1. Getting to Know Your
Academic community; the
Approach of New Science
Librarians Figuring It Out!
Anna Stoute and Natalie Waters
2006

2. Welcome to McGill University
 Large research-intensive university
 13 branch libraries
 Macdonald Campus Library
 Schulich Library of Science and
Engineering

3. Melting of hiring freeze
 1993-2001 number of librarians
dropped from 85 to 59
 2001 “Contrat de Performance”
 Hiring resumes
 Hiring gap occurs

4. Hiring Gap Consequences
 Experienced librarians retiring
 New librarians taking over positions with no
one to train them
 Everyone knows that approach
 New librarians expected to know university
structure and procedures

5. Our expectations versus
reality
 Formal orientation
 Informal
 Self-orientation
 Faculty Support
 Old habits are hard to break
 Very minimal awareness of library services

6. Making our own path
 Introducing ourselves to our
departments
 Talking to students
 Implementing new programs
 New approach to advertising

7. So, in retrospect…
 Lack of formal training program
 Lack of faculty support
 Our lack of professional experience
 More outreach
 Open to ideas
 Eager to learn
 Always looking for ways to improve

8. Where are we today ?
 Strong relations with faculty and
students
 Familiar with university and library
structure and procedures
 But, as we all know
 A librarian’s ultimate goal is to provide
anytime, anywhere service to their clients.
 Therefore, our job is never ending!

9. Thank you!
Any questions?
Contact information:
Anna Stoute: anna.stoute@mcgill.ca
Natalie Waters: natalie.waters@mcgill.ca

10. Thank you!
Any questions?
Contact information:
Anna Stoute: anna.stoute@mcgill.ca
Natalie Waters: natalie.waters@mcgill.ca