The 2021 SCLA Conference will be virtual again this year! The 2021 conference will be held on Wednesday, October 13th - Friday, October 15th. 

The conference theme is “REFRESH.” After a year+ of COVID-19 and figuring out what our new normal is, we need to take a look at what we have all gone through individually and as an organization. This reflection is a good time to refresh ourselves from our careers to our mental and physical health. It is also a good time to refresh our organization and give it new life. Let's find ways that we can refresh what we are doing in our libraries and in our lives to motivate others to do the same. 

Please contact Sara DeSantis, Conference Chair, if you have any questions. 

Pre-Conference

 “Dismantling White Supremacy in Libraries”

This workshop aims to provide you with tools to combat racism in your library. The first part focuses on gaining a better understanding of white privilege, white supremacy, and colonialism and the impact it has had on libraries in the United States. The second part discusses ways to improve your library through collection audits, programming, and staff training. The last part of the workshop brainstorms ideas to make librarianship a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive space, such as through recruitment, mentorship, and community support.

 All proceeds benefit the SCLA Scholarship for Diversity in Librarianship. 

Keynote Speakers

Jen Bonnet is a Social Sciences and Humanities Librarian at the University of Maine, where she engages in a wide range of outreach, instruction, consultation, and research. She values collaboration and connection, and has co-designed a variety of programs on racial justice, news literacy, finding funding, and getting published. Whenever possible, she is out camping, canoeing, or experimenting with baked goods.

Anila Karunakar was born in India and was raised in Bahrain. She came to the U.S. for her undergraduate work in Education and went on to receive her Master's in Higher Education. As an international student leader, Anila advocates for social justice through trainings and various programs. Anila brings over 14 years of experience working specifically in the areas of diversity and inclusion.

Madelyn Woods is a PhD candidate in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences and the Climate Change Institute at The University of Maine. She holds an MS in Marine Science from Jacksonville University and a BS in Political Science from Boston University. After earning her master's, she spent three years as the Marine Research Coordinator at the Marine & Environmental Research Institute in Blue Hill, ME. There she oversaw the development and implementation of the coastal monitoring program, including a bay-wide investigation of microplastic concentrations and their effects on blue mussels as indicator species. She is currently researching environmental changes in the Gulf of Maine during the last ~11,000 years using the incorporation of elements into plankton shells as proxies for past ocean temperatures. In her spare time, Madelyn serves on several Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity committees at UMaine and in 2020 was part of a three-person team that developed and implemented the virtual Racial Justice Challenge learning program.