About Us
Mission Statement
The Nunavut Library Association provides a forum for discussion, encouragement and professional development for its members. The mission of our Association is:
- to support anyone working in or with Nunavut libraries
- to represent all types of libraries in Nunavut
- to advocate for excellent library services for Nunavummiut with all levels of government and other agencies
- to promote library services and literacy in the official languages of Nunavut.
Organization Description
Our membership is open to all persons serving residents of Nunavut who are interested in or work with library issues, regardless of their professional qualifications or geographic location. Our members can be professional librarians or library technicians, library support staff, literacy workers or archivists who work in or with libraries, and interested members of the public.
Given the highly mobile nature of the Nunavut workforce, we operate in an informal, consensual manner, on a purely volunteer basis. We are not at present formally registered as a society, although we revisit the need for such registration from time to time. Currently we charge no fees, do not do fundraising directly, and carry no financial obligations.
We select a leader for the group in a consensual manner, and refer to her or him as “President” for the purposes of communication with other national library groups. This person presides over meetings, confirms dates and places of meetings, and offers an agenda for discussion. Records are kept of meetings by a volunteer. Correspondence is held and signed by the current President, though drafted on a volunteer basis and reviewed collectively.
Meetings are called when required or as desired by the group. They are held in Iqaluit, as most members reside there, but participation is welcome and encouraged by teleconference for members in other Nunavut communities or for those who provide service to Nunavummiut from outside the territory. Meetings tend to be held every 4-6 months.
We are regarded as the territorial equivalent or equal of other provincial and territorial library advocacy groups (e.g. NWT Library Association, Ontario Library Association), and are members with them in The Partnership, which provides access to continuing library education at reduced or no cost. Our President is usually invited to participate in national gatherings of library associations as our representative.
Some of the activities we engage in include:
- Meetings to discuss current activities of members and issues of interest (2-4 times per year)
- Conducting correspondence campaigns to advocate for library and literacy issues such as maintenance of the Library Rate, restoration of funding for literacy groups, need for new national library facilities, etc.
- Promoting and coordinating library activities, e.g. JK Rowling reading visit contest, Literacy Week, visits by the National Librarian, etc.
- Social events to allow library staff to get together with their local peers
