This week on Library Land Loves, our host Michelle Arbuckle sits down with 2024 OSLA President Wendy Burch Jones for an important discussion about why having access to a fully staffed and funded school library is so necessary for our students, and what you can do to get involved. 📚 You’re not an OLA member yet? Don’t worry about it, it’s fine, you …

Welcome back to Library Land Loves, we’ve missed you! Join us in our first episode back as your host Michelle Arbuckle (Executive Director of the OLA), sits down for a chat with the key crew behind the 2025 OLA Super Conference: Caroline Goulding, Randy Oldham, and Amanda Robinson. Get the inside scoop on the 2025 theme’s origin story (no, we’re no…

Dr. Michael Stephens joins us to chat about empathy - why it's important and tools to help us develop our empathy muscles. Adjacent to the important topic of empathy is compassion fatigue and how the work that we do requires us to take care of ourselves, to step out our work roles, take time for dreaming and find joy in our lives and our work. Join…

On July 8, 2022 Canada experienced one of the largest telecomm outages in recent memory when Rogers Communications experienced a massive network failure. Millions of people were unable to access wifi, or process debit transactions, and even getting a cup of coffee proved difficult. Today three library systems are sharing their stories of how they h…

Nancy Cooper, First Nation Communities READ coordinator is here to tell us all about the program, this year's 2022/2023 selected titles and how you can learn more and get involved. Links from the episode: First Nation Communities READ website Goodminds.com First Nations Public Library Week website FNPLW Poster Follow @FNCReads Follow Michelle @city…

This week we're talking about banned books with host and creator of The Stacks podcast, Traci Thomas. Earlier this year Traci hosted a five part series on banned books where she had some really interesting conversations with librarians, authors, students, teachers, performers, politicians, and bookstore owners. The series explored all the nuances a…

This keynote conversation was recorded at the 2022 OLA Super Conference. Get obsessed with us. OLA is thrilled to bring the hosts of National Public Radio’s Pop Culture Happy Hour to chat about how pop culture will save us all. From lowbrow to highbrow, what culture are we consuming during our pandemic journey? And more importantly, what culture is…

Many libraries now make their own podcasts, but there are also people who make library and book-related podcasts outside of their jobs. Panelists will discuss why they make podcasts, how they engage with their audiences, what makes a successful podcast, balancing work vs podcasting, and where they’d like to see podcasting go in the future. Thank yo…

What does it mean to be neurodivergent or neuro-atypical in library land? Today’s conversation is about what it's like to be an adult with ADHD, and how we can better support workers with this condition. ADHD is a condition that affects 1.5 million Canadians but is still often confused or dismissed as something that only affects children. Aries Cas…

Does getting your library on TikTok live in your mind rent-free? Already there and wondering how to land on everyone’s #FYP? The creators and faces of four booming #librarytok accounts join us for a panel discussion breaking down how they got started on the app, the time and resources it requires, how they measure success and why sometimes TikTok j…

Dreaming of faraway adventures and landscapes beyond your local park? This week's list has got you covered with the top five travel books from library land's own Ken Haigh. Ken was formerly the CEO of Collingwood Public Library and has authored two books, most recently "On Foot to Canterbury, a son's pilgrimage". Escape with us through his favourit…

This week Steven Kraus from Ontario Library Service chats about the key ingredients for making a successful virtual event. It's a great conversation with some excellent tips on how to set your organizers up for success and create the right atmosphere for your attendees. So whether you're working on an upcoming virtual conference, story time, trivia…

Looking for some spooky, scary program ideas for the teens in your library? Teen Librarians, Brooke Windsor and Cameron Ray join us this week to talk about all of the amazing work they're doing with the teens at their libraries and their top five Halloween programs. Their list includes: Fear in the Stacks Zombie Survival Night Classic Haunted House…

October is Canadian Library Month and this week we're recognizing Ontario Public Library Week. In an ode to public libraries we're thrilled to speak with "power library user" Lanrick Bennett Jr. Five years ago, Lanrick spearheaded #jackslibrarytour, a project that took him and his son Jack to all 100 branches of the Toronto Public Library system us…

For years Andrew Colgoni has been the beauty and brains behind Ad/Lib, a website and social handle dedicated to documenting and analyzing the marketing and branding efforts of libraries around the world. We chat with Andrew about some interesting examples of libraries attempting to branch out in new directions (with varying levels of success), and …

This week we chat with Bessie Sullivan, CEO of Orillia Public Library and get her top five reasons why libraries should go fine free, and why we should be challenging the power structure in libraries and start examining the principals of our profession. We close our conversation with a brand new (and as yet unnamed) segment where we pebble our gues…

