By Angela Reynolds, NSLA Promotions and Public Relations Convener

The 2017 joint Nova Scotia Library Association and Library Boards Association of Nova Scotia Conference – “Libraries 150: a celebration”–  was hosted by the Annapolis Valley Regional Library and held September 29th-October 1st.  Library staff and board members from across the province participated in professional development workshops and networking that inspired us to move forward, do better, and keep learning.   Workshop subjects ranged from Library Advocacy to Puppet Storytime, Treaty Education to Coding, Summer Reading to Publishing Diverse Books, and everything in between.

Thanks to Libraries 150 funding from Communities, Culture, and Heritage, a public component was part of the conference.  Readings and presentations by authors Ami McKay, Wade White, Jon Tattrie, and Lance Woolaver, as well as the One Book Nova Scotia winner Gloria Ann Wesley were open to the public by pre-registration. The Friday night reception with Ami McKay was bewitching to say the least, and the Saturday night screening of the movie Maudie (also open to the public) in the ABCC theatre was a highlight.

The conference offered 22 sessions with over 40 guest presenters to over 160 registrants.  The 10 exhibitors, and our many conference sponsors helped make this an excellent professional development event. If you’d like to see some of the conference in action, visit our online photo gallery.

We were honoured to have Leo Glavine, Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage as guest speaker at the Saturday evening banquet.  Awards were given to deserving recipients.

Faye MacDougall, Chief Librarian of Cape Breton Regional Library, received the Norman Horrocks award for library leadership;  and Doug Vaisey (MLIS ’71), formerly a Trustee of the Halifax Regional Library Board, received the Library Boards Association of Nova Scotia Trustee Award.