Last week was a short week at the OLA office, but it was busy nonetheless! One of the biggest areas of focus over the past few weeks has been around school library advocacy. As school staffing numbers are finalized, we are hearing about many boards making cuts to their library staff. It’s difficult news, devastating to hear, and we know many of our members are directly affected.  

Behind the scenes, OLA has been in contact with every public school board, advocating for the value of professionally staffed school libraries, while also raising our concerns directly with the Minister of Education. We know many of you are navigating uncertainty right now, and we’re thinking of you. As we learn more and have meaningful updates to share, we’ll continue to keep members informed.  

Looking ahead to the fall, planning is already underway for Ontario Public Library Week. It’s always one of my favourite times of the year, and we’re beginning to connect with public libraries across the province to hear about the events and activities they’re planning. This year’s theme, “Loud for Libraries,” is all about ensuring that impact is impossible to ignore. If you’re already thinking about your plans, the digital assets are now available on the OPLW website to help you get started: OPLW Resources.  

Today we published the final episode of this season of Library Land Loves, and I can’t think of a better conversation to end on. Brian Bannon from the New York Public Library joined me to talk about reading – why it still matters, the role libraries play in helping people become readers (and stay readers), whether audiobooks “count” (yes, we went there), and so much more. It’s a reminder that while libraries do a thousand different things, reading remains at the heart of so much of our work. You have all summer to listen. I hope you enjoy it!  

A reminder about OLA’s Communities of Practice – which are free, member-only spaces where you can chat with other library folks on a variety of topics. The Inclusive Libraries community is having a meet-up on July 14, and they will be chatting about balancing intellectual freedom and community safety. I hope that you’ll join the conversation!  

And finally, one exciting look ahead: we’ve officially announced the theme for OLA Super Conference 2027 – Plugged In. I love this theme because it speaks to connection in every sense: connecting ideas, people, communities, technology, and the future of libraries. The call for proposals will open in late August, so now is the perfect time to start kicking around ideas!  

As always, thanks for reading.

See you next Tuesday!