It's season four and we're back with some practical, inspiring and wisdom-chocked life tips about how to survive in library land as both someone who is managed and also does the managing. Joanna Aegard from Bruce County Public Library gives us her top five professional life tips and talks about losing that loving feeling at work and getting over he…

Library Land Loves is back for season four! Every Monday, host Michelle Arbuckle will be joined by someone from library land to discuss their work, their library and their loves. We'll be back next week, coming straight to your ears on September 27. Have ideas for a show? Pop Michelle a note @citybrarian or marbuckle at accessola dot com…

This week we are thrilled to welcome Lauren McKeon, the author of "Women of the Pandemic: Stories from the Front Lines of COVID-19", a LoanStar Adult Top Pick last month. Many of the themes she writes about relate very poignantly to the work we do in library land - the toll of emotional labour, the importance of self care and mental health first ai…

If you are interested in a library leadership role then it's important to be realistic about the fact that library school couldn't teach you what you need to know in order to be a successful leader, and you're going to need to get some experience and training that exposes you to big picturing thinking and planning. This week we sat down with the mo…

This week Kevin Sylvester, one of our favourite authors and head of the Forest of Reading cheer squad joins us. Because it's Forest of Reading week! Kevin tells us all about the virtual Forest of Reading events that will be taking place over the week and some of his favourite memories as a 15 time nominated author. He'll also take us through his li…

Have you heard about Discord yet? And more importantly do you know how it could revolutionize your library programming!? If not, Brady and Matt from Pickering Public Library are here and they have your back. This week they are taking us through the top five reasons to use Discord in your library. We discuss how they got approvals from library manag…

This week Michelle is lucky enough to be chatting with one of the best people on the Internet (and real life, too) - Jessamyn West. Jessamyn is a library person in Vermont who speaks a lot about how to better serve rural communities. She's bringing to the Library Land Loves table her top five tips on how to be more accessible to your communities. H…

If your library is hosting author chats or book talks then Carol Ann Tack from Merrick Library NY is here to give you a few tips! Carol Ann hosts authors on her wildly successful podcast "Top Shelf at the Merrick Library" and has some great stories and advice on how she prepares for and approaches conversations with both authors and her book discus…

The children of Library Land have spoken and they have told us their favourite games! Join us as they tell us in their own delightful words which games they love and why. Michelle Goodridge from Wilfrid Laurier University is also here to talk about her favourite games of the moment and to give us a few things to think about when it comes to gaming …

Awards season is our most favourite time of the year and this has been a banner year for incredible audiobook performances. Join Michelle and Reagan Kapasi from OLA's Reader's Advisory Committee as they present their choices for the best audiobooks they've read this year. Categories include: Music to My Ears (Best Performance); A Perfect Marriage o…

It's not a stretch to say that library land is full of lifelong learners, and many of us have taken courses, certificates and degrees in order to build our credentials or just out of curiosity and interest. But have you ever considered how going back to school as an adult might help you approach your day job a little differently? Reece Steinberg, a…

This week Zack Osborne joins me to talk about lessons he's learned from managing his virtual team over the past year. We chat about modelling good behaviour, being authentic, recognizing burnout and impaired wellness, and most importantly when to CTDM (cancel the damn meeting). Warning: the poop swear word is used at least twice in this episode. Re…

Rochelle Mazar joins me this week to chat about one of my favourite topics - hiring! If you're looking to improve the questions that you ask your candidates or just want to think differently about your hiring process, then this episode is for you. We go through Rochelle's list of five-ish things to think about when drafting your interview questions…

This week, Michelle chats with Avery Swartz about how libraries can continue building relationships with their communities, even when they aren’t able to physically visit the library. A list of things you should check out: See You on the Internet: Building Your Small Business with Digital Marketing by Avery Swartz “Good job, Bruce. The guy behind N…

Freedom to Read Week is just wrapping up so we've invited Laura Carter, CEO of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library to join us and chat about the ways that her library has responded to challenges in their collection.

