[{"titre":"President's Message / Message du président","url":"https://www.callacbd.ca/CALL-Blog/13617470","pubDate":"Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:55:57 +0100","description":"Le texte français suit. CALLeagues, Following up on this thread in our Member Forum - Globe and Mail reports CSC preparing to eliminate all prison librarian positions - I am proud to let you know that I signed on behalf of CALL/ACBD the open letter that was prepared by Book Clubs for Inmates. I am grateful to Amy Kaufman for sharing this news item with the association, and to Karen Sawatzky for speaking to it at the Executive Board so that we could lend our voice in support of this important cause. As this example shows, our Member Forum is the space to share news and items of interest to your colleagues from coast-to-coast-to-coast, and I look forward to reviewing more of your forum postings. Looking ahead, and following on the elections that were held last month, it is my pleasure to announce your Executive Board for 2026/2027: Katarina Daniels, President (continuing) Pia Williams, First Vice-President (continuing) Sean Holdner, Second Vice-President (acclaimed) Catherine Cotter, Treasurer (continuing) Margaret Banka, Secretary (acclaimed) Karen Sawatzky, Member-at-Large (continuing) Eric Jacobson, Member-at-Large (elected) Jason Wong, Past-President (continuing) I am grateful to Donna Sikorsky, Sooin Kim, and Ann Marie Melvie for serving on the Elections Committee and working with our National Officer Laura Romero to ensure a free and fair election; to Mary-Jo Petsche, Danielle Brosseau, Hannah Rosborough, Jean-Sébastien Danis, and Kimberly Feher for serving on the Nominations Committee to recruit members to serve on our executive; and to Sarah Gibbs for putting herself as a candidate for member-at-large. All these efforts by so many individuals contribute to the sustained governance of our organization, and I am humbled to continue my service as past-president to you and your new board who will officially take office at the end of the AGM in May. All the best, Jason Wong Bonjour à tous les membres de la CALL/ACBD ! Pour faire suite au fil de discussion dans notre Forum des membres, portant sur un article du Globe and Mail selon lequel le SCC se prépare à abolir les postes de bibliothécaires dans les pénitenciers , je suis fier de vous faire savoir que j’ai signé au nom de la CALL/ACBD la lettre ouverte qui a été préparée par l’organisme Book Clubs for Inmates. Je tiens à remercier Amy Kaufman d’avoir informé l’association de cette nouvelle ainsi que Karen Sawatzky d’en avoir parlé au conseil exécutif afin que nous puissions appuyer cette cause importante. Cet exemple montre que notre Forum des membres est une plateforme d’échange permettant de partager des nouvelles et des sujets d’intérêt avec vos collègues d’un bout à l’autre du pays, et je suis impatient de lire les messages que vous publierez sur le forum. Pour ce qui est de l’avenir, et à la suite des élections qui ont eu lieu le mois dernier, j’ai le plaisir de dévoiler les membres du conseil exécutif pour 2026-2027. Katarina Daniels, présidente (poursuit son mandat) Pia Williams, première vice-présidente (poursuit son mandat) Sean Holdner, deuxième vice-président (nommé par acclamation) Catherine Cotter, trésorière (poursuit son mandat) Margaret Banka, secrétaire (nommée par acclamation) Karen Sawatzky, membre à titre personnel (poursuit son mandat) Eric Jacobson, membre à titre personnel (élu) Jason Wong, président sortant (poursuit son mandat) Je remercie Donna Sikorsky, Sooin Kim et Ann Marie Melvie qui ont siégé au comité des élections et travaillé avec notre responsable du bureau national, Laura Romero, pour assurer la tenue d’élections libres et justes ; Mary-Jo Petsche, Danielle Brosseau, Hannah Rosborough, Jean-Sébastien Danis et Kimberly Feher qui ont","id":3241541,"source":"Canadian Association of Law Libraries / L'Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit CALL/ACBD Blog"},{"id":3191419,"description":"Michel Van Bellinghen elected BEREC Chair 2028 yannick.stephan Thu, 01/10/2026 - 08:59 Latest News At its plenary meeting on 1 October 2026, the Board of Regulators elected Michel Van Bellinghen , Chair of the BIPT Council (Belgium), as the BEREC Chair for 2028. In the year preceding the chairmanship, he will join the Mini-Board and work closely with the incoming Chair, Alejandra de Iturriaga Gandini ( CNMC , Spain), helping to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities and continuity in BEREC’s work. This will be the second time Michel Van Bellinghen serves as BEREC Chair. BEREC leadership in 2027 BEREC’s leadership is centred on the Chair, supported by the Vice-Chairs. The Mini-Board, composed of the Chair, the Vice-Chairs and participants without voting rights, provides support for the Chair in carrying out their leadership responsibilities. During the plenary meeting, the Board of Regulators also elected the Vice-Chairs for 2027. Klaus Steinmaurer ( RTR , Austria) and Karol Krzywicki ( UKE , Poland) will support the Chair in preparing and coordinating BEREC’s work, including plenary discussions, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. Armer Juka ( AKEP , Albania) was elected as the representative of participants without voting rights to the Mini-Board for 2027. In addition, the incoming and outgoing BEREC Chairs – Michel Van Bellinghen and Marko Mismas ( AKOS , Slovenia) – will also serve as Vice-Chairs. The Vice-Chairs have two main functions. First, the incoming Chair – or, if necessary, one of the Vice-Chairs – may take over the role of Chair when the Chair is not in a position to perform their duties. Second, each Vice-Chair supports and follows the work of a specific cluster of BEREC Working Groups. The BEREC Chair decides the allocation of these clusters. In the year preceding the chairmanship, the incoming Chair is also responsible for preparing the annual work programme. What the BEREC Chair does The BEREC Chair plays a central role in guiding BEREC’s work during the chairmanship year. The Chair leads plenary meetings, represents BEREC externally, helps build consensus among national regulatory authorities and oversees the implementation of the annual work programme. The Vice-Chairs support the Chair in carrying out these responsibilities and help ensure continuity between the annual chairmanships. Together, the Chair and Vice-Chairs contribute to the effective functioning of BEREC and to the achievement of its objectives. The BEREC Chair is responsible for BEREC’s external relations and for representing its interests. The Chair informs members about external activities, reports on their outcomes and shares any relevant materials. When invited, the Chair also reports on the performance of BEREC’s tasks to the European Parliament and the European Commission. In addition, the BEREC Chair serves as Chair of the Mini-Board, convenes its meetings and informs the Board of Regulators about its activities. Appointment process The BEREC Chair is elected every year. To be nominated and elected as Chair, a candidate must be supported by at least four BEREC members, not including the candidate themself, and must have served for at least one year as Vice-Chair. Election requires the support of at least two-thirds of the Board of Regulators who vote in order to be elected. The Chair’s term of office is one year. Similarly, every year, the Board of Regulators elects at least two Vice-Chairs from among its members for the following year.","source":"BEREC Office","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:34:59 +0200","url":"https://www.berec.europa.eu/en/news/latest-news/michel-van-bellinghen-elected-berec-chair-2028","titre":"Michel Van Bellinghen elected BEREC Chair 2028"}]