Library Land Loves

Money talk can be awkward—but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, host Michelle Arbuckle (Executive Director of the OLA) sits down with certified financial planner, bestselling author, and all-around money guru Shannon Lee Simmons to chat about Making Bank: Money Skills for Real Life , her forthcoming book aimed at helping teens build financial confidence. From budgeting bubble tea money to in...

It’s time to challenge the status quo and rethink our approach, which is why we’ll explore the importance of letting young readers explore stories that push boundaries and reflect the world. This panel discussion is about giving teens the freedom to think, question, and grow, and will dive into how we can move forward. ModeratorMichelle Arbuckle, OLA Executive DirectorPanelistsLawrence Hill, Canad...

This week on Library Land Loves , we're diving into the Sinai Health Foundation's Hot & Bothered campaign, a bold initiative raising awareness about menopause and workplace wellbeing. Host Michelle Arbuckle (Executive Director of the OLA) is joined by Lana Chen, Vice President of Integrated and Brand Marketing at Sinai Health Foundation, and Rebecca Flaman, Executive Vice President and Client...

As we put Super Conference 2025 into our rear-view mirrors, host Michelle Arbuckle (Executive Director, OLA) and friend-of-the-show Emily Burns (Director, Education & Impact at OLA) reflect on some favorite #OLASC moments. From standout stats to first-timer impressions, plus candid sound bites from our awesome attendees, we're reliving the energy, insights, and connections that made this y...

Oh boy, the Ontario provincial election is upon us, and we know how daunting it can feel. Join host Michelle Arbuckle (Executive Director of the OLA) and special guest Dina Stevens, Executive Director of the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) for a chat about what we can do as voters to support our libraries during transitional times. Get some hot tips for talking to candidates, as well...

As library people, we know the value of these super spaces, but how can we better share that appreciation with our communities? This week, join host Michelle Arbuckle (Executive Director of the OLA) as she sits down with Susan Martin, Manager of Branch Capital Planning and Implementation at Toronto Public Library to dive deep into the fascinating world of library tourism. From guided tours, specia...

As the holiday season is well and truly upon us now, we invite you to come with us as we take a minute to celebrate some of OLA's milestones from the past year. We may not be able to tell you the unseemly amount of hours you spent listening to your guilty pleasures on repeat, but we can offer some well wishes from your favourite OLA staff members (as well as what we're all most looking forward to...

Get ready to sleigh your holiday shopping list! 🎄 In this festive episode, our host Michelle Arbuckle (Executive Director of the OLA) sits down with Vikki VanSickle, celebrated author and resident book expert for CTV’s Your Morning . Whether you’re shopping for a pint-sized page-turner, a young adult dreamer, or the hardest-to-please adult reader, Vikki’s here with pro tips and must-have book rec...

It's almost the most wonderful time of the year! That's right, it's nearly time for OLA Super Conference! Join us this week as host and Executive Director of the OLA Michelle Arbuckle sits down with OLA's Director of Education & Impact, Emily Burns as we prepare for Super Conference 2025 'Building Bridges'. Hear all the deets on spotlight and keynote sessions, learn about new and additional pr...

What can library land learn from the chaos of the kitchen? In this episode, host & Executive Director of the OLA Michelle Arbuckle and our special guest Dr. Michael Stephens, professor in the School of Information at San Jose State University are serving up spicy takes on leadership, inspired by the high-stakes world of professional cooking as seen on the hit show The Bear . Our specials this...

This week on Library Land Loves, our host Michelle Arbuckle (Executive Director of the OLA) sits down with everyone's favourite colleague, Director of Member Engagement, Melissa Macks to get all the hot goss on OLA's very own Awards season! Learn more about the awards we offer, and hear from some VIPWs (that's "Very Important Past Winners") as they offer practical advice to Library Land newcomers....

This week on Library Land Loves, our host Michelle Arbuckle sits down with 2024 OSLA President Wendy Burch Jones for an important discussion about why having access to a fully staffed and funded school library is so necessary for our students, and what you can do to get involved. 📚 You’re not an OLA member yet? Don’t worry about it, it’s fine, you can become one ⁠here⁠ . ⭐️ Keep up to date with...

