The Langara Library team is committed to customer service, continuous learning, effective communication, collaboration, and ongoing service evaluation. Strong leadership complements highly skilled and motivated employees working as teams.
"I appreciate all the time you are spending to support us in the division."
"Thanks so much for putting together the Research Guide for our class! It's much appreciated!"
"Thank you so much for helping me correct the Reference, that really helps!"
"Thanks so much! Interlibrary loans has always been my favourite department at the college. It's like getting little surprise presents in my inbox."
"I just want to say overall thank you for taking the time to answer my questions that I've had throughout this week."
"What a team! Thank you for you work on our behalf."
"Thanks so much for the highly informative presentation today. It sets up the semester perfectly!"
"This is awesome – I had questions from my students about research today and I was (thanks to you) able to look like a superstar and tell them it was all up to date and on Brightspace!"
"I just wanted to say thanks for that great example and modeling of how to be critical of news/internet sources - it was a perfect example and perfect critique."
"Thank you! Wow. That presentation was full of good information. I certainly wish that I had access to such informative resources when I was a student."
"The students had high praise for the experience with you. Oddly, they expressed that prior to being with you, their impression of the library was intimidating. You managed to tame that fear."
Source: Staff Monthly Highlights Reports
After 15 months of remote work and Zoom meetings, the Library team was finally able to gather for an outdoor all staff meeting in advance of the September 2021 return to campus. The Library continues to operate on a hybrid work model with many staff working partially on campus and partially from home.
Patricia Cia, Director of Academic Innovation, retired in the summer of 2021. We thank Patricia for her years of leadership and wish her well in retirement! The Library welcomed Dr. Debbie Schachter as new Director of Library Services. Debbie has worked at Langara for many years as an instructor in the Library Technician program, while also holding leadership roles at other academic libraries in BC.
Longtime Reference Assistant Louise Reid retired in January 2022. Vanessa Brown moved from CAPER-BC over to the Library as Reference Assistant. Jen Brown from Borrower Services moved from the Library to CAPER-BC.
Copyright Librarian Lindsay Tripp welcomed a baby to her family in 2021 and started her parental leave. Caroline Korbel was hired on a term position as Copyright Librarian.
Maddie Walter joined the Library in the summer of 2021 as the Science Librarian.
Mia Clarkson, the Library’s Media Librarian, has taken on a full-time position with the University of Toronto Library. Jarvis Sparks was hired in the fall of 2021 as a term Media Librarian.
Satinder Kahlon and Martina Keller were hired as Auxiliary Librarians in January 2022.
Congratulation to our employees who celebrated service milestones with Langara College this year: Louise Reid (25 years), Bandan Ranu (20 years), Janet Whyte (15 years), and Ophelia Ma (10 years).
The Library retired its 2013-2020 Strategic Plan this past year and work began on developing a new document to guide the Library’s strategic direction in the years to come. The Library held two all-staff strategic planning meetings in the fall of 2021 to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities pertaining to Library services within the unique Langara context. A draft plan was developed and refined through community consultation in the spring of 2022.
The 2022-2025 Strategic Plan contains four key pillars:
The Langara College Strategic and Academic Plans provide the foundation for the Library’s strategic pillars. Within the context of the two plans, the Library identified key areas that will support the College and its students to reach their strategic and academic goals. Underpinning all of the Library’s strategic objectives is our commitment to support the College’s Indigenization and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) strategies.
Alli Sullivan completed her 2-year term as a Director on the board of BCLA. Debbie Schachter completed her term on the OCLC Global Council and has been elected to the OCLC Board or Trustees. Debbie also serves on the Digital Learning Advisory Working Group on Digital Literacy and Inclusion (through the Ministry of Advanced Education), Capilano University and Vancouver Community College’s Research Ethics Boards, and is the chair-elect to the eHLbc Management Committee.
Library staff continued to build their skillset through numerous professional development activities in 2021/22. The pandemic shifted many professional development events online, allowing for easier access to learning opportunities for all library staff, and this trend continued despite the resumption of many in-person services. In addition to attending many sessions hosted by Langara covering topics such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and instructional skills, library staff attended many external PD opportunities on topics ranging from anti-racism to bioinformatics for librarians.
Library staff also organized and/or presented at numerous professional development events, including:
Library staff continue to work closely with future librarians and library professionals. This past year, librarians taught courses and delivered guest lectures at the UBC iSchool, participated in networking events with library students, and delivered workshops for students in the Langara Library Technician program.
In February 2022, the Library hosted Natalie Knight, Langara’s Indigenous Strategy Consultant, for an all-staff session on the College’s Indigenization Strategy. The session consisted of a review of the strategy and discussions on how the Library can work to Indigenize its spaces, services, and practices. The College’s Indigenization Strategy was a key guiding document for the Library during the strategic planning process.
The Library’s Intercultural Working Group (IWG) continues to meet on a regular basis. Throughout the year, staff members also attended numerous professional development sessions on reconciliation, Indigenization, and intercultural competency. In particular, several library staff members completed the San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program and the College’s Employee Intercultural Engagement Certificate Program.