Originally published on the Arts Co-op Program website
Each year, the Arts Co-op Program recognizes an MLIS co-op student for outstanding achievement in all aspects of student performance including academics, workplace, and contribution to co-operative education and extra-curricular activities. This year’s winner, Danielle Westbrook, was honoured for her work term with UBC Library, where her supervisor Doug Brigham described her as having “performed at a level far, far beyond what I expected from a SLAIS student.”
Danielle’s outstanding grades, involvement with co-operative education, commitment to personal, academic and career development, and her outstanding performance evaluation by her supervisor illustrate why she deserves the distinction of SLAIS MLIS Co-op Student of the Year.
Excellence in the Workplace
During her work term with UBC Library, Danielle took on a number of responsibilities as a Technical Services Co-op Student, including researching and conducting a literature review on creating and managing core library collections, collecting and analyzing collections data, and co-managing the work-flow-mapping project for the Technical Services Review.
Danielle also worked on some larger projects, such as collaborating with Library Systems & Information Technology to establish a real-time, web-based tracking system for in-house collection use, the purpose of which was to shift the library to a more data-focused approach of utilizing the library space and collections. Danielle worked with different staff across the library to help develop this system and also conducted training for staff and students by creating an instructional video. Supervisor Doug Brigham commends Danielle’s work and her contribution to a “better, tighter management” of the UBC library and that she is “precisely the person we needed and need.”
During her time at the UBC Library’s Technical Services division, Danielle unexpectedly picked up another transferable skill – public speaking. She gained confidence in delivering presentations, through co-presenting at the Pacific Northwest Library Association conference in Anchorage, Alaska and co-managing a library forum with her supervisor, Doug Brigham, and fellow MLIS co-op student, Shannon Simpson. Through this experience, Danielle notes that she is a step ahead in terms of reaching her career goals: “My co-op undoubtedly provided me with an opportunity to explore my interest in collections and technical services, opened doors for further work opportunities, and propelled me forward on my career path.”
