Join us for sessions aimed at small and rural library workers & many open discussions to learn from each other!
Thursday, October 1
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9:00 - 10:00
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Registration
Pick up your badge, mug, and program. Grab a coffee and get ready for the day! Church Hall |
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10:00 - 10:30
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Welcome & Opening Remarks
Church Hall |
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10:30 - 10:40
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Break
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10:40 - 11:40
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AI Literacy in Public Libraries (Round Table)
Presenter: Rahul Sabu Joseph, Vaughan Public Libraries Church Hall This session will help walk attendees through how to meaningfully bring AI in to complement their work at public libraries. This is not meant to be a technical presentation and will be a dialogue that offers a chance for attendees of Little Branches Rural Roots conference to see that we can collectively and responsibly bring AI to our work and our communities. Attendees will walk away with resources developed by Vaughan Public Libraries that can be a support/launchpad for them. |
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10:40 - 11:40
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Digitization Project Management for Cultural Heritage Collections
Presenter: Jess Postgate, OurDigitalWorld Reading Room, Pembroke Public Library This session will include: ●Important general project management principles ●Capturing the data: Digitization basics and best practices ●Searching the data: Goals for the display and discovery of digital collections |
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10:40 - 11:40
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Intro to Library Device Management
Presenter: Jeff Rosenburg, Grey Highlands Public Library Reading Room, Pembroke Public Library Drawing on experience from both the education and library sectors, this session will explore how the same device management approaches used in school environments can help libraries better manage technology, strengthen security, and simplify operations. |
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11:40 - 11:50
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Break
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11:50 - 12:35
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Fundraising in the Age of AI
Presenter: Sarah Marcotte & Katherine Scott, SickKids Foundation & InfoBridge Advisors Church Hall |
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11:50 - 12:35
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New to You - Writing Policies That Reflect Contemporary Library Realities
Presenter: Jesse Roberts, Ontario Library Service (OLS) Board Room, Pembroke Public Library A facilitated discussion session to engage attendees in conversation about how currently emerging issues are informing or influencing library policy (i.e. AI, video surveillance, and children's use of the library); Connecting attendees to existing OLS resources and informing future updates to OLS sample policies. |
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12:35 - 12:45
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Break
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12:45 - 1:45
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Lunch
Catered by Zaytouna Church Hall |
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1:45 - 2:30
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Sessions
Various locations |
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1:45 - 2:30
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Helping Families Find the Right Book - Rethinking the Early-Literacy Collection
Presenter: Caroline Zeeman, Carleton Place Public Library Storytime Area, Pembroke Public Library What happens when a literacy collection feels too bulky, too complicated, or just too intimidating to use? In this session, we’ll share how we rethought our literacy collection by putting decodable books at the centre and creating a colour-coded system based on the specific reading skills each book supports. Our goal was to make the collection easier for families, educators, and staff to understand, browse, and use with confidence. We’ll talk about why we moved away from a leveled reader focus, how we built the new system, and what we learned along the way. By simplifying the collection and making skill progression more visible, we created a space that feels more welcoming and more useful for the people who rely on it. Attendees will leave with practical ideas and encouragement for making their own literacy collections clearer, more approachable, and better aligned with how children learn to read. |
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2:30 - 2:40
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Break
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2:40 - 3:25
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Plenary Session
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3:25 - 4:00
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Closing Remarks
Church Hall |
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4:00 - 5:30
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Free Time & Mural Walk
Downtown Pembroke |
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5:30 - 7:00
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Dinner & Music
Catered by Marigold Unique Flavour Music by Homemade Jam Church Hall |
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7:00
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Entertainment
Church Hall |
Friday, October 2
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8:30-9:00
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Yoga Session
White Pine Yoga |
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9:00 - 9:30
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Registration
Church Hall Refreshment station will be open! |
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9:30 - 10:30
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Plenary Session: Tips for Developing Funding Proposals and Addressing Community Needs
Presented by: Carmen Goold & Louise Lauzon, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Church Hall |
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10:30 - 10:40
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Break
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10:40 - 11:40
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Sessions
Various locations |
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10:40 - 11:40
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Creating an Escape Room in the Library
Presenter: Ashley Rankie, Smiths Falls Public Library Church Hall How to plan, design and execute an escape room on a tight budget and even in spaces where you don’t have a room! Escape rooms are a really good fit for libraries, as they can be tweaked to fit any theme, involve a lot of literacy and could be used as a fundraiser. They also serve small rural communities as a fun outing for teens, families and adults who would otherwise have to drive into a larger city to do something like that. It also draws in new people who wouldn't typically use the library. |
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11:40 - 11:50
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Break
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11:50 - 12:35
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Board Orientation - An Election-Year Refresher on Welcoming New Board Members
Presenter: Jesse Roberts, Ontario Library Service Library Board Room A training-focused session to provide resources, understanding, and discussion about the board orientation process. Offering further opportunity to discuss and learn in connection with the Sept. 23 CEO Networking meeting scheduled in Arnprior. |
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11:50 - 12:35
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Best Picks for Children, Teens & Adults from the Readers' Advisory Divas & Dudes
Presenter: Melody Tacit & Laura Bowman, Readers Advisory Divas and Dudes (RADD) Storytime Area This session will cover best book picks for children, teens and adults from The Readers’ Advisory Divas and Dudes. |
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12:35 - 12:45
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Break
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12:45 - 1:45
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Lunch
Church Hall |
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1:45 - 2:30
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Sessions
Various locations |
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1:45 - 2:30
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Small Town Shorts - Inspiring Collaborative Film Creation
Presenter: Kim Hornak & Graeme Peters, Trent Hills Public Library Storytime Area Sharing the successful story of the Small Town Shorts Film Festival, a collaborative event that features short films made by members of the communities of Trent Hills, Marmora & Lake, Madoc, Stirling, Asphodel-Norwood, Tweed, and this year, North Hastings, Brighton, and North Kawartha. The festival is a collaboration with the public libraries of the communities involved and with the Aron Theatre Co-Op in Campbellford, Ontario. It provides wonderful opportunities for collaboration with local small businesses, as well as for patrons to create their own films. |
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2:30 - 2:40
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Break
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2:40 - 3:00
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Closing Remarks
Church Hall |
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3:00 - 4:00
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Sundae Bar
Church Hall |