Name: Lucy Pauker

Pronouns: they/them

Hometown: the world :+)

What is your favorite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

Halifax is arguably at its best during the summer, and to fully experience all that good stuff you have to be outside. I love driving to a nearby lake, laying on some grass, picking off ticks, and having fires.

What internship are you affiliated with?

I am the Archives Intern at the Dalhousie University Archives at the Killam.

What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

I originally attended a similar program at McGill, but wanted to return to this province and my community. Nova Scotia feels like a long-term home for me, and Dalhousie seemed like a great way to solidify those bonds and offer the connections to facilitate a career in the information sector in this province.

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

The archives internship was an exciting opportunity for me to gain experience working for a large, institutional archive. My previous experience has been with small, predominantly art organizations whereas Dalhousie’s Archive offered insight into the organization, structure, and day-to-day operations of working on a larger scale. This internship has allowed me to use software and digitization equipment that I have not had access to at smaller institutions.

What’s your educational background?

I have a B.F.A. from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and a Graduate Certificate in Digital Archive Management from McGill University.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

I’ve had the privilege of working on a wide range of projects with a wider range of media at the archive. I have described Ron O’dor’s collection of squid VHS tapes, which ranged from footage of scallops in space to giant squid recordings and interviews on Japanese television. I also had the opportunity this past year to describe the Solar Audio collection, an exciting fonds consisting of audio reels from a range of local and international musicians. During this time, I furthered my understanding of the organization system of the archives by physically arranging Eyelevel Artist Run Center’s collection of catalogues. The catalogues spanned the 1970s to the mid-2000s and offered an interesting visual timeline of the arts in Halifax.

This summer I have several projects to dip into that include: describing and arranging anthropologist James H. Morrison’s collection. Morrison’s collection of materials is largely from several oral history projects he worked on in the Jos Plateau region of Nigeria in the 1970s. I am also experimenting with web archiving, something that has been of interest to me since I first explored the Internet Archive during my undergrad. On the horizon are several larger digitization projects that will entail digitizing three-dimensional materials from the Dalhousie Women’s Association’s collection of puppets from the 1940s-50s and a 2006 time capsule from Eyelevel. Digitizing three-dimensional material requires a different setup than is typical for two-dimensional items. I’m looking forward to speaking with some experts and developing workflows and strategies to be of use for future 3D digitization projects.

A perennial task that I love in the archive is the reference desk, where researchers and all matter of interested people visit to ask questions related to the true crime documentary they are working on, their thesis on Kipling, genealogy, etc. Never a DUL moment in the Dalhousie University Library system ;+)

Name: Hailey Wills

Pronouns: She/her

Hometown: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

What is your favorite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

My favorite summer activity is exploring trails and beaches throughout Nova Scotia. I also enjoy having lunch in the Public Gardens and visiting wineries in the Annapolis Valley.

What internship are you affiliated with?

I am an intern at the W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library.

What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

I knew I wanted to pursue librarianship and wanted to continue living in Halifax. Once I looked over the course selection and learned of the small size of the program, I knew the Dalhousie MI program would be the perfect fit for me. I was also interested in the practicum component of the program, as I was interested in gaining work experience before entering the field.

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

I am interested in academic librarianship, and a Dal Libraries internship seemed like the perfect fit to see if this type of work would be for me. After attending the information session about the internships, I was convinced they would be a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience and a supportive work environment in which to learn. After learning about the type of work health sciences librarianship entails, I was interested in exploring it further and applied to the health science internship.

What’s your educational background?

I have a BA in International Relations with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from Mount Allison University.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects so far! We have been on reference services helping patrons access library resources and providing research assistance. Similarly, we have been helping librarians with literature search requests. These tasks have been a great help in developing my search skills and getting more familiar with health science resources.

I have been able to support collections work, by providing information on our current resources for weeding and investigating what resources we have for upcoming courses.

I have also been involved in reviewing and editing LibGuides to ensure they are current and effective for our users.

