CFLA National Forum: Join the Conversation Online

April 30, 2018

The Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) is holding its first National Forum in Regina on May 2, 2018. Through a mix of panel sessions and round-table discussions, attendees will explore two issues:

1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Intellectual Freedom

The day’s conversations will inform a National Forum Paper and Key Actions to position Canada’s library associations and libraries to address these important issues.

Members of the Canadian library community who are unable to attend in person will be able to view the keynote and panel discussions via Facebook Live on the CFLA site.

They can also provide their input on these two issues via a survey provided by the CFLA.

Program

9:00 am (Regina Time); 11:00 am (Ottawa Time); 8:00 am (Vancouver Time)
Keynote: Bruch Walsh, Director, University of Regina Press

10:30 am (Regina Time); 12:30 pm (Ottawa Time); 9:30 am (Vancouver Time)
Artificial Intelligence: Seize the Opportunity

• Brent Barron, Director, Public Policy CIFAR;
• Scott Hargrove, CEO Fraser-Valley Regional Library System;
• Michael Ridley, PhD. Candidate in Artificial Intelligence, Librarian, Former Chief Information Officer and Chief Librarian, University of Guelph;
• Danica Pawlick-Potts, MLIS student, School of Information Studies, Western University; current co-op librarian at Guelph.
• Moderator: Rebecca Jones, Dysart & Jones Associates

1:45 pm (Regina Time); 3:45 pm (Ottawa Time); 12:45 pm (Vancouver Time)
Intellectual Freedom: Sustaining a Core Value

• Mary Cavanagh, Associate Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Ottawa;
• James Turk, Director, Centre for Free Expression & Distinguished Visiting Professor, Ryerson University;
• Pilar Martinez, Chief Executive Officer, Edmonton Public Library;
• Marie D. Martel, Professeure adjointe, École de bibliothéconomie et sciences de l’information (EBSI), Université de Montréal.
• Moderator: Jeff Barber, Library Director and CEO, Regina Public Library

Full program

Survey Questions:

Artificial Intelligence

1. How might libraries contribute to ensuring AI benefits our society (communities, campuses, and organizations), and to mitigating the risks?
2. How should CFLA-FCAB position libraries in Canada to be contributors to AI as a positive influence in our society (communities, campuses, and organizations?) And, who should CFLA-FCAB partner with or align with in this positioning for libraries?

Intellectual Freedom

1. What should CFLA-FCAB do to support intellectual freedom principles generally, and how should CFLA-FCAB support libraries when faced with intellectual freedom challenges?
2. What can libraries do at the local level to be prepared to respond to the broad range of intellectual freedom challenges e.g. collections, programs, internet access, art exhibits, room bookings?