2026 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference: Libraries Open Doors

The Nutrition Break on May 1 is sponsored by the University of Saskatchewan's University Library.   

Discover how lunch at the library each week has become a beloved weekly program. Alongside local partnerships and co-hosts this 1-hour lunch provides:

• Community connection: Co-hosts promote initiatives and programming. Participants learn ways to engage and build supportive connections removing barriers;
• Resource Awareness: Participants gain knowledge of local resources;
• Personal reflection and voice: Participants have time and space to be seen and heard ideas considered, perspectives and experiences valued.
  
  

Learn how you can create a similar program at your library!

The public is increasingly turning to generative AI (GenAI) tools for answers to legal questions. While these tools provide fast access to information, their use involves risks and can make it difficult to distinguish credible legal information from misinformation.

What role can libraries play? Learn how information professionals can support safer and more informed use of GenAI for legal information. Drawing on the Saskatchewan Access to Legal Information (SALI) initiative’s newest resource, the Using GenAI Tools to Obtain Legal Information guide, participants will learn practical strategies to help patrons navigate the use of GenAI tools to obtain legal information effectively.

Designed for library professionals in any type of library, this session offers practical tools to address emerging information literacy challenges in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

In this session we will discuss how two Métis documents were captured in the University of Saskatchewan’s Archives and Special Collections’ archival finding aid and library catalogue. Taken as a case study, these two documents provide an opportunity to consider these search tools, how they were/are created, the functions they served in the past, and how they can be improved in the present. They also provide an example of how directly interacting with materials can clarify and improve metadata, making collections accessible to Indigenous communities.

• Presentation of SLA Awards
• SaskPolytechnic Students' Presentation

CBC/Radio-Canada will present on Collab, which has funded library partnership programs since 2021. Collab offers a wide range of in-person activities to help libraries and CBC/Radio-Canada work in concert to connect with Canadians, building community, culture and conversation. People will learn about Radio-Canada’s “Tire-toi une bûche” project, Saskatchewan’s first Collab project that has taken place in various provincial libraries. The workshops give patrons the chance to tell and record their personal stories and anecdotes in their own way, with their own voice, with their final videos celebrated in a wrap-up event. We hope to expand this collaboration to include an English component, as well as work with rural libraries to highlight positive and uplifting stories that celebrate their communities.

 

When Tiberius stumbled into being a researcher in 2022, they were challenged by the sheer amount of gatekeeping the academic structures on Turtle Island do. Research had always been in the iron-grip of ivory tower institutions and Tiberius wondered if they'd be able to achieve the goals their community had asked of them. Then, in their moments of desperation, it was the librarians who supported Tiberius on their journey in unconventional ways. Libraries and librarians have the ability and daring to be accomplices to decolonize research and this story highlights some of the ways how.

What happens when your library has to dramatically downsize the print collection? Or worse, dismantle the physical space all together? This session discusses pop-up library initiatives that allow libraries to continue supporting the print needs of students, faculty, and library users.

Libraries have long been hubs of learning, creativity, and community connection, offering programs and resources that support youth growth. This session explores how libraries can build on their successes by offering programs such as STEM challenges, hackathons, storytelling workshops, entrepreneurship bootcamps, digital learning tools, creative arts programs, and mentorship initiatives to further empower youths as social innovators and community leaders. By acting as incubators for social innovation, libraries can provide safe, inclusive spaces where young people can brainstorm, prototype, and lead projects that address real-world challenges. Participants will learn strategies to expand access, foster collaboration, and design programs that cultivate leadership, social entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning, ensuring libraries continue to open doors to opportunity, equity, and meaningful impact.

60 per cent of people living with dementia live in their community. The number one issue they and their care partners face in trying to maintain their quality of life is the stigma associated with dementia. For people living with dementia and their care partners to fully stay well in their communities, they need community spaces that are welcoming and accessible. Spaces such as their local library. We want to share with you some of the simple strategies libraries can follow to make your community library space welcoming to people with dementia and celebrate some of the great dementia friendly work being done by libraries today across Saskatchewan.

Librarians and teacher-librarians are essential partners in connecting learners, educators, and communities with high-quality educational resources that spark discovery and support literacy, inquiry, and lifelong learning. This session introduces library professionals to the Sask DLC Resource Bank, a province-wide digital library that provides equitable access to curated, curriculum-aligned educational resources for all Saskatchewan learners.
Participants will learn how the Resource Bank can strengthen their school or community library’s capacity to support teaching and learning. Through a live demonstration and guided exploration, attendees will experience navigating the platform, searching and filtering for curriculum-aligned materials, organizing resources through collections and hubs, and supporting patrons in locating reliable digital content.

The session will highlight how librarians can use the Resource Bank to:
• enhance educational programming and digital literacy instruction
• support educators in selecting open, high-quality learning materials
• guide students in finding trustworthy resources for inquiry and research projects
• extend access to educational materials beyond the physical library space

By the end of the session, participants will be equipped to confidently introduce the Resource Bank within their own contexts, support educators and learners in accessing educational resources, and deepen their knowledge through self-directed learning tools, including supports for contributing their own resources in the future.