Re-posting from Council of Atlantic Academic Libraries (CAAL): 

CAAL is pleased to announce the inaugural recipient of the CAAL Indigenous Professional Development Grant – Kristan Belanger.

Kristan is a Mi’kmaq scholar and professional dedicated to the fields of law, Information Science, and Indigenous knowledge stewardship.  She is currently pursuing a Master of Information at Dalhousie University with a specialization in librarianship (expected 2025).  Kristan’s thesis, Natawitplutaqatiek (We Are Good Law Makers): Mi’kmaw Law Library Scoping Study, focuses on the development of a framework for the creation of a Mi’kmaw Law Library, an initiative that seeks to preserve, revitalize, and make accessible Mi’kmaw legal traditions and knowledge.

Beyond her studies, Kristan is actively engaged in professional Indigenous knowledge & information stewardship initiatives.  As a Research and Data Analytics Officer at the Department of Canadian Heritage, she has led policy development related to Indigenous intellectual property and the implementation of the UNDRIP Action Plan Measure 101.  Additionally, her role as Research Lead for the Lnuwey Tplutaqan Wikuom has allowed her to lead strategic planning on information stewardship related to Indigenous law, organize workshops on Indigenous legal revitalization, and contribute to the creation of specialized research collections.  She is also currently involved in community-led efforts at the Dunn Law Library, where she is assisting in the establishment of an Indigenous law collection and classification system based on the Brian Deer Classification framework.

Kristan holds a BA in Political Science with a Minor in Chinese Studies, as well as a Juris Doctor degree with a Certificate in Indigenous Law, both from Dalhousie University.

Receiving this Grant will enable Kristan to continue her research and advocacy in the Indigenous information field.  The funds would be used to support her work as she continues her research and professional projects aimed at strengthening Indigenous knowledge stewardship and data in Atlantic Canada.  Ultimately, her goal is to contribute to the advancement of Indigenous-led information services that respect and uphold the principles of Indigenous knowledge stewardship.

The CAAL Indigenous Professional Development Grant, in the amount of $1,000, supports self-identifying Indigenous Peoples in the Atlantic Region who are either pursuing information management careers, or working in information management at a CAAL member library.

Congrats Kristan!

We are pleased to announce that Master of Information (MI) student Carolyn Smith has been selected as the twelfth recipient of the Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Fund. 

This Fund was established in 2007 to honour Dr. Norman Horrocks, OC, PhD, FCLIP (1927-2010) for his outstanding leadership in the field of librarianship in North America, Australia, and Europe. Over several decades Dr. Horrocks, former Director of the School of Information Management (now DIS) and Dean of the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University, pursued a distinguished career of very active involvement in professional associations in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Australia, the United States, and Canada. His many contributions, for which he received local, national and international recognition, have advanced the field and the careers of countless individuals. The fund supports a scholarship and an associated lecture series through an endowment donated by the many former students, colleagues, friends and admirers of Norman Horrocks. 

Carolyn Smith is a second-year graduate student pursuing her Master of Information (MI) at Dalhousie University with the completion of the programs Archives Certificate. She holds a BA in History with a minor in English from Vancouver Island University. Following her undergraduate degree Carolyn started her professional career working for qathet Museum & Archives, a regional community-led organization within the Coast Salish territories of BC. Her work inspired her to further her career within the archival and information field leading her to Dalhousie’s MI program where she has been able to learn from professionals and scholars within the archival field. Carolyn is inspired by community-led work and has worked with MI students and faculty to re-ratify the Dalhousie Association of Canadian Archivists Student Chapter (DAL ACA). She acts as current Chair and ACA coordinator for DAL ACA and is currently working as coordinator to bring back the ACA’s nation-wide Special Interest Section for Emerging Professionals and Students. Additionally, she works with the Archives & Digital Technologies Lab (ADML) as a student assistant for the Open Classroom Seminar Series on Antiracism & Decolonization in Archival & Information Studies. Carolyn is a current recipient of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Masters Award with her thesis focusing on the charting of Indigenous sovereignty within Canadian archives. Her interests lie within the areas of archives, records management, community-based practice, decolonization, memory and identity, and policy development.

This award will be presented at the Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Lecture on February 3rd, 2025. Stay tuned for more details! 

Congrats to Paxton! More information about our awards and scholarships can be found here.

When Stephanie Downs returned to Canada from the UK to become a librarian, she chose to enter the MLIS program at Dalhousie for its sense of community, welcoming faculty and Maritime culture. Diagnosed with cervical cancer at the end of her last year at SIM, Stephanie graduated with her MLIS but lost her hard-fought battle to her illness on May 27th, 2007.

Remembered for her enthusiasm, Stephanie was a “doer” and very active in school life, serving as 2005-2006 Co-Chair of SIMSA and SIM Team Captain for the 2005 Halifax “Run for the Cure”. She was also awarded the Student-to-CLA travel award to attend the 2005 CLA Conference in Calgary. This award was established by Stephanie’s family and friends in her memory.

Paxton (he/they) is a second year MI student with an interest in digital organizing for the queer community. He received his BFA from New York University in Film & Television in May 2023. He decided to pursue information science after being trained as a film projectionist and working on queer documentaries. These experiences taught them the care and importance of records’ preservation and of connecting the queer community with its histories. Originally from New York, he is familiar with the challenges and emotional weight of the formal immigration process and the feelings of isolation that make starting a new program difficult. While only met with welcoming attitudes and friendly faces in the MI program, the stark differences between here and home are undeniable and sometimes overwhelming. Coupled with new learning experiences that were exciting and challenging, it was easy to feel like he was just keeping his head above water.

After completing his first year, they happily accepted the Stephanie Downs Memorial Award and he hopes to foster welcoming community environment on and off campus for international and Canadian students. While working at the Halifax Public Library he’s also been able to assist Newcomers with their paperwork and connect them with community resources. The uncertainty that the immigration process entails makes connecting with the MI and surrounding Halifax community all the more challenging, but it doesn’t have to be an isolating experience. Paxton hopes to be a resource and familiar face for other international students.