Our students are encouraged to take the “thesis option” which allows them to explore significant questions in the field of information management. This year two of our students were successful in obtaining significant awards to support their thesis work.

Alison Brown was awarded Dalhousie’s prestigious Faculty of Graduate Studies 2016/2017 Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Graduate Scholarship. The scholarship is designed to support outstanding students undertaking thesis research that aligns with the Nova Scotia research priority areas; Alison’s innovative thesis work relates to health & wellness and social innovation. Alison was an ideal candidate for this award—she has excelled in the MLIS program both inside and outside the classroom, taking on leadership positions within the SIM community.

Deborah Hemming, was awarded a 2016/2017 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s (CGS M) for her thesis work. The CGS M program enables students to continue their studies and is specifically designed to support research in their field. This national scholarship is highly competitive and Deborah received the award based on her academic excellence, research potential, and superior interpersonal skills, qualities she regularly demonstrates in her MLIS studies. (Intro by Lori McCay-Peet)

1^st year MLIS student, Adrienne Colborne, sat down with Alison and Deborah to discuss their research experiences:

Alison Brown

Q: What is the topic of your thesis?

A: My thesis title is “Portrait of the Incarcerated Woman as a Reading Mother: Revealing the Impact of a Shared Reading Program”.  Each year, 25 000 Canadian children are denied the powerful experience and tremendous benefits of being read aloud to by their mother as their mothers are in prison. I want to determine whether participation in a shared reading program, like the Mother-Child Read Aloud Program offered at Nova Institution for Women in Truro ameliorates some of the effects this separation has on women and their children.

My research will focus on the perspectives and reflections of incarcerated women who have participated in the Mother-Child Read Aloud Program. Specifically, this research will reveal the shared family reading practices of incarcerated mothers before, during, and after release. It will investigate the perceived impact of the program and determine what key elements, if any, promote family connection, build literacy skills, encourage love of reading, foster empowerment and positive identity, and facilitate family and community reintegration.

Q: How did you become interested in this thesis topic?

A: My mother read aloud to me constantly as a child. My children have been read aloud to constantly by me. Many children and mothers do not share this enormous privilege and pleasure. As a mother, a social justice activist, and an emerging librarian, I want to ensure the benefits of shared reading are extended to everyone. The present study emerges from a concern about the increasing number of criminalized women, the silencing of their voices, and the impact their incarceration has on them and their families. It also emerges from a desire to understand if and how shared family reading can serve as a protective factor and better the outcomes for both incarcerated women and their children.

Q: What practical and theoretical contributions do you hope to make through your research?

A: Due to its Canadian perspective and specific focus on the narratives of incarcerated women, this study will be of interest to researchers in library and information science, education, and social work. The insights gained from this research will assist policy-makers and community and prison-based practitioners in determining how to create meaningful programs that produce positive outcomes for incarcerated women, their families, and our communities.

Q: What has been the highlight of your research so far?

A: The highlight of my research so far has been meeting incredible people in our community who are tirelessly seeking to create a more just and compassionate society. During an informal conversation with a previously incarcerated woman who now works to support those still imprisoned, she said to me, “In a world where you can be anything, be generous.” Abiding by this seems like a good idea.

Q: What do you hope to gain professionally and personally from completing a thesis?

A: I like to tell stories. But, more than that, I like to listen to stories, and try to create a space for those who don’t often get to tell their stories. So, though I never intended to do a thesis with my MLIS work, I am – because research is all about telling meaningful stories. With this research, I get to highlight the stories of women who have been silenced.

In my professional capacity, I hope to contribute to research and practice that broadens the understanding of the benefits of shared reading and ensures equitable access to inclusive literature for families.  I am confident that this work will be strengthened by the skills and experience I gain through completing this thesis.

Deborah Hemming

Q: What is the topic of your thesis?

A: The question at the heart of my thesis is: What motivates researchers to join and participate in new research networks? I’m hoping to better understand why researchers choose to expand their collaboration circles, as well as what holds them back from doing so.

Q: How did you become interested in this thesis topic?

A: I have always been interested in collaboration – between individuals, between disciplines, across geographic distances, etc. After learning more about the information sharing that occurs in research collaboration, I started to wonder about the stakes involved in sharing information on a large scale, such as a national network, and with new people.

Q: What practical and theoretical contributions do you hope to make through your research?

A: To answer my research question, I am interviewing ocean researchers in Canada about a national ocean data sharing network that is currently in development. The major practical contribution of my research will be to help the individuals organizing this network better understand the nuance of researcher excitement and hesitancy regarding network participation.