How do you respond to global conflict in your work? What do you wish you or your institution were doing?

This conversation will be governed by the Chatham House Rule.

Learning objectives

• Learning objective #1 - Participants will leave the session able to compare their response to global conflict with those of other library workers.
• Learning objective #2 - Participants will leave the session able to compare their institution’s response to global conflict with those of other institutions.
• Learning objective #3 - Participants will leave the session able to describe how the OCULA EDI Community of Practice provides an opportunity to engage in topics of critical importance to library professionals.

Please note: this poster has been withdrawn at the request of the speaker.

Looking for ways to energize your children’s programming and support real-world learning? This session shares how one library partnered with local trades experts, including HVAC technicians, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters, heavy equipment operators, etc. to create a hands-on program introducing children to skilled trades. As demand for trade workers grows across Canada, libraries are uniquely positioned to plant the seeds of curiosity and career readiness. While academic programs often take center stage, libraries can play a vital role in supporting children whose strengths and futures lie in skills-based careers. Attendees will engage in hands-on activities inspired by the program and try out simple trades-based tasks themselves. Learn how to find and recruit community partners, build equity into your planning, and run programs that are exciting, educational, and easy to replicate. You'll leave with program plans, sponsorship tools and skilled trades templates that empower children and open doors to new futures.

This poster session will describe my process for performing a major update to the graphic medicine collection at the W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library. Graphic medicine generally refers to comics or graphic novels that focus on topics surrounding health, illness, healthcare, or medicine. This poster will discuss the value that graphic medicine brings to the education of health professionals through its focus on art, storytelling, and patient perspectives. It will look at the steps I took when updating Dalhousie University’s graphic medicine collection, key considerations that I kept in mind (such as diversity of perspectives and balance of topic coverage), and the lessons I learned throughout this process. It will also address how I intend to carry these lessons forward in my career, during my current role at the University of Toronto and beyond, and discuss what other early-career librarians might take away from this process.

Libraries and community-based organizations (CBOs) benefit from having community advocates who can help them thrive and persist, especially when shrinking budgets and limited civic-mindedness can increase their vulnerability. This poster describes a community service-learning collaboration between the University of Saskatchewan Library and Foundations Learning & Skills Saskatchewan (Literacies in Community) that fosters engaged citizenship, service, diversity, and equity. By helping soon-to-be graduates (those in the ‘transitioning out’ stage articulated by Lizzio, 2011) understand the importance of civic-mindedness and community service through experiential learning, Literacies in Community can inspire students to become the future advocates that libraries and CBOs need. In the program, participants help elementary school children learn, while also exploring the importance of literacy, libraries, and community organizations. An outline of this collaboration and its goals, along with feedback from participants, will be shared to present viewers with a model to consider for their libraries. Learn how our team is looking toward the future while also positively impacting students!

We've got magic beans to share from the seed library at the Weston Family Library, Toronto Botanical Garden. It is a self-checkout system for seeds built with free tools that automatically collects metrics, manages inventory, generates weekly reports, and reduces workload for staff and volunteers, all while enticing users to borrow from our print collection to enrich their horticultural literacy. This low-cost, scalable model for Libraries of Things runs on salvaged supplies, an old book cart, Google Forms, Excel sheets, and a small team of passionate volunteers. It all starts when a patron scans a QR code to check-out a pack of seeds. Each checkout triggers a customized email with planting guides and book recommendations from our print collection. Curious to see where the beanstalk leads? Come check-out a pack of seeds at our poster session and experience how our system may apply to your Library of Things.

Back by popular demand, Lyndsey and Mandy will be hosting a crafty get-together! They’ll guide you through making either a mini fabric book or an embroidered bookmark — or feel free to bring along your own project. Come to learn a new skill, enjoy some quiet time, or connect with other crafty library folks. No experience or supplies needed, drop in any time between 12-2PM. All are welcome!

In a context marked by rising living costs, we have implemented an initiative to support families at the start of the school year. The project has three complementary components. First, the addition of school supplies to complement the services already offered by food banks, which helps ease the financial burden on parents. Second, free haircuts for children to boost their self-esteem and help them start school with confidence. Finally, information sessions for parents on various topics related to their children's well-being and success (nutrition, reading, bullying, etc.) to strengthen their skills and sense of efficacy. This initiative contributes to health, social services, and education. This poster will be presented in French and in English.

This poster presents the evolution of the virtual reference service at the University of Waterloo Libraries, highlighting the recent adoption of SpringShare’s chatbot tool to provide 24/7 support. It outlines the state of the chat service prior to implementation, the development process of the chatbot, and post-launch workflows. Preliminary findings from user experience testing will be shared, along with considerations and recommendations for institutions exploring chatbot integration to enhance reference services and better meet user needs.

It has been 10 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released it’s 94 Calls To Action, detailing the ongoing harm Indigenous communities are facing and ways to act. Since then, many important organizations and groups have supported this report with additional suggestions and nuances. Libraries, museums, archives and galleries, all of these spaces have received calls to action. As an incoming librarian, I’ve been curious about how spaces of information dictate our relationship to memory, truth and reconciliation. This is, therefore, a presentation on my research and finding: an analysis of various libraries and museums and how these spaces stand with reconciliation since the Calls To Actions were published. I am presenting a framework for how we might improve our understandings of reconciliation in our workplaces to further this mission. It is a call to librarians to further their own relationship with reconciliation.

