NSLA Conference 2023

Save the Date: October 20-22, 2023

This year’s theme is TRUE GRIT. 

It takes true (=real) grit to work in today’s libraries. As the library’s role in the community grows broader, we must summon passion and perseverance in order to continue to adapt to our communities’ ever-changing needs.

Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty, shall we? There are practical challenges involved in being community hubs and one of the last free, welcoming public spaces. Underserved and vulnerable populations. Addiction and mental health. Housing and food insecurity. The healthcare crisis. Culture wars. We encounter tough stuff, every day. This is a time for us to support each other and to share our trials and triumphs in striving to provide safe spaces that meet people where they are and encourage civic engagement.

Grit means having courage, resolve, and strength of character. These traits are absolutely necessary for us to continue the work of change towards creating a better, more equitable and compassionate world. This is a time for us to both elevate and amplify stories and perspectives from equity-deserving communities, and to spark conversations on what libraries can and are doing to take action on social justice issues like racial justice, disability rights, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, equality, and more.

Grit’s counterpart is resilience, or the ability to withstand adversity and adapt to difficult situations. How are you taking care of yourself and your team? What strategies do you use to cope? In these challenging and uncertain times, it’s only natural to feel stressed or overwhelmed. In order to create a future that allows us all to succeed, now more than ever we need to foster empowerment and build resilience.

TRUE GRIT: Passion and perseverance for change. This is the rallying cry for the 2023 NSLA Conference.

  

The 2023 NSLA conference will be held at the Inn on Prince, 437 Prince Street, Truro NS