Beyond Hope 2025

This introductory session will explore how Public Libraries can implement Restorative Practices to achieve our mandate as learning institutions. Restorative practices are both a philosophical perspective and a series of practical processes. At it’s heart, restorative practice is the art of having difficult conversations and turning bad situations into good learning opportunities.
A brief overview of the history, philosophy and science behind restorative practice will be offered. Library staff who have participated in formal Restorative Justice Circles will have an opportunity to share their experiences.

This session will also feature contributions from staff of the Prince George Urban Aboriginal Justice Society.

In this training workshop, we will introduce you to the new and redesigned Clicklaw website, a go-to resource for reliable BC legal information for the public. The new Clicklaw website officially launched in fall 2024 and features content created and curated by Courthouse Libraries’ law librarians with years of experience helping the public answer their legal questions.    You’ll have the chance to use Clicklaw to practice finding resources related to common legal issues your patrons experience, including divorce & separation, wills & estates, tenancy, personal planning, and employment. Participants are invited to bring their own device so they can take part in the practice exercises.

8 PC stations + 6 additional seats for participants with laptops

Find out what the Public Library Accessibility Working Group (PLAWG) has been working on, some resources and tools available to support libraries in becoming more accessible, and what additional supports are upcoming in 2025. Share your library’s successes and learn from what your colleagues have tried; share your library’s challenges and gain suggestions and insight from others.

Who lives in your library’s service area? How is the population changing over time? In this session participants will learn how to navigate free Statistics Canada products to learn about the demographics of the populations they serve. The session will cover the following topics, and include a guided hands-on activity: -Statistics Canada geography definitions, and how they correspond to legislative boundaries such as municipalities and regional districts -An overview of the Census program, including how it differs from other surveys conducted by Statistics Canada -Accessing current and past census data using the web interface -Downloading data for further analysis into Excel

What does it mean to be a person without ID? Without a legal identity, it can become nearly impossible to access essential services including food banks, healthcare, housing and social programs. The stress of navigating a complex government (or multiple government) systems to get the proper ID, in the proper order, in the proper place, can be overwhelming at best and devastating at worst. For any individual, and especially those facing compounding barriers, the lack of identification can be a painful and dehumanizing maze.   On top of daily needs, the lack of ID can block access to some legal rights and protections, including voting, registration for services, and resolving legal issues. For those whose identification does not match their name or gender the above problems can be compounded.

Explore how libraries can shape their environments and programs to support regulation of the nervous system.  By delving into the eight senses of the body—touch (tactile), balance and movement (vestibular), (body awareness (proprioception), sight (visual), hearing (auditory), smell (olfactory), taste (gustatory), and internal body sensations (interoception)—session attendees will gain insights into how sensory processing impacts learning, behaviour, and overall engagement. Session will feature a variety of resources and tools for attendees to explore.

Uncovering Northern BC’s 2SLGBTQIA+ History: Preserving and Sharing Our Stories Session Description: This presentation will explore the Northern Queer History Project, an initiative dedicated to documenting, preserving, and sharing the rich 2SLGBTQIA+ history of Northern British Columbia. Attendees will learn about the significance of this work, the challenges and triumphs of queer communities in the North, and how libraries and community organizations can contribute to the preservation of marginalized histories.

This session will enable participants to understand SOGI 123, a network of educators support sexual orientation and gender identity  lists, and we will close with scenarios and discussions on supporting 2SLGBTQ+ children and families.