I was on vacation last week, which meant a little less screen time, a lot less email, and exactly zero success at fully unplugging. But while I was away from my desk, there was still plenty happening around the OLA office.
Across the association, our councils gathered for their May meetings, continuing important conversations and planning for the months ahead. Thank you to all of our council members who bring their time, ideas, and energy to this work. OLA is stronger because of you (cue Stronger by Britney Spears).
The Best Bets Committee also met to discuss their 2026 book lists. The Best Bets Committee compiles a yearly list of their picks for children and youth titles, which is released yearly at Super Conference. If you haven’t seen the 2025 Best Bets list yet, it’s well worth a look.
Planning is also officially underway for OLA Super Conference 2027, with our conference co-chairs meeting last week. There’s something special about those early conversations and the first sparks of ideas that eventually grow into a gathering of thousands of library people.
OSLA Council held a great session about AI use in the classroom, and the opportunities, questions, and concerns it raises for students, school libraries, and educators. It’s an area moving quickly, and it’s encouraging to see library leaders engaging with it with curiosity, care, and critical thinking.
I also paused vacation for a few hours last week to join the Centre for Free Expression Intellectual Freedom Working Group. We received updates on the situation in Alberta and had a valuable conversation about how best to support our colleagues there. It was an important reminder of how vital it is for library people to stay connected across regions, especially when intellectual freedom and professional autonomy are under pressure. If you haven’t read James Turk’s latest blog post, it’s worth your time.
Wishing you all a happy end of May. May your coffee and tea be iced, your inbox be merciful, and your immunity to pollen be plentiful.
See you next Tuesday!
Meet the Author
Michelle Arbuckle
Executive Director, OLA
Michelle Arbuckle is OLA’s Executive Director. Reporting to the OLA Board of Directors, Michelle’s key responsibilities are government relations, advocacy, partnership development, the implementation of the strategic plan and supporting the exceptional OLA staff team. She is an avid lifelong learner, a tea sommelier, and wants to know your astrological sign.
