Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all are having a good and safe winter.
January brings many opportunities to refocus on past achievements, set new goals, and reconnect with others. For instance, January is National Hobby Month! What better way to start the year than to learn something new or pick up an old hobby than by visiting your local library? Many libraries offer programming for new hobbyists, including sewing classes, poetry, and more.
January is also Braille Literacy Month, in honour of Louis Braille, born on January 4th, 1809. To learn more about Braille and the learning resources, I highly recommend reading this post by the Paths to Literacy Blog found here.
In Canada, the OLA Super Conference takes place from January 28th to 31st and is the most extensive library continuing education conference in the country. The theme for this year’s conference is “We Persist”, capturing the feeling of all library workers everywhere as libraries continue to face difficulties. Spanning across 4 days, the conference will have both in-person events, online presentations, and on-demand sessions. Featuring both library professionals, educators, and students of library programs, this conference contains an abundance of events and learning opportunities for every interest, including an exhibit!
To prepare for this conference, it is highly recommended to bring the following:
- Notebook and pens
- Refillable water bottle and snacks
- Comfortable shoes
- Multiple comfortable layers
- Lip balm and hand cream
- Contact information cards
- Hand sanitizer
Conferences are an excellent opportunity to learn, make new connections, and reconnect with others both in and beyond the profession. Not to mention all the swag!