Before working here, what was your most unusual or interesting job? For a couple of years after undergrad and before I went to library school, I worked as an office and corporate records manager at a for-profit historical research company that specialized in land claims litigation in Canada. I’d studied history in my undergraduate, so it was exciting to be part of a process that applied historical research in a way that had direct applicability in resolving modern challenges.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? We’re a Federated College Library within the U of T Libraries system, so in collaboration with the library and archives team, I manage and plan for all aspects of library services for our user community including: collections development (acquisitions & cataloguing, rare books and special collections), research instruction, user services, archives, and facilities. Being able to view the full scope of library operations ensures there’s a lot of novelty in my work (and let’s say some “interesting” challenges), but also provides a unique context that allows us to be particularly responsive to the local needs of our library users.

What’s the most interesting or fulfilling thing you’re working on right now? I find it fulfilling to see the library and archives team making progress on some long planned projects: our user services team is always working on ways to improve user experience, and they’ve been working on some fun outreach projects this year; we’ve been setting up digitization capacity to get more of our rare, special and archival collections digitized and discoverable; we’re looking into expanding the physical capacity of the archives and building a research centre for international relations archives materials; and our research and instruction librarians and archivist are doing some really interesting library and archives instruction to engage with teaching in the age of AI, and experiential learning through primary source instruction.

Personally, I’ve been working on two projects with colleagues – one is research on the Golden Dog Press, one of the first private presses in Canada (part of our rare and special collections); and I’m also working on another research project about book challenges in Canadian academic libraries.

Where did you grow up? Rural Manitoba.

What is your best advice for U of T Library or Archives users? I have two pieces of advice for student users mainly: university can be stressful, and I would say to never hesitate in asking for help. In libraries a large part of our jobs is to help connect library users to resources and information during your academic journey, and we don’t see it as an imposition when we’re asked questions.

Related advice: If you want to get the most meaning out of your studies, don’t just use the first resources you find that fit your paper topic or limit yourself exclusively to online resources. There’s a whole universe of knowledge and resources that requires some digging to find, and by using your own unique, critical reasoning skills to find and synthesize this information, you may be able to create something new. And if you have trouble finding these resources, see my preceding advice.

What was the last book you finished reading?  Burning the books : a history of the deliberate destruction of knowledge by Richard Ovenden

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?  The first concert that I went to post-pandemic in September 22 was Florence & the Machine at the amphitheatre. After such a lengthy period of time not being in the world, it was so exciting and powerful to be part of a massive group of people listening to live music together. Also, Florence Welch is probably one of the best rock front people of all time. It was a reminder of how sharing music as a group can be a transcendent experience that can’t be replicated by living online. Did I just inadvertently riff on Durkheim and the concept of collective effervescence without citing my source properly? Maybe.

What’s your favourite thing to do in Toronto? Hanging with my family and occasionally, getting a babysitter to go see live music with my husband.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? My extended family lives in Manitoba, BC, and England, so we visit those places frequently. But, I would really like to go to Japan.

Besides our library, what is your favourite library to visit? I love visiting libraries when I travel to pick up ideas (much to my family’s delight, or is it dismay?). The John Rylands Library, which is the special collections library for the University of Manchester, is a beautiful library and they do great exhibits and research. Also, the chained library at Hereford Cathedral in England is very cool. The cathedral is known for holding the Hereford Mappa Mundi, the largest extant medieval map of the world. Hereford Cathedral also has the only example of an intact chained library dating to the 17^th century that shows the original chaining method used to secure their medieval and early modern manuscripts to the shelves.

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How did you get into working in libraries/archives?: I took a bit of a circuitous route to librarianship. I used to work as a teacher, as well as in various positions in the publishing field (research, writing, and sales). While in those roles, I was in contact with librarians, and in learning more of what their work entailed, I thought, “that’s what I want to be doing!” I received my Master of Information degree from U of T in 2012, and have been here every since. And all those previous positions help inform my current role, so it all worked out!

What would you like people to know about Graham Library or Trinity Archives that they might not know?: You can request in-depth, one-on-one research support by booking a research consultation. These consultations with librarians and archivists are often a hidden gem that either library users are unaware of, or are reluctant to ask for. But that’s what we are here for!

