What to Expect On The Day
9:00 AM
Welcome & Overview of day
9:15 AM
Mingle activity
9:30 AM
Canada’s Cyber Threat Landscape: What the NCTA Means for Libraries with Earl Maynard
10:15 AM
Hobnob #1
10:30 AM
Break + Networking
10:45 AM
AI is a Double-Edged Sword with Roberto Salgado, Websec
11:30 AM
Hobnob #2
11:45 AM
Mingle activity #2
12:00 PM
Lunch + Networking
1:00 PM
First Door Prize
1:05 PM
Hobnob #3
1:20 PM
Nurture with Ben Hyman, Vancouver Public Library
2:05 PM
Break + Networking
2:20 PM
Table Topics
3:50 PM
Closing Remarks & Door Prizes
Reasons to attend
1
Cutting-Edge Insights
Discover the latest trends and solutions in library IT from industry experts. Gain actionable knowledge to tackle today’s challenges and prepare for the future.
2
Unmatched Networking
Connect with IT professionals, library leaders, and innovators. Build relationships that can drive collaboration and success in your work.
3
Time and Cost Efficient
Packed into a single day to maximize value and minimize expense. Learn, grow, and network without taking too much time away from your responsibilities.
Talk Descriptions
Canada’s Cyber Threat Landscape: What the NCTA Means for Libraries with Earl Maynard
Canada’s National Cyber Threat Assessment (NCTA) offers a clear, evidence‑based picture of the cyber risks facing the country — from ransomware and data theft to state‑sponsored activity targeting critical infrastructure and public institutions.
In this session, Earl will break down the key findings of the NCTA and translate them into practical implications for libraries. He will outline the evolving threat landscape, real‑world attack patterns, and the steps organizations can take to strengthen their cyber resilience in an increasingly hostile digital environment.
This session will help you:
- Understand the national‑level threats most relevant to public‑facing institutions
- Recognize common attack patterns affecting libraries and other community services
- Identify practical, achievable steps to improve cyber resilience
- Communicate risks effectively to leadership, staff, and stakeholders
- Apply national intelligence to local operational realities
Designed to be accessible, relevant, and actionable, this presentation turns national‑scale threat intelligence into meaningful, on‑the‑ground insight
Speaker bios
Ben Hyman
Chief Librarian & CEO , Vancouver Public Library
Ben is an award-winning leader of people, services and initiatives, with significant experience in public and post secondary libraries, in Cooperatives and in government.
Prior to joining VPL in 2025, Ben was the Executive Director of Vancouver Island Regional Library, the Chief Librarian at Vancouver Island University, and the founding Executive Director of the BC Libraries Cooperative. He has served as the Director, Strategic Alignment with the BC Ministry of Education and worked as a librarian, instructor and systems manager in public and post-secondary libraries in Alberta and BC.
Recognized for his collaborative approach, strategic foresight, and enduring advocacy for public services that strengthen communities, Ben is frequently invited to speak, guest lecture and to facilitate.
For 25 years, Ben has been privileged and grateful to reside as a settler on the ancestral territories of the Coast Salish people, and to learn from Coast Salish, Haida, Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw and Nuu-Chah-Nulth knowledge keepers. On his Reconciliation journey, Ben has worked as an ally on language retention, repatriation and collaborative social infrastructure projects. He looks forward to continuing this work in consultation with the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).
Ben holds a Master of Information Science from the University of Alberta and is has recently completed the Rotman-ICD Directors Education Program.
Earl Maynard
Earl Maynard is a Senior Strategic Advisor with the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Canada’s national authority on cyber threat intelligence and cyber defense. Based in British Columbia, he leads regional engagement with critical infrastructure operators, utilities, and public sector partners across the West, supporting national efforts to strengthen cyber resilience and operational readiness. He brings over a decade of federal experience working at the intersection of national security, technology, and critical infrastructure protection.