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What's going on at Dalhousie Libraries

Archives for Interns 2020

Intern Profile: Alyssa Gallant

Alyssa Gallant
Library intern at the Killam Memorial Library

1. What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

I got a Master of Archival Studies at UBC in 2012 and worked as an archivist in Ontario since then, but I wanted to move back to the east coast and decided to come to Dal to get a background in librarianship.

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

I have a background in archives, but have never worked in a library before, so when I heard about the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get familiar with that setting and put everything I was learning in my classes to good use.

3. What’s your educational background?

I have a Master of Archival Studies (2012) from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a Bachelor of Arts (2009) in History from St. Francis Xavier University (StFX).

4. What have you been doing during your internship and how has the pandemic shaped your internship?

Like everyone, I am sure this pandemic is shaping my internship in both positive and negative ways. I was very much looking forward to working with everyone in person this summer, but I am enjoying the challenge and independence of working from home. So far this summer, among a few other projects, I have begun looking for copyright licenses for films to be used in classes this fall.

5. What is your favourite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

I like going for long drives in the summer to small towns around Nova Scotia, seeing the sites and eating at local restaurants. The Annapolis Valley is a favourite destination.

Intern Profile: Annalise Benoit

Annalise Benoit
Reference Assistant at the Sir James Dunn Law Library

  1. What brought you to the MI program at Dal?
    The opportunity to do a combined degree with the law school.
  2. What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?
    I’ve been working with at the law library in circulation during the school year. The summer internship is a chance to get involved in more complex projects and develop reference skills.
  3. What’s your educational background?
    I have a degree in History and Cultural Studies from Mount Saint Vincent University. I also have a college diploma in audio engineering and music industry arts.
  4. What have you been doing during your internship and how has the pandemic shaped your internship?
    I’ve been assisting with the administration of the law school’s institutional repository, assisting the law school’s professors in developing their faculty profiles, and helping to run our curbside pick-up. Most of this work can be done very easily from home, so in that sense, the pandemic hasn’t really made much of a difference. However, I miss seeing my incredible co-workers every day!
  5. What is your favourite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?
    I love going for walks around Lake Banook in Dartmouth, hanging out at the beach, and meeting friends for a drink at the Stillwell Beergarden.

Intern Profile: Kayliegh Penner

Kayliegh Penner
Archives Student Intern for the Dalhousie University Archives

1. What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

I knew that I wanted to work in a library setting when I was working on my undergraduate degree. I was very lucky to be given the opportunity to work in the university archives while finishing my undergraduate, and I discovered that archival work was my real passion. I applied to Dal because I was attracted to the diversity of the program and career opportunities, and particularly because of the archives concentration offered in the program.

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

Coming straight from my undergrad, where I worked for four years as a student assistant in the university library and, later, archives, I was eager to look for employment opportunities on campus when I moved to Halifax to start my graduate degree. I remember listening to last year’s Summer Shine presentations, particularly the archives’ summer internship presentation, and thinking “Next year, that could be me.” I was prepared to apply to all and any jobs until someone wanted me, and I jumped on the archives student intern job posting. I was shocked to be given an interview opportunity, thought that I’d take it for the practice experience, and was even more shocked (but thrilled) to be offered the job.

3. What’s your educational background?

I have a certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies from Providence University College, and a B.A. Combined Honours from Brandon University, where I majored in English and History, and minored in Creative Writing.

4. What have you been doing during your internship and how has the pandemic shaped your internship?

I am working on organizing the records of a fonds and preparing an archival appraisal report along with it. I’m also doing preliminary research for authority records and helping to standardize information for a collection in the archives’ database, AtoM (Access to Memory). I would like to think that the pandemic hasn’t changed much in terms of my work because it’s relatively independent work regardless and my bosses are readily available when I have questions. I do find it harder to convince myself to get up in the morning, however, especially when I’m only moving four feet from bed to desk to start my workday.

5. What is your favourite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

I love swimming, long hikes, and I’ve been really lucky to get out kayaking this summer! When the weather’s not permitting, I’m more than happy to read all day. I’m looking forward to exploring more around Halifax this summer, but I’ve really enjoyed exploring the many urban parks and green spaces around the city.

Intern Profile: Lauren Skabar

Lauren Skabar
Research and Reference Services intern at the Killam Memorial Library

1. What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

I had got a summer job with Cumberland Public Libraries after the first year of my undergrad and fell in love. I stayed for three more summers, and knew I knew I wanted to keep working to provide accessible community resources and barrier-free access to information.

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

I had worked on the access services side of academic libraries during my undergrad, but wanted more hands-on experience with research and reference questions. This internship was the perfect opportunity for that!

