About Me
A Bit of Background
I was born and raised in Ottawa. I fell in love with reading at an early age and have been a huge nerd ever since. Much of my time outside of school was spent working in kitchens, where I gained a healthy respect – both for food (I
am an avid home cook), and for the value of communication and good rapport in the workplace. I try and cycle around the city as much as I can, and enjoy visiting cafés and parks with my partner and our cold-blooded pets.
I am a recent graduate of the Master of Information Studies bilingual program at the University of Ottawa’s School of Information Studies (ÉSIS). Through student work opportunities and Young Canada Works (YCW), I have been able to
gain first-hand experience working in libraries, and quickly found that both my skillset and my passions were pointing my career in this direction.
While I adore historical research and archiving, my primary goal is to find full-time employment as a User Services Librarian, where I can bring my well-developed people skills and subject knowledge to the forefront.
My Experience
Education
Master of Information Studies (MIS) – Bilingual
University of Ottawa|School of Information Studies
Ottawa, ON
2022-2025
My most recent education is from the ÉSIS School of Information Studies at the University of Ottawa. The bilingual nature of the program taught me French vocabulary specific to information studies, and a chance to make connections with information professionals in different disciplines. My experience in navigating challenges in large group projects, as well as in my solo research, prepared me for the realities of the workplace.
Bachelor of Arts (History)
University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
2017-2022
At the University of Toronto, I studied history, philsophy, and political science. I was able to learn how to research from a wade array of talented professors. I came to appreciate the enormous value of primary sources and dilligence in research, and I learned skills of collaboration and time management that remain with me today.
Professional
Classification and Cataloguing Librarian
Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada
Ottawa, ON
May 2024 – Sept 2024
In my time at the Inuit Circumpolar Council, I had the incredible task of not only cataloguing 100+ new additions to the library, but also creating a new Inuit-focused Brian Deer-based classification system in order to best match the needs of the ICC’s previously unclassified collection. I was also given the opportunity to create infographics and design guidelines to facilitate library and archive use.
Library Assistant (User Services)
Jean-Léon-Allie Library at Saint Paul University
Ottawa, ON
September 2023 – May 2024
At the academic library of Saint Paul University|Université de Saint-Paul, I manned the service desk, both working together with other library staff and alone at night, as the sole supervisor of the library. I provided technical support to faculty and students, showing them how to use the ALMA ILS system. I was able to greatly improve my French, as it was the primary language of work in this bilingual library.
Archival Assistant
Library and Archives Canada
Gatineau, QC
May – September 2023
As part of the FSWEP (Federal Student Work Experience Program), I was able to work as an archival assistant at Library and Archives Canada in Gatineau. In this role, I created and verified finding aids for materials in the transport portfolio, including hundreds of train accident reports. I also rehoused dozens of delicate early twentieth-century rail maps. Unexpectedly, I found myself in the position of responding to an urgent ATIP request, as well as reference requests and calls for correcting online captioning.
Positionality Statement
I belive that our personal relationship with the ethical aspects of our work is critical to acknowledge. I am a white cisgender male, working on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation in Ottawa. Librarians in all institutions bear a professional and moral obligation to elevate Indigenous voices, counter the intentional and unintentional silencing of their perspectives, and pursue decolonization as an active process in all parts of their work. This includes promoting public access to materials on Indigeneity in Canada and the Residential School System, in keeping with the spirit of the Calls to Actions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (esp. Call 69.)
As a Jewish man and a member of the queer community, and know the importance of media representation to develop feelings of normalcy and self-confidence, especially in our youth. Diversity in programming and collections is a key part of how libraries can be meaningfully for all.