My Journey to a Career in Librarianship
My Past
I have been a student in some capacity for the better part of my life. An interest in ecology led me to pursue a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Biology (BSc) at uOttawa straight out of high school. Coming from a French education, I decided to enroll in an English degree to have a bilingual education. Although this was initially challenging, I eventually hit my stride and really enjoyed the experience of learning and challenging myself. Following my BSc, I felt I wasn’t done learning, and jumped into a Master of Science Biology (MSc) with a specialty in taxonomy and systematics, once again at uOttawa. It was here that I truly came to appreciate the importance of classification, taxonomy, and organization.
It was also during my MSc that I became aware of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the potential of mapping and analyzing geospatial data. After so many years of University education, the appeal of taking a hands-on approach to learning this technology appealed to me and I followed up my MSc with a Graduate Certificate in GIS at Algonquin College. Each new degree and certificate, I improved in my approach to project planning, collaborating on group work, and juggling many tasks to meet deadlines.
By this point, I was older and (somewhat) wiser, and found that I could help out other students in the program with assignments and projects. I had spent so much time as a student and struggled on many projects over the years. I communicated concepts to students in the way I would have wanted things explained.
This opened my eyes to a whole new experience of teaching and helping. It was incredibly satisfying on a personal level and also something I was good at. I found I was able to communicate concepts and ideas in a way that others could understand, since I had been in their shoes just a few years before. This would be the beginning of an interest in a career where I would be able to support and educate others.
Since graduating from my GIS certificate, I worked as a GIS Analyst for a few government departments, including Agriculture Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada and applied my GIS knowledge on a day-to-day basis.
My Present
When the opportunity came to work at the uOttawa Library as a Data Analyst, I seized the moment and haven’t looked back since. Since that time, I have undertaken another degree, this time a Master of Information Studies (MIS) at uOttawa, where I am on the path to a career in librarianship. Being in the role of Data Analyst has taught me the value of libraries and how many people can and do benefit from them. Every day I come to work knowing that I can help people with their information, data, GIS, biology, programming, and research needs.
I rely on the knowledge that I’ve acquired in my past, but I am also fortunate to be in an environment where I feel challenged and learn something new every day. Each new user request can introduce me to new concepts and help expand the boundaries of what I know. The instruction I help deliver also needs to be able to reach a wide variety of learners that have different learning styles. This forces me and my colleagues to keep varying our instruction, as is exemplified in the gamification section of this i-Portfolio. I am also lucky to be surrounded by quality library staff, including professionals and paraprofessionals, that are experts in their fields. There are many opportunities for collaboration and working together on a variety of team projects.
My Future
Career vision statement
I hope to become an academic librarian at uOttawa within the next two years and help play a role in the success and growth of the University community. I would bring with me the experience of responding to diverse user needs, project planning, and bilingual communication skills developed in five years of delivering user-centred services. I would also take a leadership role in promoting library services with an emphasis on research excellence.
I am interested in pursuing a career in Library and Information Science (LIS) as an academic librarian at the uOttawa Library. In this position, I would provide teaching and research support to students, professors, and researchers within the University community. University librarians are also encouraged to develop partnerships with local businesses, hospitals, museums, and government agencies at local, provincial, and federal levels to collaborate on various projects. Responsibilities are widely varied and the ebbs and flows of the academic year keeps things changing and interesting.
Working in academia, I would be able to support and partake in ongoing research, work on a wide variety of projects, and continue to learn and challenge myself as an information professional. I would also have the opportunity to attend conferences on a national and international scale for professional development, keep up with recent advances in the field, and grow my network of professionals and peers. Finally, I would have the autonomy to develop my own teaching programs, collaborate with library staff on various initiatives, and implement my vision to the role.
***UPDATE***
Since writing this Career vision statement, I am happy to announce that I will be joining the uOttawa Library in a new role as GIS and Geography Librarian as of April 2019!