Alanna McLellan comes to the Dalhousie Libraries all the way from Vancouver, BC!

She attended Simon Fraser University where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree studying History and Humanities and a Certificate in Liberal Arts

“Prior to moving out to Nova Scotia, I had an internship at the SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and worked as a library assistant at a public library,” says Alanna. “From these experiences, I knew I was pursuing the right career path in the field of information.

Alanna enrolled in the MLIS program because she has a passion for helping connect people with the information they need and want.

“I was intrigued by the MLIS program at Dalhousie University in particular because of its placement within the Faculty of Management, and its course content that covers traditional and non-traditional aspects of the information field,” says Alanna. “I also wanted to live and experience a different part of Canada, and Halifax was a city of interest with its east coast culture, while still being near an ocean.”

This Summer Alanna helped organize the library after extensive renovations in late spring. She also provided research assistance at the reference desk and worked on several projects including: designing posters and handouts, a new virtual tour of the library, processing and cataloguing donations, and helped with the migration of the librarians’ subject guides on the LibGuides platform.

“The experience at Sexton Design and Technology Library and the MLIS program has widened my perspective on what I hope to do after graduation. I continue to be passionate about public librarianship, but my interest in working in academic libraries has also grown enormously this past year,” says Alanna. “This is an exciting field to be a part of, and as I enter my final year, I am looking forward to different opportunities as I continue to learn more about the challenges and innovations in the information field.”