SLIS Soaks Up the Local Scene in Jasper

Members of the SLIS community made a strong showing at the annual Alberta Library Conference in Jasper, Alberta (April 27-30, 2017). Our talented recruiter, Grace Jamieson, logged in many energizing hours at our SLIS booth in the exhibitor hall, where she interacted with prospective students, current students, alumni, and other SLIS stakeholders. Numerous ever-curious SLIS students presented research posters at the opening reception. Thanks to Dr. Tami Oliphant for creating this important opportunity to disseminate student scholarship to our professional community. SLIS students, faculty and sessional instructors contributed to a diverse range of panel presentations on compelling topics, from Indigenous Students, Community and Academic Libraries to Public Library Programing to How Librarians Make a Difference and much more. Two graduating students, Céline Gareau-Brennan (on campus) and Lori Pichette, (online) received competitive LAA student awards for their superior academic merit and potential contribution to the library profession. SLIS Professor and Chair, Dr. Toni Samek, was honoured with the prestigious LAA President's Award to recognize her major impact on a province-wide basis in the library field in Alberta. Toni also moderated a special evening panel with author Joseph Boyden on the subject of libraries and reconciliation. Special thanks to our colleague and University of Alberta librarian Anne Carr-Wiggin for organizing this critical panel of speakers - Joseph Boyden, Kirk MacLeod, Miranda Jimmy and Camille Callison. Once again the annual Jasper conference proved to be an invigorating and inspirational experience. We already look forward to 2018 - see you there!