Name: Catherine Gracey

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: Dundas, ON

What is your favorite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

My favourite thing to do in the summer is wander around the city. I love that I can be on a beach, and then be downtown in 15 minutes. On the weekends, I spend much of my time hopping between the beautiful Central Public Library,   Point Pleasant Park, and the Waterfront.

What internship are you affiliated with?

I am an intern at the W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library.

What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

I chose Dal because I wanted to explore different information management topics without having to pick a career path right away. I’ve been able to select a wide variety of courses focused on technology, data management, and policy, so I feel like my curiosity about the field is being satisfied. On the flip side, I was also drawn to the small size of the program. I really appreciate getting to know everyone in the program and getting to live in Halifax is a big bonus!

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

The previous Kellogg Interns. I was interested in Health Librarianship, so I often attended presentations and meetings of organizations led by those who worked in the field. I noticed many of the professionals I talked to were former Kellogg Interns, all of whom spoke so highly about the experience and how it helped them build foundational skills critical for a career in academic libraries, hospitals, government, etc. The outgoing interns at the time, Maddie and Courtney, were particularly enthusiastic and really encouraged me to apply for the opportunity. I was totally won over during the interview process as I learned how much interns get to work directly on projects, and that I’d be able to explore library instruction, which is a particular interest of mine.

What’s your educational background?

I have a BSc in Nutritional and Nutraceutical Science with a minor in International Development from the University of Guelph.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

The summer started with two weeks of intensive training which gave me a really strong foundation in reference services, a core part of my role. I’ve been able to use these skills to support students, staff and faculty with their questions, which is always an exciting endeavor for me. I’ve particularly enjoyed working on searches, whether it be editing the work of someone else, helping a user navigate a database, or designing and running a search myself. I’m excited to continue to grow my skills in this area, as I believe that the searching skills librarians have provide so much value to academic institutions.

Another favourite activity of mine has been updating LibGuides to ensure that they have current and relevant information for students. I’m passionate about accessibility and creating resources that can be used universally by students, so compiling LibGuides allows for a great deal of creativity.

I’ve also provided some support to the librarians with their collections responsibilities. This involves seeing which books, journals and other resources are critical in a field and ensuring that the library acquires these, if possible, to best support our students and staff.

Hailey (the other Kellogg Intern) and I were also lucky enough to attend the Canadian Health Library Association’s (CHLA) annual conference as it was hosted in Halifax, which has heavily influenced all areas of my work. Being able to hear from industry leaders about the work they are doing really inspired me to think critically about the work I engage with and challenge myself to approach problems creatively.

Name: Alissa Kossar
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Bethany, CT, USA

What is your favorite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

My favorite summer activity is usually hiking! I love the woods and dense trees. In Halifax, my favorite summer activity is walking through the parks, Public Garden, and waterfront. I also love practicing yoga at some of the local studios.

What internship are you affiliated with?

I am affiliated with the multidisciplinary internship, working at the Killam, Sexton, and MacRae Libraries.

What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

While working in Early Childhood Education, I realized the path for me was something a bit different than that. I love the process of learning and teaching and was looking for something adjacent that still allowed me to serve my community in that capacity while allowing for more growth and development in that life-long relationship with learning. That path took me to librarianship, where I would be immersed in the world of learning and sharing knowledge in a supportive environment. Dalhousie offered opportunities to learn about different kinds of librarianship through several different lenses, while still focusing on the communities libraries serve, and seemed like an excellent fit for what I was looking for and hoping to be a part of.

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

While learning about Librarianship in my program, academic librarianship seemed more and more interesting and in line with my professional goals and values the more I learned about it. I was excited about the opportunity to work in an academic library that I frequent as a student and be involved in a multi-faceted internship program with several Dalhousie Libraries and a variety of library topics to immerse myself in academic librarianship, apply my skills, and learn from the experts about this field. This internship at Dal fit those goals, and has lived up to my expectations greatly!

What’s your educational background?

