MLIS Alumna Organizes Correctional Facility Book Club

July 27, 2018 Kim Humes Leave a Comment

Janice Fiander (MLIS ’95 & Manager, Alderney Gate & Dartmouth North branches, Halifax Public Libraries) is featured in this Star Halifax article about Page Turners Book Club for inmates of the Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth, NS.

Read the full article here:

HALIFAX—Twelve months ago, two Halifax women entered the province’s largest jail, not to serve sentences, but to start a book club. The program continues today, with more than 50 men having participated, and its organizers would like to see it grow to serve more inmates in more facilities. Individuals from Halifax Public Libraries and the John Howard Society of Nova Scotia partnered to bring the book club to the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility (CNSCF) last spring.

By mid-July, they gained access to the medium-security jail, and brought with them a few hundred books for the men inside. Janice Fiander, manager of the Alderney Gate and Dartmouth North libraries, is an organizer of the book club. She travels to the jail in Dartmouth once a week to spend a couple of hours facilitating the program. She said inmates can be easily ignored or misunderstood by those on the outside. Spending time with the men in CNSCF through the book club called Page Turners has illuminated for her some of their experiences.

“Going in and doing the book club really opens your eyes to (the inmates’) challenges and their issues, and in particular their challenges for when they’re released, and their reintegration,” she said.

The people incarcerated at CNSCF — 95 per cent of them are male —are either serving sentences of less than two years or awaiting trial. Fiander said one of the goals of the book club is to build a bridge to the outside world by giving inmates a connection to public libraries and the John Howard Society. Once released, they can turn to those organizations for support.

L to R: Jennifer Haigh (John Howard Society of NS) and Janice Fiander [photo credit: TARYN GRANT/FOR STARMETRO]

The Challenge of Communicating Information to Decision Makers

July 13, 2018 Kim Humes Leave a Comment

Submitted by Dr. Bertrum MacDonald (SIM Professor):

One of the most challenging issues facing the world today is how to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. The quantity of information on this subject is massive and growing, which presents another challenge. How can the best and relevant information be brought to the attention of decision makers and everyone else who has a stake in the future of the planet? A new book on the subject grapples with this question.

You can read a review of Communicating climate change information for decision-making, written by Curtis Martin, a graduate student working with the Environmental Information: Use and Influence (EIUI) research program, headed by Dr. Bertrum MacDonald, at this link.

You can also learn more about EIUI at www.eiui.ca, or follow on Twitter: @eiui_dal.

Dr. Vivian Howard: Celebrating Nunavut Day July 9, 2018

July 12, 2018 Kim Humes Leave a Comment

Re-posted from CEGE Connection (the Centre for Executive & Graduate Education blog). Featuring SIM Associate Professor, Dr. Vivian Howard:

On July 9, 1993, the Parliament of Canada passed the Nunavut Act which established the territory of Nunavut, which would come to realization sometime in the future. On April 1, 1999, Nunavut became a legally distinct territory. Today, we celebrate Nunavut Day 2018.

Dalhousie and Nunavut have enjoyed close ties beginning with Dr. Robert Moody who was Deputy Minister of Education in the Government of Nunavut. As well, Dalhousie’s Faculty of Management, a member of a tripartite consortium with the Institute on Governance and PGF Consultants, is involved in two projects with the Government of Nunavut. The objectives of these projects are to enhance the leadership and policy formulation capacity of the Government of Nunavut.

Dr. Vivian Howard recently travelled to Rankin Inlet where she met with the participants in the “Emerging Leaders” certificate program to discuss pathways into the Centre for Executive and Graduate Education (CEGE) programs.

Dr. Vivian Howard:

There was significant interest in the MPAM, MIM, and MBA options. I was honoured to join in the graduation ceremony, where 21 Government of Nunavut employees, all Inuit, received their certificates. Another highpoint of my visit was participating in the signing of the amended Memorandum of Understanding between Dalhousie and the Government of Nunavut. Dalhousie has a long history of involvement with Nunavut. I am proud of what has been accomplished and look forward to future partnerships and collaborative opportunities.

Congratulations to the cohort of graduates!

MLIS Alum Spearheads Airport Library Project

June 20, 2018 Kim Humes Leave a Comment

Dave MacNeil (MLIS ’09 – manager of collections and access, Halifax Public Libraries) is featured in this article (The Star Halifax) discussing new library kiosks at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. More great ideas from HPL!

From the article: “Wednesday will mark a book launch of a totally different kind as a joint venture between Halifax Public Libraries and Halifax Stanfield International Airport takes flight.

