Conferences are an excellent way to share your work, network with professionals in your field, and see new places! A cohort of SIM students recently attended the NSLA Conference in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Janine McGregor writes about her experiences in this conference recap- thanks for sharing, Janine!
NSLA Conference Recap by Janine McGregor
The weekend of October 14-16 myself and three other SIM students travelled the four and a half hours up to Sydney, Cape Breton to attend the Nova Scotia Library Association conference. The four of us are all interested in working in public libraries and wanted to have the chance to meet with and learn from current professionals in the field. Upon arrival we quickly realized we were the only students attending the conference, but I don’t think that was a bad thing. People were intrigued to know our reasoning for attending.
The weekend was a great opportunity for professional development. There were many workshops and presentations with the opportunity to join in on five throughout the weekend. I learned about creating guidelines for successful libraries, creative training techniques through webinars, creating connections and building community with African Nova Scotians, crocheting packers for transgender youth, and running paint nights with watercolors and credit cards. It was exciting to take what I already know from my time working in libraries this summer and build on it.
Saturday night included a banquet with a sit-down meal, awards and door prizes (which I won!). There were many opportunities to network and connect with professionals. I met library professionals from throughout the province as well as my home county back in Ontario! I’ve always said that library people are good people and this weekend definitely backed that up.
I’m looking forward to more opportunities in the future to connect with the people I met at the conference and continue to learn and grow as an information professional.
Joining professional organizations and associations is an excellent way to get more involved in a field, make connections, and keep up to date with current issues and trends. Many organizations have student membership pricing and reduced conference rates. If you would like to get involved with NSLA, find their website here: https://www.nsla.ns.ca/join-nsla