My educational background is primarily in early childhood education. I got my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education, with minors in English, Wildlife Conservation, and Animal Sciences. As part of that education, I completed internships and practicums at wildlife sanctuaries, and in a second-grade classroom in a public school.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

I’ve gotten to work on a lot of interesting projects so far in my internship! These projects include course assessments, updating and creating library tutorial videos, reviewing and updating Brightspace courses, reviewing and updating several LibGuides, selecting books for the Blind Date with a Book event and writing fun profiles for them, creating blog posts and other marketing material for the promotion of new collections, and monitoring and responding to reference emails.

Name: Alison

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: Vancouver, BC

What is your favorite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

Swimming! I’ve signed up to complete the Big Swim this summer and will be swimming from PEI to NB on July 23 in an effort to raise money for Brigadoon Village (a summer camp in Nova Scotia for children living with chronic illnesses). As I’m originally from Vancouver, BC this is also a great event to explore the Maritimes and the Atlantic Ocean! To prepare for the event, I’ve been swimming at the Dalplex and Long Lake. When I’m not in the water, some other Halifax activities that I enjoy are going to brewery patios and Dee Dee’s ice cream in the North End or enjoying a walk by the harbour.

What internship are you affiliated with?

I am one of the multidisciplinary interns for Dalhousie Libraries.

What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

As like many other people, the pandemic presented a lot of new challenges and opportunities. It made me reflect on my career, education, and personal life and one of the outcomes of this reflection was the decision to go back to school. I wasn’t 100% sure what direction that decision would take me, but after doing some research and conducting a few informational interviews with people in my network that worked in the librarianship and information management field, I felt confident that it would be a good fit for me. I am curious by nature, enjoy problem-solving, and thoroughly believe in the mandates of libraries and the broader merits of access to information – all of which are reflected in the roles of information professionals. After applying to three MI programs, I ultimately chose Dalhousie University because I was attracted to the smaller cohort size and community feeling of the program. I felt that I would be able to connect with the content and my professors more easily, and I liked that the program offered a mix of more traditional librarian classes with alternatives like data science and data management. Halifax had also been on my list of places to visit for a long time, so the opportunity to move here was exciting!

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

In our first week of the MI program, we had a couple of second-year students talk to our class about their experiences as an intern. I really enjoyed hearing from them and thought that the internship would be an amazing way to gain professional experience in a supportive environment. I made a mental note to apply for the position when the time came! Flash forward to now, and I’m extremely grateful for the chance to work at the Dal Libraries this summer. Learning about theory and doing coursework is imperative, but applying this knowledge in the real world is a great way to broaden your understanding, ask questions, and apply context.

What’s your educational background?

I have a BA in English and Psychology from Simon Fraser University and certificates in Film Arts and Creative Writing. My educational background led me to work as an editorial intern and assistant in my first few years post-graduation and I eventually transitioned into communications and marketing for the higher education and non-profit sectors. Believe it or not, there are a lot of similarities between communications and library work! They both require the creation, organization, distribution, and management of information and I’ve enjoyed being able to use some of these transferrable skills in my internship role thus far.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

Some of the projects that I have worked on during my internship so far include reviewing Brightspace instructional modules, video tutorials, and webpages for errors and optimal user experience, creating marketing materials for new library resources, attending professional development sessions, editing LibGuides, and assisting with course assessments. My favourite part of the internship role so far has been answering reference questions through both the Killam and Sexton library email accounts. I love opening a new email and not knowing exactly what to expect. The questions and requests of the library patrons are highly varied, and I’ve helped people with everything from finding a digitally archived microfilm from the 1800s to clarifying the benefits and shortcomings of using Chat GPT for research. The multidisciplinary role has allowed me to learn about disciplines across Dalhousie and throughout three diverse campuses – which is a really unique experience. As the summer progresses, I look forward to working on an upcoming weeding project, creating new video tutorials, and putting together the popular Blind Date with a Book event among many others!