Before working here, what was your most unusual or interesting job?: I worked as youth staff, supervising play areas for kids and teens on a cruise ship that sailed around the South Pacific. I visited islands that I had never even heard of before. Isle of Pines was my favourite. 

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? I truly enjoy all the aspects of my role, and working with such a great team here at Graham Library makes it all the more rewarding. However, having one-on-one discussions with students during research consultations is a highlight, and I’m always glad they made the time to reach out. I enjoy helping students explore their avenues of inquiry and suggest information sources they may not have known about. And I usually end up discovering some new resources in the process. 

What was the last book you finished reading? Death on the Island by Eliza Reid, in anticipation for her talk at the Warren Lecture in January!

Where did you grow up? Woodbridge, Ontario

What is your best advice for U of T Library or Archives users?  Contact us with your questions (phone, email, in-person…you have options!), no matter how small they may seem. We can save you time with your research, recommend relevant resources, or uncover items you never knew you had access to!

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?  Pet Shop Boys & New Order in Toronto for The Unity Tour 2022. 

What’s your favourite thing to do in Toronto? Roaming around the ROM, visiting the Toronto Islands. 

What was the best meal you’ve ever had and where? A tasting menu consisting of fresh fish and pasta at Ristorante Mabrouk in Alghero, Sardinia back in 2019. It was later featured on Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. I think about this meal at least once a week.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? Bhutan. I want to experience their Gross National Happiness.

Besides our library, what is your favourite library to visit? The British Library

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How did you get into working in libraries/archives? During my first master’s degree, I took a research methods course taught by a librarian and became intrigued by the field. I worked in various libraries and archives, enrolled in the master’s program in library science, and never looked back! In a course at the Fisher Library, I discovered the joy of special collections. I worked with rare and special collections at Emory University in the States for several years and am thrilled to be doing that work at the Graham Library.

What would you like people to know about Graham Library or Trinity Archives that they might not know? We love to answer questions and collaborate with faculty, students, and the broader community. Reach out to us anytime!

Before working here, what was your most unusual or interesting job? I coached gymnastics part-time for 12 years. It was a lot of fun to work with the kids and see them learn new skills.

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? I enjoy the combination of tasks – from developing exhibits to cataloguing rare books and providing research assistance. We have an incredible team, and it’s a joy to work with them and to collaborate on projects. Our technical services team is doing exciting work developing a new digitization program, creating web exhibits, and enhancing our acquisitions processes – to name a few.

What’s the most interesting or fulfilling thing you’re working on right now? One exciting project is our collaboration with the Hidden Stories team to research and conserve a rare 17^th century Sanskrit birchbark manuscript. We have been working with experts in Sanskrit and conservation and using book science tools to study the manuscript, and are looking forward to sharing more.

What was the last book you finished reading? I have been doing research on fine press books and recently enjoyed reading The Art of the Book in the Twentieth Century. I also loved reading The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer; it is such a thoughtful and hope-filled book.

Where did you grow up? I grew up in the west end of Toronto and went to school in the east end and downtown.

What is your best advice for U of T Library or Archives users? Make use of the incredible collections, services, and spaces available and ask library and archives staff anything; we love to answer questions!

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended? I recently went to a hilarious comedy show by Laura Ramoso at the Danforth Music Hall.

What’s your favourite thing to do in Toronto? I enjoy going to High Park and the Island, and visiting galleries.

What was the best meal you’ve ever had and where? Toronto has so many great foods! I love the rotis at Dosa Mahal, the dulce de leche buns at Padaria, the spanakopita at Athens Pastries, and the pastizzi at Malta Bake Shop.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would love to go to the rainforests in Costa Rica. I’m also excited to be going to Paris with my sisters next year.

Besides our library, what is your favourite library to visit? I’m a fan of the Toronto Public Library. I love the Osborne Collection of children’s literature at the Lillian Smith Library, the exhibits at the Toronto Reference Library, and the cozy spaces and collections at neighbourhood branches.

What do you like to do in your spare time? I like to walk, bike, swim, read and write, make art, see friends and family, and go to the library with my husband and 7-year-old daughter.