In 2024–2025, McMaster University Libraries launched a strategic initiative focused on advancing accessible library teaching. We aimed to develop an open-access resource to support library staff—both locally and across Canada—in building their knowledge and skills around accessibility, particularly in how we teach and engage with learners across diverse library environments. Staff members from across the library volunteered to contribute to the project. They researched and authored chapters on accessibility in key areas of library instruction, such as in workshops, in research consultations, in outreach events, and in online learning objects. This poster presentation will look at the steps involved in organizing this strategic initiative, as well as the processes undertaken by the editors and authors in developing their accessibility knowledge and compiling it in a practical and approachable manner. We’ll share our open resource and encourage you to check it out and share it with your colleagues.

Discover how libraries can create inclusive sensory spaces—without a big budget. Drawing on real-world experience from sensoryplay.ca, this poster showcases practical, low-cost design strategies and programming ideas that welcome neurodiverse children, teens, and adults. Learn how small investments in lighting, textures, and interactive elements can transform a corner of your library into a calming, engaging environment. Attendees will leave with actionable tips, resource lists, and inspiration to replicate or adapt these approaches in their own communities.

About the poster:

The poster itself is printed on magnetic material, and the individual images can be removed, repositioned, and coloured in with dry-erase markers. This encourages hands-on interaction and offers a simple, visual way to demonstrate the benefits of sensory play through engagement, choice, and exploration.

In October 2024, Queen's University Library opened a newly expanded Centre for students with disabilities. Embracing a user-centred approach, the space provides access to services, assistive technologies and software, dedicated staff support and expertise, diverse seating arrangements, a respite room, and sensory-friendly areas, to create an accessible learning environment. In addition to conducting an environmental scan of similar spaces, library accessibility services staff consulted with students and campus accessibility partners to identify barriers to access to the library's spaces and services. This feedback was incorporated into the planning and building of the new space. Despite facing several initial challenges, staff persevered to ensure that the Centre's services and facilities effectively meet the needs of students. The new space is a success! A year after its opening, the Centre is heavily used, and staff have received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Like many academic makerspaces, the Gerstein Science Information Centre’s 3D Printing Service started as a place for students to print Pokemon – er, access and explore new technology. A decade later, interest waned as users lacked time to print “just for fun.” It was time to pivot. Research shows makerspaces thrive when integrated into curriculum. Recognizing the value of 3D technologies in health education and research, we transformed from a co-curricular novelty into a course-integrated hub for experiential learning and experimentation. We’ve expanded staff and equipment, provided expert consultation, and created original learning objectlso situate our experience within broader academic makerspace trends—offering a s that demonstrate the potential that 3D technologies offer. This poster will share in-house metrics and case studies from the past year to highlight our journey and lessons learned. We’ll a roadmap for others looking to launch or scale a service that’s essential, not optional.

Join us for an informal yet engaging meet-up with the Visible Minority Librarians of Canada (ViMLoC) community! Whether you're an established member or curious about what ViMLoC is all about, this is your opportunity to connect with colleagues and peers and learn about current initiatives. Students who identify as visible minorities are especially welcome.  To learn more, please visit https://vimloc.org/

Please note that this event is now full, but you can still add yourself to the waitlist when you register!

Always wanted to see what happens at the Toronto International Film Festival library? Well, now is the time! TIFF is offering several opportunities for attendees of the OLA Super Conference to tour the TIFF Library. Please note that the TIFF Library is approximately 10 minutes' walk away from the conference centre.

For those unable to attend an official OLA Super Conference tour, you may still visit the TIFF Library during your time in Toronto. Library hours are from 10am-5pm Monday to Friday. 

In a world that is ever changing, the Canadian School Library realizes the need for practical resources that match the shifting digital landscape. CSL is proud to release their free Digital and Media Literacy Toolkit. Last year’s OLA Super Conference offered the chance for school library professionals to provide feedback on the draft version of this resource, and now the final version has been released. Get an overview of this useful kit. Combat disinformation. Resist trolls and phishers. Persist in educating yourselves, your students, and your communities with accessible activities that are cross-curricular and can be integrated into your own context. Contribute to the ways we can see these lessons in action. Be inspired by two of the contributors to the Toolkit to apply some of these ideas in your own school or public library.

In April 2025, Toronto Public Library launched its AI Upskilling Initiative, a large-scale project that provides Torontonians with free access to GenAI tools and AI education programs and events that support skills building, connect residents with experts, and bridge the growing AI divide. TPL team members provide an overview of this transformational project, the first large-scale public library AI initiative of its kind in Canada. Learn about the project outcomes, successes and lessons learned. Hear directly from those in the frontlines about the excitement, concerns, questions and feedback that community members have about AI and how public libraries can shape program and service delivery to inform responsible AI use for its communities.