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Venue: Delta Hotel Ottawa City Centre (101 Lyon St. N, Ottawa, ON K1R 5T9)
Monday, November 18
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Board Meeting – Brett Waytuck, President (Regina)
(Cartier)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
President’s Opening Reception
(Chaudière)
Tuesday, November 19
7:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Breakfast
(Seigniory/Foyer)
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Opening Remarks – Brett Waytuck (Regina)
(Chaudière)
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM
Plan S: Looking Back, Looking Forward (online) – Robert Kiley, Head of Strategy, Coalition S [Brett Waytuck (Regina)]
(Chaudière)
In this keynote session, Robert Kiley, Head of Strategy at cOAlition S will discuss how OA has changed over the past 5 years, and the role Plan S has played in this. In addition to highlighting some of the successes, Robert will also discuss the key outstanding challenges that will need to be resolved if we are to be successful in fostering a scholarly communication ecosystem that enables rapid, open, transparent, and equitable sharing of trustworthy scientific knowledge. The session will conclude with some thoughts on how Canadian libraries – in partnership with their funding agencies – can support this ambition.
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Break
(Seigniory/Foyer)
10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Towards Open: A Check-in for Canadian Open Science
Panel:
Jonathan Bengtson (Victoria)
Amy Buckland (Concordia)
Stéphanie Gagnon (Montréal)
Mary-Jo Romaniuk (Calgary)
Moderator: Michael Vandenburg (Dalhousie)
(Chaudière)
Two years ago CARL and CRKN laid out shared aims and priority activities in Towards Open Scholarship: A Canadian Research and Academic Library Action Plan to 2025. In this time, there have been many developments internationally and in Canada in the realm of open science, including the announcement of a new tri-agency policy in 2025 and FRQ’s adoption of Plan-S. This session will provide an opportunity for members to take stock of progress and pain points in the Canadian open science ecosystem, and the library’s place therein. Four CARL directors will address key pillars through brief presentations, considering libraries and CARL’s role within the broader open science context:
- Pathways to Open/Visible Canadian Content – Amy
- Infrastructure and Interoperability – Jonathan
- Policy and Funding – Stéphanie
- Collaboration and Culture Change – Mary-Jo
These presentations will be followed by table discussions led by the panelists, and further discussion in plenary.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch
(Mezzanine)
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Data, Description, Discovery: Dialogues about the Role of AI in Academic Libraries – Claire DeMarco, Director, Information Discovery Services, Harvard Library [Brett Waytuck (Regina)]
(Chaudière)
With the fast-paced introduction of generative AI into the academic landscape over the past two years, libraries have been accelerating their efforts to experiment with new tools, develop new workflows, and grapple with shifting ethical paradigms. Claire DeMarco, Director of Information Discovery Services at Harvard Library will share some reflections on how libraries are generating new data, enhancing description, and enabling discovery with AI technology, and how we can engage individually and as a community.
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Advancing Accessibility Initiatives in Research Libraries – Victoria Owen (Toronto) & Katherine McColgan (CARL) [Susan Parker (UBC)]
(Chaudière)
The ARL/CARL Task Force on Marrakesh Treaty Implementation: Final Report provided several recommendations that research libraries and library associations can do to advance accessibility work in Canada. This presentation will highlight a few priority areas that research libraries can undertake to keep the momentum moving forward.
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM
Break
(Seigniory/Foyer)
3:45 PM – 5:00 PM
Libraries, AI, and directions: three perspectives (online) – Lorcan Dempsey, Professor of Practice and Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, Information School, University of Washington [Brett Waytuck (Regina)]
(Chaudière)
Only two years in and AI is everywhere. This presentation will look at AI and libraries from three perspectives, as a way of framing some of the drivers, developments, and concerns. These are 1) a cultural technology perspective, 2) an industry perspective, and 3) a library perspective. There will be words, pictures and some numbers.
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
CARL Awards Ceremony, Reception and Dinner
(1Elgin Restaurant- 1 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON, K1P 5W1)
Wednesday, November 20
7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast
(Seigniory/Foyer)
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Business Meeting with Committee Updates – Brett Waytuck (Regina)
(Chaudière)
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Break
(Seigniory/Foyer)
10:15 AM – 11:30 AM
EDI Visioning Exercise – Selinda Berg (Windsor) & Mark Asberg (Queen’s)
(Chaudière)
The aim of this session will be to determine what processes need to be put into place for further EDI visioning and how we can build momentum in this area. This is a level-setting moment, where we are looking for direction from members on the following questions:
- What are the priorities for action in our sector in which you can see a role for CARL?
- What is CARL’s role in each of these priorities? How can we support the EDI journey of the research library and the director’s role within it?
- What CARL structures and processes should we create/sustain/strengthen to help this move forward?
The session will open with a reflective exercise, followed by a presentation of CARL’s EDI background and current context (including achievements to date), and table discussions pertaining to the questions above.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Donor Cultivation – Susan Cleyle (Memorial) & Jonathan Bengtson (Victoria)
(Chaudière)
Colleagues are invited to explore the unique challenges and opportunities in cultivating donors for academic libraries, focusing on strategies such as aligning donor interests with library missions, engaging diverse donor groups, and addressing shifting donor preferences. Through a case study and collaborative discussions, participants will share experiences and strategies to strengthen donor relationships, while also considering how CARL can support its member institutions in these efforts.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch
(Mezzanine)
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Bringing the Community into Practice: An Overview of CARL’s CoPs – Taleen Aktorosian (CARL)
(Chaudière)
This bilingual session will provide an overview of CARL’s Communities of Practice (CoPs), highlighting their key activities, events, and projects from the past year. The presentation will outline how CARL supports these CoPs through standardized communication processes, logistical assistance, and the development of practical guidelines. It will also explore opportunities for improvement and rationalize CARL’s strategic approach to sustaining and enhancing these collaborative networks.
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Strategic Planning – Mary-Jo Romaniuk (Calgary)
(Chaudière)
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Ādisōke Tour
(555 Albert Street, Ottawa, ON K1R 7X3)