Welcome back to Library Land Loves, we’ve missed you! Join us in our first episode back as your host Michelle Arbuckle (Executive Director of the OLA), sits down for a chat with the key crew behind the 2025 OLA Super Conference: Caroline Goulding, Randy Oldham, and Amanda Robinson. Get the inside scoop on the 2025 theme’s origin story (no, we’re not pivoting to become an engineering association),...

Dr. Michael Stephens joins us to chat about empathy - why it's important and tools to help us develop our empathy muscles. Adjacent to the important topic of empathy is compassion fatigue and how the work that we do requires us to take care of ourselves, to step out our work roles, take time for dreaming and find joy in our lives and our work. Join us at the upcoming "Empathetic Public Libraries"...

On July 8, 2022 Canada experienced one of the largest telecomm outages in recent memory when Rogers Communications experienced a massive network failure. Millions of people were unable to access wifi, or process debit transactions, and even getting a cup of coffee proved difficult. Today three library systems are sharing their stories of how they handled the challenges of that day. They'll tell us...

Nancy Cooper, First Nation Communities READ coordinator is here to tell us all about the program, this year's 2022/2023 selected titles and how you can learn more and get involved.  Links from the episode:  First Nation Communities READ website  Goodminds.com  First Nations Public Library Week website FNPLW Poster  Follow @FNCReads  Follow Michelle @citybrarian

This week we're talking about banned books with host and creator of The Stacks podcast, Traci Thomas. Earlier this year Traci hosted a five part series on banned books where she had some really interesting conversations with librarians, authors, students, teachers, performers, politicians, and bookstore owners. The series explored all the nuances around the implications of banning books and she jo...

This keynote conversation was recorded at the 2022 OLA Super Conference.  Get obsessed with us. OLA is thrilled to bring the hosts of National Public Radio’s Pop Culture Happy Hour to chat about how pop culture will save us all. From lowbrow to highbrow, what culture are we consuming during our pandemic journey? And more importantly, what culture is making us happy this week? Join arts journa...

Many libraries now make their own podcasts, but there are also people who make library and book-related podcasts outside of their jobs. Panelists will discuss why they make podcasts, how they engage with their audiences, what makes a successful podcast, balancing work vs podcasting, and where they’d like to see podcasting go in the future. Thank you to Matthew Murray, Brenna Clarke Gray, Alan...

What does it mean to be neurodivergent or neuro-atypical in library land? Today’s conversation is about what it's like to be an adult with ADHD, and how we can better support workers with this condition.  ADHD is a condition that affects 1.5 million Canadians but is still often confused or dismissed as something that only affects children. Aries Casteel, from the Dartmouth Heritage Museum rec...

Does getting your library on TikTok live in your mind rent-free? Already there and wondering how to land on everyone’s #FYP ? The creators and faces of four booming #librarytok accounts join us for a panel discussion breaking down how they got started on the app, the time and resources it requires, how they measure success and why sometimes TikTok just hits different. A representative from TikTok...

Dreaming of faraway adventures and landscapes beyond your local park? This week's list has got you covered with the top five travel books from library land's own Ken Haigh. Ken was formerly the CEO of Collingwood Public Library and has authored two books, most recently "On Foot to Canterbury, a son's pilgrimage". Escape with us through his favourite travel books and as we head out on walking, cycl...

This week Steven Kraus from Ontario Library Service chats about the key ingredients for making a successful virtual event. It's a great conversation with some excellent tips on how to set your organizers up for success and create the right atmosphere for your attendees. So whether you're working on an upcoming virtual conference, story time, trivia night or book talk - this one is for you!  R...

Looking for some spooky, scary program ideas for the teens in your library? Teen Librarians, Brooke Windsor and Cameron Ray join us this week to talk about all of the amazing work they're doing with the teens at their libraries and their top five Halloween programs.  Their list includes:  Fear in the Stacks Zombie Survival Night  Classic Haunted House  Ghost Story Concert&...

October is Canadian Library Month and this week we're recognizing Ontario Public Library Week. In an ode to public libraries we're thrilled to speak with "power library user" Lanrick Bennett Jr. Five years ago, Lanrick spearheaded #jackslibrarytour, a project that took him and his son Jack to all 100 branches of the Toronto Public Library system using public transit. This episode is a love letter...