My name is Ryan and I am the Communication and Journalism Librarian at Carleton University MacOdrum Library.
Before becoming a librarian (MLIS), I received my undergraduate degree in History and a minor in Communication Studies from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. It was here while spending a long night in the library surrounded by books and students that I thought, I could do this for a living.
After completing my degree, I decided to take my skills over to Algonquin College (just down the road from Carleton University) and completed the two-year Library and Information Technician diploma.
Why the LIT over the MLIS? At the time, I thought I needed to get a technical skill set under my belt. The university bachelor’s degree gave me one set of skills, while the college diploma would give me the hands-on knowledge I needed to enter the workforce. This is something that drives me in my studies. I don’t think academic institutions are giving students the skills they need to survive in the new information landscape. I hope to explore ways to provide library users with transferable skills they can take with them beyond the library walls. In an increasingly online world, identifying good information will be paramount, not only in their academic studies but also day to day.
I have been working in libraries ever since. As a technician, I gained valuable experience that I can take with me to the managerial level. I currently have approximately 9-10 years’ worth of library technician experience. This foundational understanding of the operational tasks in a library will allow me to make more informed decisions when it comes to the workflow of my fellow librarians and support staff.
While I like to study a wide variety of topics in library and information sciences, my passions include informal learning, gamification, emerging technology, blogging, participatory culture, and most recently the impact that large language model/generative AI will have on education.
I am also really interested in board and video games, but I will admit that I am not very good at them. I like to think about the social aspect of them and what they can teach us.