Saskatchewan Libraries Conference

Join us for the 2023 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference from May 3-5, 2023!

The conference is taking place at the Saskatoon Inn, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The theme for this year is “Libraries Expand Horizons.” This theme invites us to reflect on the many ways that libraries serve, support, and enhance their communities. Here are just a few ways the SLA sees libraries expanding our horizons:

Creating inclusive and equitable environments that reflect our province’s diversity
Providing services that expand individual opportunities and ways of thinking
Supporting intellectual freedom and the right to read
Offering diverse collections, both in topic and format
Gathering community in reconciliation and decolonization initiatives

The conference is an incredible professional development opportunity for anyone working in the library and information services field, and provides a chance to network with library workers from across the province. We have a wide range of engaging, informative, and thought-provoking sessions scheduled that provides something for everyone.

Registration for the 2023 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference is currently open, and the early bird deadline is March 1, 2023! Registration will close on April 21, 2023.

Early bird registration fees (before March 1) are:

Student – $150 plus tax
SLA member – $300 plus tax
Non-member – $350 plus tax
Day rate – $200 plus tax

Regular registration fees (after March 1) are:

Student – $190 plus tax
SLA member – $350 plus tax
Non-member – $400 plus tax
Day rate – $200 plus tax

SLA is also offering two pre-conference workshops on May 3 this year. Each pre-conference workshop is an additional $75. You do not have to be registered for the full conference to attend a pre-conference workshop. The workshops being offered are:

Mental Health 101 presented by Oaks Mental Health (10am – 12pm)
Governance Basics for a Non-Profit Organization by Dawn Martins of Daybreak Consulting (1:30pm – 3:30pm)

Please note: If for any reason you need to cancel your conference or pre-conference workshop registration, a refund of 80% of your registration fee will be issued until April 11, 2023. Any cancellation made after April 11, 2023 will not receive a refund.

Conference Registration:

Registration is now open! The early bird deadline is March 1, 2023. Registration will close on April 21, 2023.

Pre-Conference Workshop Registration:

Registration is now open, and will close on April 21, 2023.

Resources

Our Speakers

Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, has short, straight grey hair and dark eyes. She is wearing a red collared shirt and dangly earrings.

Keynote

We are honoured to welcome Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, as our 2023 keynote speaker!

Leslie Weir was appointed to the position of Librarian and Archivist of Canada in 2019 for a four-year term, and is the first woman to hold this position. Before being appointed to Librarian and Archivist of Canada, Weir served as the university librarian at the University of Ottawa for 15 years.

Leslie Weir’s presentation will be on the morning of May 4, 2023.

Mary Donaldson Lecture

SLA is pleased to announce John Lagimodiere, President of Aboriginal Consulting Services, as our 2023 Mary Donaldson Lecturer.

Recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal and Saskatoon’s Living in Harmony Award, John Lagimodiere is a dedicated community builder and entrepreneur. President of ACS Aboriginal Consulting Services, he has been delivering Indigenous awareness seminars since 1997 while he built a 25-year career in the media as Editor/Publisher of Eagle Feather News and as a regular contributor to CBC, where he was host of the award-winning national show, As If, on CBC Radio. Lagimodiere is also the recipient of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce ABEX Award for Aboriginal Business. His Métis roots are in the Red River, and he is a citizen of the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan. John’s straight forward and humorous delivery are why he is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, master of ceremonies, and facilitator.

John Lagimodiere’s lecture will be on the evening of May 3, 2023.

The Mary Donaldson Memorial Lecture is an annual lecture established in 1967. Learn more about the Mary Donaldson Memorial Lecture.

Endnote Speaker

Closing off our conference with a bang will be Shawn Cuthand, Writer and Producer at The Feather Entertainment Inc.

Shawn Cuthand is a Cree and Mohawk stand up comedian living on Treaty 6 territory. He is also a writer, filmmaker, producer and actor. He is a part of The Feather News, a fake news comedy series which is making it’s premiere on APTN Lumi in February 2023. For the past 2 years he has also acted in the GTNT annual christmas plays. Stand up comedy is his passion and he has performed all over Saskatchewan as well as Winnipeg, Ottawa and Edmonton. For the past two years he’s been a part of the YXE Fringe with Danny Knight showcasing their open mic comedy show The Funny Bone Schomedy Zone which they have just been confirmed for a third year.

Shawn Cuthand’s presentation will take place in the afternoon on May 5, 2023.

The conference is an incredible professional development opportunity for anyone working in the library and information services field, and provides a chance to network with library workers from across the province. We look forward to hearing from a wide range of presenters on topics relevant to Saskatchewan’s library and information community.

We hope to see you there!

Call for Sponsors & Exhibitors

SLA is currently seeking sponsors and exhibitors for its 2023 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference. Sponsorships are available for a wide variety of items at a wide variety of price points, including the Mary Donaldson Lecture, the keynote speaker, and the President’s Reception.

Click here for the 2023 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference Prospectus for more information and for the registration form.

If you have any questions, please contact Lynn Penner, SLA Communications & Research Coordinator, by emailing lpenner@saskla.ca.

Archived Conference Presentations