The unveiling of two library kiosks — one located pre-security, the other post-security — will provide travellers, airport staff and local residents with the opportunity to check out a varied collection of between 350 and 400 books.

Described as similar to “big, glass-doored fridges,” the two kiosks will be stocked with books accessed by using a Halifax Public Libraries card.

“You simply scan in your card, type in your PIN number, open the door and browse the books in there. Then you take what you want, close the door, and you’re good to go. It’s very easy to use,” said Dave MacNeil, manager of collections and access for Halifax Public Libraries.

The RFID tags on the books — a radio frequency identification similar to the tech on credit and debit cards that allow users to tap to pay — will tell the kiosk when a book has been removed. Once a user selects a book and closes the door, the kiosk scans what’s inside, knows which book is not there, applies the borrowed book to the user’s account and prints out a receipt.

MacNeil said a little more than a year ago, the airport approached them about a partnership to help promote the library’s digital resources. That discussion quickly grew into a partnership to co-share the cost of two kiosks to provide a physical library presence at the airport.

“We’re trying to cater to all audiences so there’s a good mix of general fiction for adults, picture books and board books for kids, lots of quick reads that would include short stories, general trivia, your Chicken Soup type books, travel books,” MacNeil said.

“All things you can pick up if you’re travelling to pass some time waiting for your flight or choose from any of the number of novels that you might want to take with you on your trip.”

MacNeil said the kiosks are similar to “an unstaffed branch,” with all the same rules in place. You can have your books for three weeks, renew them online if need be, and drop them back off at the kiosk, a drop-off box at the airport’s baggage pick-up area, or at any of the 14 library branches across HRM.

Although the book-borrowing kiosks are initially limited for the time being to those who possess a Halifax Public Libraries card, MacNeil said they’re looking at ways to expand the system.”

[photo credit: YVETTE D’ENTREMONT /STARMETRO]

Congrats to the SIM Class of 2018!

June 1, 2018 Kim Humes Leave a Comment

From SIM Director, Dr. Sandra Toze: The School of Information Management would like to congratulate all of our newest MLIS & MIM graduates! It was an eventful few days with a reception hosted by the Faculty of Management Monday night, followed by our breakfast and awards ceremony Tuesday, and finally the formal convocation ceremony and reception that afternoon. As was highlighted at our morning event, our students are impressive, and it was wonderful to meet and celebrate your achievements with your friends and families. We extend our best wishes to those graduates who were not able to attend.

To celebrate Dal’s 200^th anniversary all graduates received a Dal 200 pin, and a beautiful commemorative book.

We encourage you to read this wonderful profile about our MLIS graduate Brian Lesser produced by Nicole Maunsell in the Dean’s Office, Faculty of Management.

We welcome all our new graduates to the SIM alumni family, look forward to hearing about your successes and supporting you in your ongoing careers. Please continue to communicate with us via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (@dalsimnews), and this blog. You are all now members of our SIM Associated Alumni, and we look forward to seeing you at Alumni events.

Special thanks also to our Award sponsors including APLA, NSLA, SLA, the Vagianos and Harrison families and our alumni. And special congratulations to the 2018 convocation award winners (see full list below).

Well done, Class of 2018. We are very proud of all of you!

– Dr. Sandra Toze

2018 SIM Convocation Award Winners

Anne Galler Award (Special Libraries Association, Eastern Canada Chapter): Rebecca Shaw

Atlantic Provinces Library Association Award: Margaret Vail

MLIS Director’s Award: Alison Brown

MIM Director’s Award: Sean Hofstetter

Information Technology Leadership Award: Alicia Whidden

SIM Leadership Award: Lindsay Warner

Louis Vagianos Medal: Brian Lesser

Nova Scotia Library Association (NSLA) / SIM Graduate Award: Christine Cousins & Adrienne Colborne

SIM Research Award (MLIS): Alison Brown

SIM Research Award (MIM): JoAnne Akerboom & Monty Price

SIMSA Outstanding Service Award: Rebekah Prette

Beta Phi Mu Candidates: Alison Brown, Brian Lesser, Kim Mortimer, Rebekah Prette, & Rebecca Shaw

Dal 200 Film “Going Public” Features MLIS/MPA Graduate

March 19, 2018 Kim Humes Leave a Comment

MLIS/MPA graduate (2009), Amanda Peters, is one of several alumni featured in a new video highlighting contributions grads of the School of Public Administration have made to the Canadian public service.

Read the full story on Dal News here. Watch the full video on YouTube here.

“A new video produced for Dalhousie’s 200th anniversary showcases how graduates of the Master of Public Administration program (MPA) have been contributing to and shaping Canada’s public service.