3. What’s your educational background?

I have a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, with a double major in political science and history.

4. What have you been doing during your internship and how has the pandemic shaped your internship?

During my internship, I’ve been providing research and reference assistance on LiveHelp, as well as in person at the Killam Library. This summer I have been working on special projects around sensory-friendly library spaces, video licensing, and online resource guides.

5. What is your favourite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

My favourite summer activity is usually attending outdoor concerts, but this summer my favourite activity has been walking my dog along the waterfront.

Intern Profile: Molly Coyle

Molly Coyle
Reference Intern at the Sexton Design and Technology Library

1. What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

I was initially drawn to Dalhousie because of the university’s reputation for academic excellence, but I committed to coming here when I read testimonials from alumni and current students. I was impressed by the variety of experiences available to MI students at Dalhousie and loved the overall tone of satisfaction from program participants.

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

I was first drawn to the internship program at Dalhousie by the Summer Shine presentations delivered by previous interns. The projects were all unique and I could feel the passion of each intern as they discussed their work; I wanted to feel that level of connection and pride in my work as well. I also knew that I wanted to stay with a library for a longer amount of time to experience a range of tasks and responsibilities and the Dalhousie internship program was a great way to do that.

3. What’s your educational background?

I attended Hope College—a little liberal arts school in Holland, Michigan—and graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in 2014. I majored in creative writing and minored in theatre.

4. What have you been doing during your internship and how has the pandemic shaped your internship?

During my internship, I have mostly helped patrons with reference questions. I have also had opportunities to contribute to a bibliography of donated materials, learn about collections development, and help update LibGuides. The good news, I suppose, is that a good deal of the work that I did during my internship already occurred online, so the transition to working at home did not disrupt too many of my regularly assigned tasks.  That being said, I desperately miss face-to-face interactions with patrons. I am a bit of an extrovert and I love being around people. Losing the ability to communicate in-person is a bummer, but I have found that email communication has been pretty fun, too.

5. What is your favourite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

This might sound a little creepy, but I love people-watching and summer is always a great time to observe people as everyone is outside enjoying the beautiful weather. I love to write and draw comics; people-watching provides great fodder for both character design and plot development!

Intern Profile: Ally Patton

Ally Patton
Library intern at the W. K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library

1. What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

I was interested in the opportunity to gather and collect information/data for the purposes of social or other types of research.

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

I was very excited to get an internship with the health sciences library. I was looking for an area that allowed me experience with finding information for research purposes. I have found that a large part of my position with the health science library is about finding information and data in the growing field of health information.

3. What’s your educational background?

I have a Bachelor of Arts with majors in psychology and sociology. I have some graduate level background in sociology as well.

4. What have you been doing during your internship and how has the pandemic shaped your internship?

For my internship I have been conducting various searches for different librarians and translating those searches in different databases. I have been removing broken assets from LibGuides or updating ones that need to be updated.

The pandemic has shaped my internship in that it highlights the importance of medical research in my mind. The pandemic has forced the workforce to work from home as much as possible. I am getting more accustomed to this way of work, and it helps me to become more self-disciplined.

 5. What is your favourite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

My favourite summer activities are hiking or camping. I enjoy touring the city and the green space in the city.

 

 

 

Intern Profile: Cora-Lynn Munro-Lynds

Cora-Lynn Munro-Lynds
Library intern at the W. K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library

1. What brought you to the MI program at Dal?

I was not entirely sure what this program was about until I got here because frankly, it is a hard discipline to describe. I applied because it was recommended by my thesis supervisor. It was a chance decision, but I can tell you for sure, that I do not regret it! It was the best “accidental” career decision I have ever made.

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

Dal Libraries have many opportunities for library interns to specialize in specific academic fields (i.e. health sciences, law, engineering, etc.). Their internships share the intricate world of academic libraries with newbies. I chose Dal libraries because I wanted experience in an academic setting. The library is the heart of the school and can bring people from many disciplines together. It is a great environment to work in!

3. What’s your educational background?

I have a Bachelor of Arts with a combined major in history and French. I did my honours thesis on the Fisheries Household Resettlement Program in Newfoundland and Labrador.

4. What have you been doing during your internship and how has the pandemic shaped your internship?

Many others will agree, the pandemic has caused me to quickly adapt the way I work. This is not an easy thing to do. However, it showed me that I am capable of change. I can work from home and it won’t be the end of the world! And last, the best gift of all, I save money from not buying a latté at Starbucks every morning. 😊

5. What is your favourite summer activity? Or your favourite Halifax activity?

In the summer, I enjoy all things beach related! This include swimming, surfing, bodyboarding, snorkeling, and even mermaid swimming! I also enjoy painting and gardening.

 

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