This list only includes upcoming talks, and talks/lectures that took place in or after 2023.
If you would like The Unrestricted Librarian to deliver a workshop or lecture for a school, library, corporate event, writer’s organization, etc., please contact me for a personalized quote.
Media and Information Skills
Bain, C. D. (2025). The Truth is Out There: But is it Online? Interactive workshop to be presented by Cheryl Bain at the Sheep River Library, Diamond Valley, November 2025.
In the modern world, the amount of bad “information” available online can feel overwhelming. Misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, propaganda, AI slop, and other bad information can obscure the truth from the unprepared individual.
Join facilitator Cheryl Bain on a guided tour through the history and motives behind the individuals who have helped create the current online information environment. This will be followed by an introduction to some tools to help you determine if the thing you found online is closer to truth or deception and lies.
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Recall a brief history and motives behind the development of our current online information environment
- Define misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and some other related terms
- Apply the knowledge and skills gained in the workshop when deciding appropriate ways to respond to (or ignore) bad information
Research Skills & Open Access
Bain, C. D. (2025) Hiding bodies, finding poisonous plants, designing a trebuchet, etc. Interactive lecture presented by Cheryl Bain at the Foothills Writers Group, Okotoks, AB, September 2025.
Bain, C. D. (2024 & 2025). I swear, it’s just research! Hiding bodies, launching things into space, forging swords, etc. Interactive lecture presented by Cheryl Bain at When Words Collide, Calgary, AB, August 2024 & 2025.
2024: https://sched.co/1eRf4
2025: When Words Collide 2025: I Swear, it’s Just Research! Hiding Bodi… (Note: incorrectly credited as Dawn Bain in the sched app. Correctly credited as Cheryl D. Bain in printed program.)
Have you ever picked up a book with a promising premise, only to be disappointed when the writer gets crucial details wrong? To avoid this, join librarian Cheryl Bain for a presentation on effective research to support strong narratives.
Whether you need to plot a believable murder, explore theories about black holes, or find accurate details for a mid-1800s battlefield, this session will provide the tools you need. Cheryl will guide you through evaluating information sources and introduce you to high-quality, free or nearly free resources beneficial to writers.
These tips will be valuable for both fiction and nonfiction writers in any format. (Not intended for aspiring supervillains or criminals!)
High-School Level: Study & Research Skills
Bain, C. (2023 & 2024). Setting and Meeting Class Goals. Interactive lectures presented and/or planned to be presented by Cheryl Bain at Sheep River Library, Diamond Valley, AB.
Workshop aimed at high school students with their parent(s). It covers setting short- and long-term goals, how to break down goals into smaller milestones to help reach targets, and how parents can help their students achieve success in their classes and careers. Parents and students will work together to start putting their new skills before the end of the class.
- Slides & Handouts from September 2024 version of the presentation at Sheep River Library.
- Most recent delivery of this workshop was September 2024.
Bain, C. (2023 & 2024). Study skills for High School Students. Interactive lectures presented and/or planned to be presented by Cheryl Bain at Sheep River Library, Diamond Valley, AB.
Workshop aimed at students in grades 9-12. It covers study environment tips, time management, note-taking, what a teacher usually means when they tell you to “read this part of the textbook,” review strategies for before and after a test, and test-taking skills.
- Slides & Handouts from September 2024 version of the presentation at Sheep River Library.
- Most recent delivery of this workshop was September 2024.
Bain, C. (2023). Test Taking Skills. Invited interactive lecture presented by Cheryl Bain at Oilfields High School, Diamond Valley, AB.
Bain, C. (2023). Is this Information CRAAP for my assignment? and Test taking skills. Invited interactive lecture presented by Cheryl Bain at Oilfields High School, Diamond Valley, AB.
Talks Supporting Colleagues’ Professional Development
Bain, Cheryl D. (2025) Getting a Speaker Series at Your Library Right. Online lecture delivered by Cheryl D. Bain at Calgary Libraries In Action, Foothills Library Association. Recording
Are you thinking about organizing an event at your library, but don’t know where to start? This talk will provide you with places to start looking for speakers, and ideas about how to assess the potential candidates to decide if they will be a good fit for your event and community. The focus will be on recruiting local (Calgary and area) speakers for an event that does not have a large enough budget to bring in people from distant locations. The primary example will be Sheep River Library’s Hollywood Got It Wrong series (March-April 2025), which featured speakers from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds. Will include approximate timelines on how long event organization took from conceiving the idea to waving goodbye to the final attendees.
Bain, C. D. (April 2025). Whip your website into shape! Organization, accessibility, and other website concerns. Staff training webinar for the Marigold Library System. Marigold invited Cheryl Bain to present this webinar. Recording and slides available through Marigold’s Staff Niche Academy, under “Website Editing.”
