Presenting at the 2014 BC Library Association Conference

Library Square at Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library. Photo by VPSN.

The BC Library Association has kindly invited the Vancouver Public Space Network to speak about our public space advocacy and engagement work at their annual conference happening in Vancouver from Monday, March 31st to Wednesday, April 2.

The BCLA conference, organized around the theme “Hello World!” (a shoutout to computer programmers), promises to be an exciting interdisciplinary event — with session streams on Access, Evidence, Community, Place (that’s us), and Work. They have secured thoughtful keynote speakers known for their cutting-edge work in storytelling, design and activism, as well as sessions with speakers from other local organizations like Bing Thom Architects, the BC Civil Liberties Association, and Mozilla Labs.

Here is the description of the VPSN’s session, which will be taking place on Tuesday, April 1:

Since 2006, the Vancouver Public Space Network has been a volunteer-driven non-profit organization doing advocacy and outreach on issues of public space and the public realm in and around Vancouver. Our interventions and projects have sought to bring the public’s attention and awareness to the wide range of values and uses of public space — from its role in community-building, sustainability and livability, to the unique part it plays in political and social expression. In this session, Jonathan Bleackley, Karen Quinn Fung, and Jaspal Marwah will highlight this diversity with a walkthrough of the VPSN’s activities. From making spaces to share meals, throwing dance parties on public transit, staging a public square design competition and orchestrating mobile phone-powered photo scavenger hunts, to mobilizing volunteers to collaborate on large-scale art installations or collect data on what features make for good public spaces, we hope this session will inspire libraries with simple ways to observe, understand and better connect the people in your communities into an engaging, lively and cherished place.

Check out the BCLA Connect 2014 Conference website for more information about the event – early bird registration closes February 25. You can also follow along with the event’s updates through its Twitter account at @BCLibraryconf.

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