VANCOUVER—The 2014 BC Library Association conference themed Hello,World! opened last night with a keynote speech by award-winning author and engaging storyteller Ivan Coyote.
Ivan talked about the importance of public libraries from a personal and a political and social perspective. Ivan’s claim that “libraries change the world” met with a very positive response from the roomful of library workers from across the province.
Following the keynote speech, a welcome reception was hosted by CUPE BC. President Mark Hancock brought greetings from CUPE BC and especially on behalf of the 3,000 CUPE members who work in public, K-12 and post-secondary libraries throughout the province.
Hancock talked about the importance of libraries in today’s world and thanked the workers and library trustees who keep libraries a dynamic force in our communities.
CUPE BC has also sponsored a booth that includes a map of the province with pins for conference attendees to identify their local library. Within the first half an hour, conference attendees had pinned communities from Fort Nelson down to Victoria.
The CUPE BC library committee’s “I support my local library” buttons are popular, as is the draw to win a selection from the committee’s list of recommended films and books that offer social commentary and a worker’s point of view.
The BCLA conference runs through to April 2 and will feature speakers Marian Bantjes and Arundhati Roy, as well as many workshops of interest to library workers. More information about the conference can be found https://bclaconnect.ca/2014-conference/?page_id=30.
View photos.
