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Carolyn Smith Chosen as 2024 Recipient of the Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Fund

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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! 

Gwen Schmidt (MLIS ’95) receives 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award

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From the Dalhousie Library & Information Alumni Association:
DLIAA is delighted to announce that Gwen Schmidt (MLIS ’95) has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award. This prestigious award recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the field of librarianship, and Gwen’s remarkable career exemplifies the qualities of leadership, innovation, and service that this award celebrates.

A graduate of the School of Library and Information Studies at Dalhousie University in 1995, Gwen has dedicated 28 years to the Saskatoon Public Library (SPL), where her influence has been profound. Over the course of her career, she held numerous roles, including Senior Manager of Neighbourhood Services, Outreach and Access Services Coordinator, and Branch Supervisor. Gwen’s commitment to public service, team development, and innovative programming has left an enduring legacy.

Some of Gwen’s most notable achievements include:

– Collaborating on the development of impactful community programs such as the “We Dare You Teen Summer Challenge” and the reintroduction of baby programming and French language programming at SPL.
– Leading the Outreach and Access Services team to win the 2013 Senior Volunteer Award for “Senior Friendly Business.”
– Securing grants to create programs that empower seniors with digital literacy, such as building a simple mobile computer lab and hiring a senior to travel and teach other seniors in buildings where they live.
– Serving on the executive of both the CUPE Local 2669 union and the – Saskatchewan Library Association (SLA), where she held leadership positions, including Treasurer and President.
– Her passion for librarianship, tireless advocacy for library services, and mentorship of colleagues has been a source of inspiration to many. Gwen’s colleagues have consistently praised her for her forward-thinking leadership, dedication to public service, and her empathy and compassion in serving the community.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Gwen was also recently awarded the 2024 Frances Morrison Award by the Saskatchewan Library Association, a testament to her profound impact on the library landscape in Saskatchewan and beyond.

We are proud to honour Gwen Schmidt as our 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient.

Please join us in celebrating her exceptional achievements and contributions to the library profession. Save the date for Friday, November 22nd– more event details will be soon to follow.

MLIS Class of 1999 Reunion

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Congratulations on your 25th graduation anniversary for your MLIS! Click here for full details and to RSVP.

Your fellow classmates, Jeff Mercer and Lesley are planning a Reunion and we hope you are able to attend.

October 4 – 5, 2024
Halifax, Nova Scotia

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: (full agenda to be sent closer to event)
October 4, 2024

  • Casual Drinks Downtown Halifax (location and time TBD)

October 5, 2024

  • 4:00 – 5:30 PM MLIS Class of 99 Dean’s Reception: Kenneth C Rowe Management Building
  • Tour of the Faculty of Management Building: Kenneth C Rowe Management Building
  • 6:00 PM Dinner: Location TBD

Please note: There are additional events taking place on or around campus that you can also take part in:

And you can search for more here: Discover Halifax

HOTEL:
We were able to confirm a “Discounted University Rate” for you at:

The Lord Nelson: 1515 South Park Street, Halifax, NS B3J 2L2
Please call 1-800-565-2020 for reservations.

Please contact Shelley LaMorre, Manager of Alumni and Donor Relations, with questions regarding this event at shelley.lamorre@dal.ca or 782-641-6309.

Dr. Mike Smit appointed Dean, Faculty of Management

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Click here to read the full announcement. Congrats Mike!

Photo: Cody Turner

Dalhousie’s Faculty of Management appointed Dr. Mike Smit (Professor, Department of Information Science) to the role of dean this summer for a five-year term following an international search.

Dr. Smit, an Information Science professor and researcher at Dal for 11 years, is uniquely positioned to guide the future of management education at Atlantic Canada’s largest university. In addition to his impressive list of credentials and awards, he has demonstrated his commitment to, and passion for, the university, the students, the region, and his colleagues.

He has also served as acting dean of the Faculty for the past 18 months.

“It is a privilege and an honour to continue to serve this Faculty,” says Dr. Smit. “I first came to Dalhousie because I wanted to do cool things with smart people, and it’s a privilege to do that every day. I look forward to continuing to spend time connecting beyond our walls: with alumni, businesses, government and public institutions, and friends.”