Titled Going Public, the video features 28 alumni working in the government, non-profit, academic and private sector. The graduating years of these alumni span almost four decades from 1977 to 2014. Interviewees include Colin Campbell (MPA ’08), whose work with African Nova Scotian Affairs has helped make government services more accessible, and federal employee Shannon Grainger (MPA ’01), who helped secure compensation for thalidomide survivors.”

MLIS Alumna Reflects on Role in TIFF Reel Heritage Symposium

March 12, 2018 Kim Humes Leave a Comment

Andrea Kampen (MLIS ’15) writes on Librarianship.ca about her experience participating in Connecting Communities + Cultures: The Vital Role of Libraries, Archives, and Museums in the Arts, an initiative of the TIFF Reel Heritage programme.

The symposium brought together 23 participants from across the country with the aim to “educate about the importance of the preservation of the film medium”.

Her post provides great insights about the importance of providing access to cultural heritage, and the various factors that influence decisions within memory institutions.

In Andrea’s words: “Though the Reel Heritage programme is in its 4th year, this year was the first time (and very hopefully not the last) that it took the form of a symposium for students and young professionals. As someone who was drawn to completing my MLIS (Dalhousie 2015) because of an interest in media librarianship and film archiving, participating in the TIFF Reel Heritage initiative was very exciting.”

The full post can be viewed here.

Recap: 2018 Horrocks Lecture, featuring Guy Berthiaume

March 7, 2018 Lidia Elsdon Leave a Comment

“Fast Times at Library and Archives Canada. Imagine Sisyphus Happy!”

The 2018 Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Lecture and Award Presentation was held on February 27th in honour of Dr. Norman Horrocks and featured a lecture by Dr. Guy Berthiaume, the Librarian and Archivist of Canada. View a recording of the lecture here.

Dr. Berthiaume’s talk highlighted the number of exciting projects Library and Archives Canada (LAC) are currently working on, as well as many hopes and plans for the future. The 140 projects that are presently underway include Project Naming, which won a 2017 Innovation Award at the eighth Francophone libraries’ Livres Hebdo Grand Prize in Paris, France. Project Naming’s intent is to digitize and identify over 10,000 photographs taken in Nunavut. Since 2001, they have identified over 25,000 people and places and have expanded all over Canada. Furthermore, LAC has taken the lead in the National Heritage Digitization Strategy, an effort to make all digitized Canadian materials accessible through a single search instrument.

Sarah Horrocks & Becky Shaw

Additionally, Dr. Berthiaume is extremely passionate about the public programming LAC has to offer. Under his leadership, LAC has revived the public offerings tenfold, because, as he puts it, “preservation without access is just hoarding.” From 2016-2017, LAC held over 400 public events and have reopened many partnerships with museums to hold conjoined exhibits. Some of these include, “Hiding in Plain Sight” and “Moments from a 150 Years Ago”. Upcoming exhibits will held at Glenbow Museum in Calgary, and later in Vancouver and Halifax.

Becky Shaw (a joint Master of Library and Information Studies & Master of Arts in Musicology student here at Dalhousie), was presented with the Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Fund, by Sarah Horrocks (Norman Horrocks’ daughter). Sarah spoke on behalf of her family about her parents’ legacy, and told some wonderful stories about growing up with them.

SIM thanks the Horrocks family for their continued support of SIM and its students. We encourage anyone interested in supporting future IM leaders to donate to the Horrocks Fund today.

L to R: Dr. Sandra Toze (SIM Director), Dr. Guy Berthiaume (LAC), Sarah Horrocks, Donna Bourne-Tyson (Dal University Librarian)

Digging Through Dal History (Dal Archives + Dal 200)

February 23, 2018 Kim Humes Leave a Comment

From Dal News (read the full article here). Featuring Alice Albarda (MLIS ’17) and Creighton Barrett (SIM lecturer and Digital Archivist). We are thankful to the Dalhouse Archives for providing our students with valuable experiential learning opportunities.

You can also read this post by Alice to learn more about her various Dal Archives projects:

Seven years may seem like a great deal of time to start planning a major milestone. But Michael Moosberger, university archivist, begs to differ when there’s 200 years of Dal history to showcase.

“We started working on the anniversary [seven years ago], and it still wasn’t long enough,” says Moosberger, associate university librarian for archives, special collections and records management. “Our goal was to have the core bodies of university information accessible online before the anniversary… we’ve achieved a lot — we have all the Dal Gazettes and large body of calendars and yearbooks — but not all.”

