Canadians are concerned about COVID-19. The virus responsible for COVID-19 is having a serious impact on individuals who contract it, on reactive world markets, and increasingly on travel.

Every year the CALL/ABCD Conference is an important time to connect, share and learn together.  A lot of planning goes into this important industry event and it is a critical component to our member value proposition. Given the COVID-19 virus and its rising media profile, we felt compelled to update you as to how it may impact our Conference event.

For starters, the health, safety and comfort of our members and guests is the top priority at all of our events.  No matter the operating environment, we consistently review our procedures to make sure we are doing all we can so that you may enjoy the meaningful networking and professional development that events do provide.  

Registration is open for the 2020 CALL/ACBD Conference taking place in Hamilton, Ontario on May 24-27 and the event is scheduled to take place as planned. As a reminder, CALL/ACBD awards the Eunice Beeson Memorial Travel Fund to assist CALL/ACBD members who wish to attend the conference but, for financial reasons, are unable to do so. Bursaries are provided to cover travel expenses and/or accommodation. Applications are due to Sooin Kim by April 17.

Registration is also open for the 2020 New Law Librarians' Institute taking place at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton on June 16-19 and the event is scheduled to take place as planned.

There are currently no federal or provincial restrictions in place to prevent meetings and travel in Canada due to COVID-19 and there are no confirmed cases in Hamilton. The city of Hamilton publicly states that the risk of getting COVID-19 in Hamilton is low. The Public Health Agency of Canada has also assessed the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low for Canada. Nevertheless, CALL/ABCD is working closely with all our event partners to create an environment conducive for the connecting, sharing and learning that is the spirit of our Conference and we look forward to welcoming you in Hamilton.

Should there be any need to update you further we will do so again directly.  We respect that many are getting information from a variety of sources but if you have any questions or specific concerns please contact CALL/ACBD National Office at 647-346-8723 x 1. 

Thank you,

Shaunna Mireau
CALL/ACBD President