Dr. Kim Brooks, Dal’s vice-chancellor and president, preceded Dr. Smit in the role. She says she is “excited to see the Faculty of Management’s trajectory during its next chapter.”

“Through the pandemic, leadership transitions, and a recent restructuring of the Faculty, Dr. Smit’s leadership has brought a welcome sense of stability,” she says. “Even more important than his intellect and institutional knowledge, Dr. Smit has excelled in this role because of his ability to connect with those around him and to lead with levity, joy, and straight-talk, even in the most challenging situations.”

Recent Alumni Award Winners (spring/summer 2024)

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We would like to congratulate these recent alumni award winners!

Are you an alumnus of our program that recently won an award or made an exciting career change? Let us know so we can celebrate you (inform@dal.ca).

Conor Falvey (MLIS ’22)

DPMG Award for “transformative change in the Law School’s research community and being a driving force behind the school’s research aspirations and relationships.”

Since joining the Schulich School of Law in 2019 as research facilitator, Conor Falvey has worked tirelessly to forge and sustain research relationships within the school and across the university. In this newly created role, Conor has shown high and consistent performance in grant capture, leading to a 40 per cent increase in grant funding over four years. Conor has strengthened the School’s research capacity and profile through numerous new initiatives and has met research challenges with strategic thought and energy, enabling more faculty to engage in ambitious long-term projects.

Sarah Harding, dean of the law school, highlights Conor‘s significant contributions beyond grant acquisition, emphasizing her role in building the research profile of the law school. Conor supports faculty in disseminating their work and creating research connections, advocating for smaller, focused meetings between research deans to enhance cross-faculty sharing and idea exchange.

Full article here: https://www.dal.ca/news/2024/07/10/dpmg-awards-2024.html

Hannah Rosborough (MLIS ’16)

2024 AtlanticOER Development Grant from the Council of Atlantic Academic Libraries.

These grants are intended to encourage and support educators in the Atlantic region in the adaptation, adoption, creation, and curation of open educational resources (OER), and to increase access to course materials for students. Rosborough’s project involves creating a legal citation and style guide tailored to law students. It will explain specific components of legal citation, provide guidance for citing common primary and secondary sources within legal documents and major papers, elaborate on how to approach legal essay writing, and will include a glossary of legal terms and sources.

“In its current form, students lose access to the course materials once the semester has ended,” says Rosborough. “They have often reached out to request ongoing access to the research and citation materials to assist in their summer jobs and upper-year courses.”

“This project will improve the availability of those materials in an accessible format and includes contributions from alumni, current faculty, and adapted materials from existing legal research OERs.”

Link to full announcement.

Paxton Romana Awarded the 2024 Stephanie Downs Memorial Award

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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.

Dr. Stacy Allison-Cassin receives Research Impact Award

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Read full story here: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/management/news-events/news/2024/07/09/dana_kabat_farr_and_stacy_allison_cassin_win_research_impact_awards.html

Stacy Allison-Cassin (L) with Associate Dean W. Dominika Wranik (C) and Chair, Dept of Information Science Sandra Toze

Assistant Professor Stacy Allison-Cassin
Research Impact Award (Emerging Scholar)

Dr. Allison-Cassin’s research and applied work is aimed at creating structural change to overhaul terminology used in information management away from colonized and otherwise culturally inappropriate language. The potential impact of this work on organizations outside academia is evident through the active engagement of many external partners and their commitment to enacting change in the terminologies used by libraries, archives, and governments. She received strong financial support from both granting organizations and research partners. Learn more about Dr. Allison-Cassin.

‘Passionate, tenacious, and generous’ Dr. Vivian Howard retires

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Read the full story here: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/management/news-events/news/2024/05/17/dr__vivian_howard_retirement.html

After 30 years in the classroom, Dr. Vivian Howard thinks she’s taught her final course — and it was extra special. Anna Jacquart, her daughter, was a student in that final class. Anna was born in 1994 when her mother was completing the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS). It seems fitting that Dr. Howard, who recently retired, share her passion with her daughter as she works toward the same degree.

