CLA President Stephen Abram (photo by Robin Bergart)

An invitation to attend!

Rediscover the Library Movement

It's time to start planning for the CLA Conference. This year, the library and information community will gather in Calgary June 15-18, 2005, and an auspicious year it is - the 100th anniversary of Alberta's joining Confederation.

The CLA conference is your best career investment this year. Please seriously consider joining us and sending others. In Canada, we have had a long period of exciting challenges and have much to share and celebrate. CLA began with a key focus - to build and sustain the library workers of Canada, and specifically to encourage the government of Canada to build the National Library of Canada (NLC). This was a major event in the history of the Canadian library movement. This year we saw the exciting transformation of the NLC to emerge as Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada.

It is time to reconnect and rediscover the library movement in Canada. It is time for us to come together nationally and do what library folk do best - learn, network, connect and discover. We need to build the 21st century movement for our profession and to learn about libraries like ours and learn from other libraries that aren't like ours. This is very healthy for a national movement.

Look at this program - slowly. It contains much for everyone. Pre-conference sessions provide deep learning in areas such as collections, library services assessment, subject cataloguing, literacy, and services for print-disabled. As well, every library system and institutional member should send someone to attend the session on Library Advocacy Now! as our community needs more trained library advocates. It's our collective responsibility to build that force.

Two new innovations at this conference are the Leadership Track and the Technology Track - aimed at key specialists in the Canadian library community. Again this year, CLA will present sessions on current issues affecting our community. We need you at CLA and you need CLA. Come and discover!

The conference will feature three world class keynotes that have the potential to rock our world. On Thursday, David Snowden, world renowned expert on the impact of technology, storytelling, narrative and change will lift us up with his big picture insights into the world of knowledge and libraries. On Friday, David Bollier will reconnect us with the philosophical roots of librarianship and remind us about the importance of the commons to the health of society and communities. And we will cap our conference with some inspiration to send us home, Canadian Sharon Wood; the first North American woman to top Mount Everest will help us to understand the nature of risk and reward. Don't miss them.

Of course, the local arrangements committee has prepared lively and exciting events with a truly Western flavour. We are looking forward to welcoming you at the opening reception to be held on Wednesday evening at the beautiful Devonian Gardens. Don't miss our big night on Friday as you will experience the Western Wrap-up Bash at the famous Canada Olympic Park.

Please share this program with your friends and colleagues! Ask for more if you need them. And, of course, register now to join your colleagues in Calgary!

Stephen Abram
President, Canadian Library Association