They may not have gotten it all digitized, but from photographs and videos to yearbooks and letters, the Archives team with the University Libraries has worked hard to make sure that many, many documents of Dalhousie’s rich history are available to help celebrate its anniversary.

Learn more: Dalhousie Archives website

Moosberger has over 34 years of experience as an archivist, and took his first position with Dalhousie back in 2000. He feels Dal’s 200th anniversary milestone is a great opportunity to highlight all the historical resources the Dal Archives has in its holdings, and to grow awareness of the importance of preserving Dalhousie University’s history going forward.

“The Dal Archives were only established in the 1970s; prior to then, the preservation of university materials was very haphazard ,” he explains. “Many items from the early 1800s just haven’t survived. There are also gaps related to various academic and administrative units of the university — we have records from central administration but we don’t have complete bodies of records from all the faculties.”

A team effort

The Archives team is comprised of two professionals — Michael Moosberger and Creighton Barrett (digital archivist) — as well as six assistants. As the team lead, Moosberger sets the direction of his team and allocates budgets towards current or future projects.

“I really must emphasize this isn’t about me,” says Moosberger. “The staff we have here are very knowledgeable and committed , a lot of the stuff we’ve accomplished would not have been achieved without them.”

Dal Archives have acquired over seven kilometers of printed items during the last 50 years. To put that in perspective: it would be like having an item for every step from the Dalhousie Student Union Building all the way to Lake Banook in Dartmouth.

“This is the challenge we face with over seven kilometres of holdings: knowing all our treasures, discovering them and then re-discovering them. It’s really exciting on a day-to-day basis.”

As result of this large number of items, contract staff were hired specifically to assist with special Dal 200 projects such as the online timeline “A Year of Dalhousie History,” which features events, historical photographs and other materials daily throughout 2018.

Then there is the Dalhousie Originals project, where the Archives contributed files and photographs for the 52 individuals highlighted throughout the year.

“If you wanted a ball park of how many hours were spent digging through old files for Dal 200 projects, it would probably be equivalent to having three full-time staff members working for the last three years,” explains Moosberger.

[photo: Alice Albarda]

Career Discovery Tours connect graduate students with real‑world experience

February 15, 2018 Kim Humes Leave a Comment

From Dal News (read the full article here). The story features photos and quotes from MLIS students Christine Cousins and Ali McLaughlin.

The MLIS Career Discovery Tour is just one of the ways in which Management Career Services supports our students. Learn more here. You can also read MLIS student Rebekah Prette’s personal account of her Discovery Tour experience here.

In December, Faculty of Management students in the Master of Library Information Studies (MLIS) and Master of Resource and Environmental Management (MREM) programs took part in Career Discovery Tours. These two-day experiential learning opportunities allow students to connect in person and network with program alumni and professionals in related careers and organizations. Students also visit a range of workplaces, participate in practice interviews with industry professionals, and learn about career choices available after graduation.

The MLIS tour to Toronto was organized by Management Career Services (MCS). Robert Wooden, Acting Director of MCS, led nine students through two jam-packed days of activities designed to prepare them to take full advantage of their education and training. “They don’t necessarily know all the different directions their degree could take them or understand how their competencies could apply in many different industries,” he explains. On this tour alone, students visited the Toronto Public Library, the University Health Network and Michener Institute, Ryerson University Library and Deloitte Consulting. They also attended panel discussions, networked with alumni and gained invaluable feedback through practice interviews.

Second-year MLIS student Christine Cousins, from Guelph, was struck by the “openness among my future colleagues and their willingness to talk and answer questions. If you’re undecided or uncertain about where you want to go, this tour is excellent because it gives you lots of options. Information management is not just libraries anymore—our professors tell us this, but it’s good to see how it plays out in real life.” Cousins is leaning toward public librarianship.

When first-year MLIS student Alison McLaughlin signed up for the tour, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She’s interested in academic librarianship, but she’s also considering special libraries and other non-library information management careers. For her, the tour demystified the process of choosing a career path. “I’ve been a student my whole life,” she explains. “It made the whole starting to work thing a little less daunting. We had panels and got to ask people questions about how they got where they are and how they made that decision.”

Another bonus was discovering that a city like Toronto might be a fun place to live. Coming from tiny Grand Falls, New Brunswick, McLaughlin had never experienced a city bigger than Halifax. The verdict? “I could live in a big city and actually like it!” McLaughlin even scored an unscheduled tour of the Toronto Public Library with the head librarian.

[photo: L-R: Benji Spagat, Emilie English, Christine Cousins, Alison McLaughlin]

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