After moving to Halifax in the early 1990s so her husband could take a position at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD), Dr. Howard wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. A friend had completed a Master of Library Science at the University of British Columbia and she liked the idea of a flexible, professional designation that built on her experience.

It was an exciting time to be studying library science, she explains. Computers were new and discussions about the internet were just beginning. “I knew these were going to be big things. Things that were going to shift how we learn and navigate in the world,” says Dr. Howard.

‘The Meryl Streep of professors’

After graduation, Dr. Howard worked as a librarian at NSCAD and the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) and, in 1996, Dr. Bertrum MacDonald reached out. Then Director of the School of Information Management (SIM), Dr. MacDonald invited her to teach a course in Information Sources in the Humanities and Social Sciences. As she explains, “I was learning at the same time [the students] were learning. It was a real pleasure.”

“Vivian stood out in her very first class, and quickly demonstrated both academic prowess and a suite of management capabilities,” says Dr. MacDonald, now a professor emeritus in the faculty. “Her thoughtful, caring, outgoing personality is an important factor in her numerous successes as a teacher and colleague.”

Her students agree. “The teaching and research of Dr. Howard is what first drew me as a student to the MLIS and she is among the top reasons I remain here,” says Alison Brown, an instructor in the Department of Information Science, and an Interdisciplinary PhD candidate. “Our cohort referred to Vivian as ‘the Meryl Streep of professors’ — fiercely bright, unflappable, versatile, unwaveringly committed, graceful, and elegant. I have had the enormous privilege of learning from Vivian as her student, supervisee, mentee, colleague, and friend.”

Dr. Philippe Mongeon receives teaching award

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Read full story here: https://www.dal.ca/faculty/management/news-events/news/2024/02/12/students_speak_with_passion_about_recipients_of_teaching_excellence_award.html

Dr. Mongeon & Poppy Riddle

A room full of professors, staff, students, and guests heard a long and detailed list of reasons why the recipients of this year’s Teaching Excellence Awards were chosen. The event, sponsored by the Black Family Foundation, is in its 20th year and the three students introducing faculty spent little time on the usual accolades.

Poppy Riddle (MI’22), who went from her master’s into a PhD, talks about her thesis supervisor, Philippe Mongeon, this way: “He encourages us as students to embrace the role of scholar, which I think was always seen as this other sort of identity.” (Pictured right: Phillipe Mongeon and Poppy Riddle)

Riddle continues with comments from students who could not be present. Reading Jordan’s email she says, “he helped me and others navigate the treacherous world of grant applications,” adding, “his enthusiasm was infectious, transforming my feelings of doubt into feelings of excitement. It seems to me there is nothing else he would like to be doing other than helping a student engage and experiment with their ideas in their research.”

Margie Singleton (MLIS ’80) Presented with the 2023 DLIAA Outstanding Alumni Award

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By: Toni Beaton (Second-Year MI Student)

The DLIAA (Dalhousie Library and Information Associated Alumni) was proud to present the Outstanding Alumni Award to veteran public librarian, Margie Singleton (MLIS ’80). The awards presentation and reception was held both in-person and online on Thursday, November 9, 2023. Kristy Hancock, Program Convenor of DLIAA, opened the awards presentation with a special introduction. Nathaniel Smith, Chair of DLIAA, joined the presentation virtually and introduced this year’s award recipient, Margie Singleton. The DLIAA described Singleton as a “staunch advocate, champion and ambassador for public libraries at the local, provincial and national levels,” and notes her work has had a lasting impact on library services in her city of Vaughan, ON, and the profession at large.

Margie Singleton graciously accepted, and both laughter and tears were shared amongst attendees during her acceptance speech. “Public libraries are essential to the health of a city,” Singleton says. “Everyone is treated equally, has the same right to privacy and the right to see themselves reflected in the materials. Libraries are an equalizer.” Of the 13 libraries in Vaughan under her stewardship, Singleton has overseen the design and construction of six, with a seventh under construction and an eighth in the architectural planning stage.

Congratulations Margie, on your well-deserved Outstanding Alumni Award!

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