Journal Club

To keep up to date on Academic Librarianship in Canada, check out below for our list of new articles published in the field! New articles will be added regularly. If you’ve come across an article that hasn’t yet been featured, feel free to send it along to uwocapal@gmail.com!

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Nora Mulvaney Chat

On December 5, Nora Mulvaney came to chat with the UWO CAPAL Student Chapter. Nora started working at Toronto Metropolitan University in July 2020 but transferred positions recently in 2022. She currently works as the Subject Liaison Librarian for Engineering. The responsibilities for this position includes teaching and research, hosting workshops for graduate students, and presentations. Nora gave advice during her presentation such as keep asking questions in your role, and learn the programs that students are using, this will help you as a Subject Liaison Librarian. We will like to thank Nora Mulvaney for taking the time to chat with us and share your experiences.

Want to learn more about CAPAL. Join our discord server: https://discord.gg/cyrgxY7a3c 

Gavin Goodwin Chat

On Monday November 21, Gavin Goodwin hosted a chat over Zoom with the UWO Student Chapter. Gavin Completed his MLIS at McGill University and currently works at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick as the Creative Arts Librarian. Gavin discussed the challenges and benefits of working as a Creative Arts Librarian, and took questions from students. The main takeaways from this presentation included doing what is right for you, take your courses seriously, and talk to your librarians. Most importantly, do not sell yourself short! We would like to thank Gavin Goodwin for taking the time to present and answer our questions.

Want to learn more about CAPAL. Join our discord server: https://discord.gg/cyrgxY7a3c 

Resume Workshop

On October 7, the student chapter of CAPAL hosted a resume workshop over Zoom. We will like to thank Klaudia Pechera for presenting at the event and giving resume advice during the busy co-op season. Klaudia had given great advice, this included the fact that your resume and cover letters will change over time and she reminded students to make connections and a positive impact. She also stressed the importance of not comparing yourself to others, do not be discouraged if you do not have library experience, and that there is no such thing as too little experience. Some key resources Klaudia shared with the student chapter included the Career Center and the Graduate Student Services where students can find additional advice on their resumes and cover letters. Students looking for help with their LinkedIn profiles can reach out to Western Career Education to speak to a career coach as well. We would like to thank Klaudia once again for your time, and sharing your experience with us!

Want to learn more about CAPAL. Join our discord server: https://discord.gg/cyrgxY7a3c 

Summer Term Recap

We’ve (somehow?) arrived at the beginning of a new fall term. To start us off, we thought it would be useful to review the accomplishments of UWO CAPAL during the Summer 2022 term. We had a variety of events, both digital and in-person (!!). There were two talks by professionals in the workforce, two workshops, and one actual, in-person, recreational gathering (we got to hang out on a patio!). All of the events this past summer were co-hosted with the folks at the MLIS Student Council.

The first of the two talks was Chat with an Archivist, which featured Anik Laflèche, Reference Archivist for Government of Canada, in May. Anik gave a frank and in depth presentation about what she does at Library and Archives Canada (LAC), and also answered many participant questions about the particulars of her position, and the path she took to get there. She also gave us a glimpse of her extensive yarn collection, which was quite exciting for those of us inclined towards textiles.

In that same month Klaudia Pechera, one of our incredible co-chairs for the Summer 2022 semester, held a Resume and Cover Letter workshop to help students prep for their imminent co-op interviews. The talk was very well attended, and her presentation provided useful tips from the perspective of a former hiring manager about how to effectively tackle job applications.

June followed on the same note of co-op preparations with Co-op Lightning Talks. This event had a panel of previous and current co-op students providing personal insights and advice on their experiences. The panelists were from a broad range of positions and were able to provide a diverse perspective on co-op.

The next event was in July and it was the first in-person event of the current UWO CAPAL membership. It was a small, low-key gathering in London, ON. The day was sunny, the beer was chilled, and the company was great. (Or so I heard, because I was unfortunately unable to attend.) The next meetup will be in October for those of you interested in some crispy fall hang out vibes.

Finally the summer events were rounded out by a talk in late July: Chat with a Medical Librarian, with Graham Lavender, Associate Librarian for University Health Network (UHN). He talked to us about the process of becoming a medical librarian, the importance of developing a professional network, and the kind of day-to-day work he does at the UHN. It was another informative talk which ended with an enthusiastic question and answer panel.

Summer 2022 established UWO CAPAL as a collaborative campus group focused on creating engaging and informative events for our members and the larger FIMS community. Going forward into the Fall 2022 semester, the chapter plans to provide further professional development events, network and collaborate with the larger CAPAL membership, and promote the creation of safer spaces in MLIS within and without the chapter.

September is a great time to join and take part in shaping the future of CAPAL at Western! Join us here: https://discord.gg/cyrgxY7a3c 

Meeting with Derek Funston

On Friday evening, our CAPAL student chapter had the good fortune of meeting with Western MLIS grad, Derek Funston, who is currently a Reference and Research Services Librarian with Environment & Climate Change Canada. He has experience with music and media librarianship, so we were very eager to pick his brain about his diverse resume. He answered questions about work in the public service, various hiring pathways for government positions, and how libraries are addressing climate change. We were especially grateful that Derek addressed resume gaps; we all have them, and that’s okay – it doesn’t mean we won’t have success in the future! A huge thank you to Derek, we are so appreciative of you sharing your time and knowledge with us!

Still not a member of the discord for the Western CAPAL student chapter? Join us here: https://discord.gg/cyrgxY7a3c