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Welcome to the 2025 Saskatchewan Libraries Conference! We are thrilled to have you joining us for this incredible professional development and networking opportunity.

Registration Desk
Make sure you check in to the conference at our registration desk before heading off to any meals or sessions! Here you can pick up your name tag and ask any questions you might have. The registration desk will be open from 6:45 am to 3:00 pm on Thursday, May 8, and from 6:45 am to 3:00 pm on Friday, May 9.

Using the Sched App
Use this app to build your personalized conference schedule! You will find some things have already been added to your schedule (such as meals and key speakers), but everything else is up to you.

We also encourage you to turn on the "Public Profile & Schedule" option under the "My Account" tab. This will add you to the public attendee list, helping you to connect with other delegates and helping them connect with you. This is optional.

Conference Sponsors
SLA gratefully acknowledges our many event sponsors. Without their generous support, this conference would not be possible! Here is the list of our sponsors:
  1. Platinum Level: Library Bound Inc. and Regina Public Library
  2. Gold Level: Saskatoon Public Library
  3. Silver Level: CVS Midwest Tape, University of Saskatchewan - University Library, and United Library Services
  4. Bronze Level: Bravo Tango, Britannica Digital Learning, Clarivate, OverDrive, Palliser Regional Library, Southeast Regional Library, University of Regina, Wheatland Regional Library, and Wintergreen Learning Materials

Exhibitors
Make sure to visit the Exhibitor Hall located in the Gallery A! The Exhibitor Hall will be open on Thursday, May 8 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, with the Exhibitor Social to follow from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. Join us at the social for appetizers, drinks, and a chance to learn more about our exhibitors!

Here is the list of our exhibitors:
  • Carr McLean Ltd.
  • Creative Kids Saskatchewan
  • CVS Midwest Tape
  • Law Society of Saskatchewan, Legal Resources
  • Lung Saskatchewan
  • Prison Library Sub-committee
  • Provincial Library & Literacy Office, Government of Saskatchewan
  • Saskatchewan Council for Archives & Archivists Inc.
  • Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation
  • SaskBooks
  • Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism
  • Shadowpaw Press
  • Turning the Tide Bookstore
  • United Library Services
  • University of Regina Press
← Back to schedule
Safe and Welcoming at Regina Public Library
Thursday May 8, 2025 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT
Galleries B & C
Presented by Taylor Soderberg, Amber Christensen, Brian Klenk, Janna Ferris & Rachael Kaseke 

Safe and welcoming is a core focus at the Regina Public Library. This has lead to the library taking an approach that is collaborative, empathy-led and involves many moving parts to facilitate a safe and welcoming environment. Engaging staff, and through engaging services of outside agencies as well as engagement with community social service groups, RPL, with a focus on Central Library has taken steps to make a change to address the diversity of needs involved in responding to a changing community. Some of these changes have included working with Family Services Regina first through a pilot and now with a contract for two full time Library Outreach and Crisis Workers at Central, a change in security teams that included a re-focus of requirements requested by the Library in our RFP process, and a key RPL staff position created to connect staff, guards and crisis workers together --- the Safe and Welcoming Specialist. The RPL presentation team will discuss the process and the steps that we took to develop, implement and the outcomes, successes and challenges of this approach. Pieces of this approach have also been taken into the way they report incidents and their suspension guidelines and reviews as well as how they work with youth. The community around public libraries continues to change and evolve with new challenges and we see this approach as a response to that changing community.
Speakers
AC

Amber Christensen

Executive Director, RPL's Central Library
Amber Christensen is the Executive Director of RPL's Central Library, her responsibilities include the public service units at Central including literacy, digital media studios, accessibility services, adult and children's services. Her portfolio also includes supporting the Dunlop... Read More →
BK

Brian Klenk

Director of Facilities Infrastructure & Services, Regina Public Library
Brian Klenk is the Director of Facilities Infrastructure and Services, he is responsible for the planning, design, implementation and on-going maintenance of the facilities infrastructure. Brian is a current member of the Building Owners and Managers Association of Saskatchewan (BOMA... Read More →
JF

Janna Ferris

Library Outreach Worker, Regina Public Library’s Central branch
Janna is a Library Outreach Worker with Family Service Regina and works at the Regina Public Library’s Central branch. She acquired her Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Regina, and is a Registered Social Worker with the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers... Read More →
RK

Rachael Kaseke

Library Outreach Worker, Regina Public Library’s Central Branch
Rachael is a Library Outreach Worker with Family Service Regina and works at the Regina Public Library’s Central Branch. Rachael earned her Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Regina and a Certificate in Reconciliation Studies at the First Nations University of Canada... Read More →
TS

Taylor Soderbergh

Safe & Welcoming Specialist, RPL
Taylor is the Safe and Welcoming Specialist at the Regina Public Library. She is a Métis woman and obtained a Bachelor of Human Justice through the First Nations University of Canada. She has worked in many youth-focused organizations around Regina. Taylor decided to go into this... Read More →
Thursday May 8, 2025 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT
Galleries B & C 35 22 Street East, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
  50-Minute Sessions

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