1 Book NS is asking for your input to help choose this year’s selection. You can take their quick online poll to vote for the book you want all of your friends, family, and neighbors to read along with you in 2016!

Do you have an opinion about the state of telecommunications in your area or Nova Scotia in general? Now is your chance to provide some feedback to the CRTC. The CRTC is asking Canadians to fill out a questionnaire on their personal use of telecommunications, especially internet service and access, with specific questions in regard to regulations and policy from the CRTC. You can find the survey direct here . And you can read a bit of background on it via the CBC here .

Sense of Place: you, your community, your library, your work Over the years, libraries have evolved from storehouses of books to community spaces. The Conference 2016 theme of Sense of Place will explore and celebrate the important place that libraries occupy in our communities, and as our place of work. The concept of place is very inclusive. We invite conference sessions to explore the role of libraries as places of discovery and innovation, as welcoming spaces for users of all ages, and interests – for the public/patron/users we serve, including ourselves! The library is not simply a physical place; it is also a place of being. The Sense of Place theme draws upon the concept of exploring the idea/being of place through the five senses, and through time. Libraries are a wealth of sensory experiences, from programs that explore food, the great outdoors and public art (sight, taste and smell) to collections that incorporate Braille and audiobooks (touch and hearing). Libraries are evol

The NSLA Board is pleased to announce the recipients of the Professional Support and Development (PS&D) Funding for 2015/2016. Ray Fernandes (Youth Services Consultant, Nova Scotia Provincial Library ), on behalf of the COYS working group, has been awarded PS&D funding to support a proposed project to bring a province wide professional storyteller tour to Nova Scotia. Along with the tour COYS will partner with NSLA to offer two professional development workshops for library staff. Christina Pottie (Outreach and E-services Coordinator, South Shore Regional Library ), has been awarded PS&D funding to attend two professional development courses on Group Facilitation Methods and Facilitated Planning that Christina felt would add to her professional skills and be of great benefit to her work. Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s awards! For more information on the NSLA’s Professional Support & Development Funding please visit the information page .

Kick off the New Year by enrolling in some professional development courses offered by the Education Institute. The EI Calendar – Winter 2016 features a great selection with a number of courses being presented by some of our colleagues in Nova Scotia. There is something for everyone! For more information on the Education Institute and its offerings check out the website

The Programme Committee for ABC Copyright 2016 (being held May 26-27 in beautiful Halifax, NS), is currently accepting conference session proposals. The CFP is available on the ABC 2016 website: abccopyright2016.com/ The submission deadline is January 8, 2016.