Click here to read the Manitoba Co-operator’s article about public libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manitoba Library Association Posts
Being a member of the MLA Board provides excellent opportunities to:
- meet and network with others in the community,
- gain valuable skills,
- build your professional portfolio, and
- contribute to your profession.
The Manitoba Library Association welcomes nominations for the following positions on the Board:
Vice President
Membership Director
Communications Director
Library Technicians Division Chair
Trustees Division Chair
Position descriptions are available online. Additional information on position responsibilities, expectations or benefits of serving on the Board is available by emailing president@mla.mb.ca.
Nomination Process:
You may nominate someone who is willing to stand as a candidate for an above position, or you may nominate yourself. Please send an email to president@mla.mb.ca and include:
- Name of nominee
- Contact information of nominee
Nominations close March 1, 2021.
Election Process:
Elections will take place at the Association’s Annual General Meeting on March 3, 2021. The roster of nominees will be presented to members and there will be a call for additional nominations from those present at the meeting. Voting will take place after which the Association’s members will accept the slate of new Board members.
We welcome registrations for the 85th Annual General Meeting of the Manitoba Library Association.
This year’s AGM will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. The meeting agenda and package of related documents is forthcoming.
Registration form: https://forms.gle/TPKdwDDjovUL
The 85th AGM of the MLA will be held on March 3, 2021 (virtually) from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Details and the AGM package for members is forthcoming.
MLA/SLA Conference 2021 Volunteer Opportunities Call for Expressions of Interest
Posted in Conference
We are partnering with the Saskatchewan Library Association to plan and host a virtual conference in June 2021!
This will be a different experience for both attendees and organizers. A virtual conference will require a different approach, and in many respects a different skill set. The following is a preliminary list of roles, recognizing that changes may occur as we proceed.
Program
Social
Technology
Communications
Social
Technology
Communications
If you have experience/interest in the above roles, please provide your name, contact information, and area of expertise/interest by January 8, 2021.
Please note that we may not be able to accommodate everyone, as we expect fewer volunteers will be required compared to an in-person event.
Thank you in advance for your interest.
Conference Co-chairs,
Kerry Macdonald, MLA
kmmacdonald@RRC.CA
Michael Shires, SLA
Conference 2021-Stay Tuned
Posted in Conference
Manitoba Library Association and Saskatchewan Library Association are partnering to host a joint conference in 2021. Planning is underway for a virtual conference the week of June 13. More information to follow.
On November 10th, the Provincial Government issued a news release announcing that, due to the recent COVID19 surge in cases, the entire Province was moving to Critical (or Code Red) on the Pandemic Response System.
As part of the news release, the Province’s Code Red Backgrounder provided information to the public about what was considered critical services, and further that libraries were required to close. See the Public Health Order for more information.
PLSB issued a communication in the early afternoon to all public libraries, rebroadcasting the News Release and advising, in part:
Public Library Services (PLS) encourages your library to follow all applicable response measures and related Health Orders. Libraries should confirm local response measures with municipal authorities and keep current with alert levels, health orders and response measures posted to the Pandemic Response System web page.
PLS recommends that your library work closely with your municipal partners to create plans for temporary changes to service levels.
MLA has received confirmation from PLSB, that public libraries:
‘can remain operational (curbside service, e-services/virtual programming etc.). All library staff need to continue to practice physical distancing, mask and hygiene protocols’
A MLA member public library has also advised it has received the following response from Municipal Relations:
A business or facility that is required to be closed under the Preventive Health Orders (this includes libraries) may continue to operate in order to provide goods by delivery or pick-up that have been ordered online, by telephone or other remote means. If a business or facility allows members of the public to attend to pick up goods, the operator must implement measures to ensure that members of the public attending are reasonably able to maintain a separation of at least two metres from other members of the public.
In a news conference on November 10th, Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s Chief Provincial Public Health Officer, indicated that the length of the widespread closures may be in effect for a minimum of two weeks and up to four weeks (4 weeks being two incubation periods of the virus). See this CBC News article for additional information.
COVID-19 Update
Posted in COVID-19
On September 26, 2020, the Province of Manitoba issued COVID19 Bulletin #201 elevating the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System level for the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region to Restricted (orange) effective September 28, 2020. A list of rural communities impacted can be found in this CBC article.
Reply from Dr. Christine Watson, Vice-President, Red River College
Posted in Advocacy, and Library Technicians
Please see the reply from Dr. Watson regarding the shift online of the Library Technician Diploma program.
On July 8, 2020, Red River College (RRC) announced that it was suspending 6 on-campus programs offered to students, including the popular Library and Information Technology (LIT) program. Please read MLA’s letter sent to Dr. Christine Watson regarding this announcement.