Opening Keynote: Sandra Singh, Director of Vancouver Public Libraries
APLA 2013 is delighted to announce that Sandra Singh will be our
Opening Keynote Speaker. Named a Library Journal “Mover and Shaker” in 2006 for her work as Director of Branches East/South and Outreach Services with the Vancouver Public Library, Sandra went on to serve as Director of Systems and Special Projects for VPL, followed by a two-year stint leading the University of British Columbia’s new Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. In 2010, she returned to VPL, this time as Vancouver’s 11th Chief Librarian, an appointment which made Sandra, then 37, the youngest head of a major urban library system in Canada. In additional to her numerous professional accomplishments, Sandra has won praise throughout her career for her energy and enthusiasm -- media profiles tend to use terms such as “ebullient” and “irrepressible” -- and VPL’s ongoing transformation, guided by its Community-led service model, reflects this spirit. The Globe & Mail recently selected Sandra and the VPL for a front-page profile in their “Things That Work” series, marveling that, “at a time when the Internet is king … the Vancouver Public Library is not only hanging on but thriving.” Sandra will talk about her vision for VPL and librarianship
