Volume 23, Number 2 | October 2025 | | | | Exploring the Potential of a Shared Library Services Platform | |
The BC ELN Steering Committee recently agreed to explore the feasibility of a shared library services platform (LSP) for partner libraries. A shared platform has the potential to streamline information service delivery, enhance vendor negotiations, and create a unified library experience for users throughout British Columbia. Guided by this vision, BC ELN is dedicated to thoughtfully assessing the potential impacts on individual post-secondary libraries and the broader sector.
Learn more by reading about the shared LSP proposal in the July 17, 2025 Steering Committee Meeting Minutes.
| | LaSalle College Vancouver and Adler University Join as Associate Members | Two institutions joined BC ELN as Associate Members for a one-year provisional term beginning September 2025. In their new 108,000-square-foot facility, LaSalle College Vancouver delivers degrees, diplomas, and certificates in fields like design, media arts, culinary arts, and more. Adler University offers graduate degrees (Master and Doctorate) in psychology disciplines to create social justice-oriented practitioners and clinicians in mental health. Both institutions became Associate Members to strengthen their individual library offerings through the collective power of the BC ELN network. Please join us in welcoming LaSalle College Vancouver and Adler University for their one-year provisional term! | | Exterior of LaSalle College Vancouver | | Reporting BC ELN's Impact and Service Achievements | | | | |
Did you know that BC ELN's collaborative approach made over 1.5 million resources available at an average 33% discount to libraries in our network? Through services like Illume Interlibrary Loan and partnerships with BC Data Service/BC Assessment, BC ELN fosters cost-effective connections to pivotal information for learning and research.
Read more about how licensing, resource sharing, learning support, and shared services progressed in 2024 with our latest Innovation & Success Report.
| | For more information about a specific BC ELN service area, look no further than our Actions & Achievements Reports. These bite-sized reports include digestible infographics, key stats, user quotes, and annual financial information. The 2024 Arca, AskAway, Illume, and WriteAway reports are now available. | | The Mycelium Network as a Model: Insights from the BC ELN Team Retreat | In late summer, BC ELN Office staff came together for an in-person team retreat, where we dedicated ourselves to developing organizational resiliency and surfacing long-term priorities. Brainstorming activities revealed how BC ELN is akin to nature. Post-secondary institutions mirror the interconnectedness of plants, which share nutrients and chemical signals through a vast web known as the mycelium network. As BC ELN moves forward, we pursue the mycelium network’s harmony by strengthening our web of Partner Libraries. Member engagement initiatives, like the recent “water cooler” session for rural institutions to discuss promotional strategies, foster opportunities for shared learning. These exchanges allow us to reflect on both successes and setbacks, reinforcing our collective growth and adaptability. | | Thank You to New, Continuing, and Outgoing Committee Members! | |
BC ELN is made possible by the dedication of the Steering and Advisory Committee members. As committee membership recently turned over, let’s recognize the individuals who ensure that BC ELN continuously improves to meet partner libraries’ needs. The AskAway, WriteAway, and Arca Advisory Committees drive learning support and digital repository services forward, while the Steering Committee determines BC ELN's overall strategic direction.
Not sure who is representing your library’s interests on BC ELN committees? Visit the BC ELN website to view membership information for the Steering Committee, as well as the AskAway, WriteAway, and Arca Advisory Committees.
| | Please Welcome New BC ELN Office Staff! | | | | Bolstering BC ELN Operations with a Project Librarian | Kyla McCallum joined BC ELN as a Project Librarian in September 2025. Kyla recently graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with an MLIS and has a Bachelor of Arts in New Media and Digital Design. In her new role, Kyla is helping ensure the long-term health of BC ELN’s learning support programs, WriteAway and AskAway, in addition to providing communications and project management assistance for external initiatives. | A Mutually Beneficial Relationship: Student Librarians Contribute and Learn | Since May 2025, Jiaqi Pei and Austin Miner have provided invaluable support as Student Librarians for BC ELN. Jiaqi and Austin are both in their final semesters of the MLIS program at the UBC iSchool and have worked across a number of BC ELN service areas. Jiaqi contributed to the licensing agreement renewal process and helped optimize new resource selection, while Austin has been central to AskAway operations. On top of training and scheduling assistance, Austin reorganized and created documentation for the Admin Centre inbox, drawing on previous project management experience to improve continuity for future Student Librarians. When asked to reflect on his work for BC ELN, Jiaqi says he has gained a unique perspective by applying iSchool coursework to real-world library collaboration and resource-sharing initiatives. | | | | |
