This panel features a diverse group of new librarians and archivists who will share their personal journeys into the field, offering insights into their academic and professional paths. Aimed at students, early-career professionals, and anyone interested in the library and archival professions, the discussion will be informal and conversational, focusing on the unique challenges, opportunities, and experiences that have shaped their careers.
Panelists will discuss the varied routes they took to becoming librarians and archivists at an academic institution, including their educational backgrounds, internships, networking strategies, and practical experiences. They will also reflect on the evolving roles of librarians and archivists in academia and how their work intersects with research and teaching. Attendees will have the chance to engage in an open Q&A, gaining a better understanding of what it takes to build a career in libraries and archives today.
Panelists
Holly Pickering (she/they) is the Digital Scholarship Librarian at the Research Commons in Koerner Library and is also liaison librarian for Sociology. In this role, she supports graduate- and faculty-level research in digital scholarship across disciplines by providing consultations, workshops, and further connections to relevant experts and collaborators. Before starting at UBC, she was Project Coordinator and, later, Accessible Digital Content and Metadata Coordinator at the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), a national not-for-profit providing accessible library materials to Canadians with print disabilities. She also simultaneously held a position as Production Editor at the diamond open access Scandinavian-Canadian Studies journal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics (2015) and a Master of Library and Information Studies (2022), both from the University of Alberta. During her graduate studies, she focused particularly on the intersection between digital humanities and librarianship, as well as on scholarly communications.
David Haskins (he/him/his) is the Music Librarian at the Music, Art & Architecture Library, and liaison librarian to the School of Music. Before starting at UBC, he was a a librarian at the Ironwood branch of the Richmond Public Library. Previously, David worked as a musician, serving as Associate Principal Horn of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for 12 years. He also held positions as Principal Horn of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Co-Principal Horn of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra and was an active teacher and freelance musician in Toronto. He holds degrees in French horn performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music (2002), the University of Toronto (2004), McGill University (2006), and completed studies in librarianship at the School of Information, University of British Columbia (2023).
Rebecca Dickson (she/her) is the Discovery Systems & Services Librarian in the Technology, Discovery, and User Experience (TDUX) unit. She works with colleagues across the organization to develop tools and services that make Library collections easier to find, access, and use. That includes overseeing development and configuration of Library search systems like Summon. Before this role at UBC, she coordinated a digital preservation program for a regional academic library consortium and gained a range of experience in the Library’s Digital Programs and Services unit. She holds a BA in Economics and an MLIS from UBC.
Rachel Bradshaw (she/her/hers) is a Reference Librarian at Woodward Library who is the liaison for the Faculty of Medicine’s Rehabilitation programs, including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Audiology and Speech Sciences, and the Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program, as well as for Anatomy in the Faculty of Science. In her role, she consults with researchers performing knowledge synthesis projects, oversees collection development for her departments, and manages a team of health librarians who provide in-person teaching and reference support to UBC Rehabilitation students at satellite campuses in Surrey, Prince George, and Victoria. Prior to working at UBC, she worked as the Knowledge Services Manager for the Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Spanish from Indiana University (2017) and Master of Library Science and Information Studies and Master of Archival Studies degrees from University of British Columbia (2023).
John Moran (he/him/his) has been serving as a Digital Archivist at the University of British Columbia (UBC) since 2023, where he plays an integral role in a variety of projects across the University Archives, Rare Books and Special Collections, and Digital Programs and Services. Before joining UBC, John gained invaluable experience at Library and Archives Canada, the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, and the UBC Archives. He holds a Master’s degree in History from University College Galway, Ireland, where he worked at the James Hardiman Special Collections and Archives, home to the world’s largest collection of Irish-language materials. His academic path also led him to UBC's iSchool, where he specialized in archival studies, moving to Vancouver specifically to advance his career in this field.
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