Basilica and Library Tour

A tour of the Basilica, containing a library with many old tomes and historic texts, has been arranged by the Newfoundland & Labrador Library Association (NLLA) on Saturday, June 8, at 2:00PM. Wind down from our action packed week with a tour of this historic site.

If you’d like more information about the location, visit the Basilica Museum website.

If you’d like to attend, please RSVP by sending an email to nlla.executive@gmail.com. Space is limited on the tour due to the facility’s fire code; non-NLLA members (and +1s) are invited to attend, but NLLA members will get priority if the list fills up.

Iceberg Tour

Saturday, June 8, 2019 (4:00pm – 6:00pm)

St. John’s Waterfront

Do you want to go see those icebergs up close and personal?  Why not join other APLA attendees for a once and lifetime boat tour experience.   If interested, you can book the tour at Iceberg Quest Tours

For just $70, you will sail for 2 hours, and will be back in the harbor by 6pm. There are all sorts of icebergs around the harbor, and it’s likely even more will be viewable on June 8.

If you book online, please let Margaret know, so she can keep track of who is coming from APLA.

BRING WINTER JACKETS, MITTS, HATS AND SCARVES – THE OCEAN IS COLD!

Self-Guided Pub Crawl

 

Time: Thursday June 7 (9:00pm up to 2:00am)

Location: George Street, St. John’s, NL A1C 1A9

According to the CBC, St. John’s, NL, has the most bars per capita of any city in Canada – celebrate this feat during APLA through the Self-Guided Pub Crawl on the evening of Thursday, June 7, starting at 9:00PM at the Trinity Pub, before checking out a few of the historic George Street pubs. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and any food/beverage purchases.

If you are looking to get screeched-in while you’re down there?  Look no further than Christian’s Pub.  For just $20 per participant, you get the shot, the show (30 min) and the certificate at the end.  The ceremony happens at 11:15pm and reservations are strongly recommended. Call 753-9100 to book your spot.

Scenic Stretch of the Legs

As conferences go, there will be plenty of sitting and learning, so you may want to stretch out your legs at various points of the experience – why not take a scenic walk back to the city when you’re done for the day?

The North Head Trail is one of the most popular hikes on the East Coast Trail network, and it’s accessible from the downtown core of the city. As you’d be starting half-way up the hill at our venue, the Emera Innovation Exchange at Memorial’s Signal Hill Campus, you could continue to the top of the hill (walking, or by arranging to be dropped off at the top of the hill via car), and follow the North Head Trail out beyond the Signal Hill National Historic Site to the tip of North Head, which continues along the Narrows and back to the city through the historic Battery neighborhood.

This hike does have some significant elevation change, but this route described is the easier (though still strenuous) direction, as there are a lot of stairs to walk down (if starting the trail head at the end of the Outer Battery Road, it’s all uphill – it might be a nice, if not sweaty, way to get to the conference in the morning via early morning hike).

According the website, the North Head Trail is approximately 1.7 kilometers in distance, and takes approximately 1 hours to complete. It is described as “Strenuous/Challenging,” but is certainly less-so from the top-down. Please hike responsibly, wear shoes (my mom did this in Birkenstock sandals but I wouldn’t recommend it), bring water, and be safe.

We are planning a more coordinated hike along a section of the East Coast Trail outside of the city called Mickeleens Path, located near the community of Bay Bulls. We will need to coordinate drives for this experience, so please let us know [in advance] that you’d like to participate. This is a linear trail, so we need twice as many seats as we have people; the group assembles at one end of the trail, while enough cars to take the group back to the starting point continue to the end of the trail (followed by enough cars to take these drivers to the starting point where the group awaits), and the group proceeds to the end of the linear trail. If we are unable to coordinate enough rides for the number of people that want to attend, we will choose an alternative looped trail. Please email mmccumber@nlpl.ca for more information, and to express your interest.

Early-Bird Registration Extension

The early-bird registration deadline has been extended until May 3, as we have had some technical difficulties with PayPal recently. If you have any problems submitting payment, please let us know via e-mail.

Thank you for your interest in attending APLA 2019.

Professional Headshots

Wish you had fancy, professional-looking head shots? Think they are just too expensive?

At APLA 2019 in St. John’s, you can schedule a session with a professional photographer for just $35! On Friday, June 7th, Darrell Edwards will be set up at the Emera Innovation Exchange to provide library workers with professional images. If you are interested in scheduling a session, please contact kathrynr@mun.ca before May 1, 2019.

Welcome to APLA 2019

Dear friends,

What could be better than joining your colleagues and peers to learn about the newest ideas and initiatives in librarianship in the Atlantic provinces? How about doing so in the historic, captivating City of St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador! We are thrilled to show off our unique culture and landscape by welcoming you all here for APLA 2019. Our committee is working diligently to make this the best conference of all time.

The newly renovated The Emera Innovation Exchange at Signal Hill Campus (Directions: 100 Signal Hill Road), located on the wind-swept slopes of Signal Hill overlooking the St. John’s Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean, will be the primary location for the conference proceedings, complimented by off-site events at nearby venues to explore aspects of the local flavour of this provincial capital. To start the conference in style… [opening reception details].

As for our conference theme – the Tip of the Iceberg / le sommet de l’iceberg – the library landscape is evolving and growing before our eyes, as we have seen the tip of the iceberg but it’s important to recognize and address all that mass below the water’s surface. Libraries are becoming more inclusive, offering more unique programming and services than ever before, and with the unique needs of specific users in mind. In Canada, our libraries are striving to advance reconciliation with our diverse indigenous communities and ensuring everyone feels welcome and safe.

Libraries also face challenges and threats, such as budgetary restrictions, that often leave libraries short-staffed and short on funds, resulting in the possible restructuring of roles, workflows, activities, and priorities.  Despite this, libraries always endeavor to ensure our users have the best experience, and that includes being quick to adapt to new trends.  Some areas where libraries have thrived in recent years include: research data management, open access, teaching and learning, community involvement, information technologies, licensing and purchasing, and the list goes on.

In all things library-related, we are on the cusp of great change. As we break with many of our traditional operations and structures, this change can be both challenging and exciting, but always promising. Who knows what’s next? What we currently see is really just the tip of the iceberg! The future of our libraries is in our hands, and we have lots to discuss!”

We look forward to seeing you in St. John’s June 5 – 8, 2019!