Sarah Meilleur joins CFE Working Group on Intellectual Freedom

Sarah Meilleur, the CEO of the Calgary Public Library, has been appointed today to membership on the Centre for Free Expression’s Working Group on Intellectual Freedom.

“We are delighted Sarah has agreed to joining the Centre for Free Expression’s Working Group. She brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to intellectual freedom,” said James L. Turk, Director of the CFE. 

Sarah is the first female CEO in in the Calgary Public Library’s 109-year history. She was appointed CEO in 2021, after serving in a variety of leadership positions at the library since 2001.

A recognized speaker at international conferences, Sarah has written numerous journal articles, and has lectured at Harvard University on library design. She also led the design thinking, completion and launch of Calgary's award winning new Central Library opened in 2018.

Sarah has served as a member of the Canadian Federation of Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee,  vice-chair for the Calgary Heritage Authority, and has been a member of the Calgary Cultural Leadership Council and the Social Wellbeing Advisory Committee.

The other members of the CFE Working Group on Intellectual Freedom are: Peter Bailey, CEO of the St. Albert Public Library; Karya Borrás, Manager, Pointe-Claire Public Library; Kay Cahill, Director of Collections and IT, Vancouver Public Library; Carla Graebner, Librarian for Data Services and Government Information, Simon Fraser University Library; Todd Kyle, CEO, Brampton Public Library;  Tammy Le, President of the British Columbia Teacher Librarians Association; Danielle MacKinlay, Manager, Library Services, Canadian Coast Guard; Pilar Martinez, CEO, Edmonton Public Library;   Lisa Radha Vohra, Director, Collections and Membership Services, Toronto Public Library; Erin Patterson, Head, Research Services, Acadia University Library;  Toni Samek, Professor and past Chair, School of Library and Information Studies University of Alberta;  Sabrina Saunders, CEO Blue Mountain Public Library; Alvin M. Schrader, Professor Emeritus, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta; and Marcellus Turner, CEO and Chief Librarian, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

The Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University  is a hub for public education, research and advocacy on free expression and the public’s right to know. Its work is undertaken in collaboration with academic and community-based organizations across Canada and internationally.