Last year Emily and Michelle each took a leave of absence from their jobs to try out new roles in new organizations. Emily came to OLA and Michelle took a spin at Ryerson Library. Join us as we chat about trying out new jobs, learning the unwritten rules in new workplace cultures and the brain elasticity it requires to shift gears and leave the saf…

Have you been feeling the need to sink into your couch and escape to a world where the only vice is a well-brewed cuppa tea? We're here for you. Author Natasha Dean joins us today to bring us her top five cozy British mysteries! Natasha is also an organizer of I Read Canadian Day - which is today! Learn more about I Read Canadian Day and how you ca…

Just kidding! We're all actually trying very hard to make eLearning successful right now and Matt Rohweder joins Michelle to discuss his tips and talk about the issues. Matt was an organizer for the recent eLearning Symposium and is sharing his top five ways to improve your approach to eLearning. Learn more about the collective here.…

Are your kids home right now? Are you finding it difficult to get anything done? Yah, us too. So this week, we asked writer Lindsay Zier-Vogel to give us her top five tips on how to get things done while there are little (and not so little) ones underfoot. She has some fantastic tips on how to structure your time, improve your focus and most import…

Many of us are trying to create engaging content right now - whether it be for library instruction, programming or the upcoming OLA Super Conference! Librarian extraordinaire Brooke Windsor is here to give us her top five tips on how to make your presentations more engaging. BYO go-juice.

Every conversation has the opportunity to be better, especially conversations where one speaker is upset or angry. Susan Cleyle, executive coach and Dean of Libraries at Memorial University is leading us through her top five tips for having difficult conversations. Susan will be presenting a more in depth session on this topic at the 2021 OLA Virtu…

As we get settled into a new year, let's take a look around us and take Randy's tips on ways to be our best adult and take care of the space around us. Our thanks to Randy Oldham from the University of Guelph/OCUL for this thoughtful list!

Maria Martella, owner of TinLids gives her top recommendations for reading over the holidays. These titles make good gifts for the littles in your life, or good reads for your story times.

Welcome back to our third season! Library Land Loves is joined with this year's OLA President Andrea Cecchetto who talks about the meaning behind this year's OLA Super Conference theme 'Clever Minds & Human Hearts', while giving us her top 5 ways of dealing with stress during the pandemic.

Library Land Loves hosts our first-ever French-language episode! Le 25 septembre est la journée des franco-ontariens – une journée où les francophones et francophiles de l’Ontario peuvent fièrement célébrer leur identité, leur culture, leur histoire et leurs batailles. Ariane Bercier, membre du conseil de l’ABO-Franco et bibliothécaire à la bibliot…

Not that there's anything wrong with interviewing dogs, but this week we are back with a real, live, person! Joining Emily today is Tara Wong, Chief Executive Officer of Oakville Public Library. Emily and Tara discuss the importance of using your network, asking for help, and how to adjust to the added pressures and responsibilities that come with …

One of the first ever Library Land Podcasts sees the light of day. Join two former members of the OLA team as they discuss their favourite dog's moments at the office. Originally recorded in, by Michael Rogowski (https://twitter.com/mrogows) and Mary Rose O'Connor (https://ca.linkedin.com/in/maryroselib). Big thank you to them!…

We sit down with Paula Cardozo and Emma Scott, two University of Lethbridge librarians who are interested in salary negotiations in academic libraries. Emily, Paula, and Emma discuss the importance of slowing down, being prepared, watching your self-talk, and knowing your worth when heading into a negotiation. UofL Librarian Job Offer Negotiation R…

It's Michelle's farewell episode, and while we are sorry to see her go (at least for now), we happily welcome Emily Burns to the OLA team. Join us for a passing of the torch... and also a chat about onboarding and the best ways to go about it. How do you bring someone new into an organization? What's it like to be the new person? We have both persp…

Library Land Loves Kelsey Merkley and the fantastic work that she's done with UnCommon Women, a group she founded to celebrate the work done by women for the open movement. Not only is Kelsey my favourite open expert, she's also my go-to resource for all things bourbon. Come join us for a tasting, won't you?…

Join our discussion with Maria Martella from Tinlids as she takes us through her favourite reads of the season. This episode was published on November 27, 2018. Hosted by Michelle Arbuckle, Director of Education & Member Engagement at OLA. Produced by Esteban Dorado-Troughton, Member Relations Coordinator at OLA.…

Michelle sits down with Sarah Meilleur, Director, Service Delivery at the Calgary Public Library to discuss the amazing features in their new Central Library. The library is situated in downtown Calgary and opened it's doors today, November 1, 2018! Sarah worked with her colleagues to develop an amazing building that features public art, spaces for…

Join us as we sit down with Rebecca Raven, CEO of Brampton Library to talk about all things change. We discuss how to make change more palatable in your organization, ways to make change more effective and how to get more buy-in for change.

Wendy Newman (aka The Meryl Streep of Libraryland) is the lady you want to talk to when it comes to political action and making your library count during election season. Spoiler alert: it's ALWAYS election season. Learn the top five ways that Wendy recommends for getting engaged in the political process, making your library important to key decisi…