Kat retired from her position as Renewals & Collections Librarian in 2021.
Before starting her career in librarianship, Kat pursued her dream to live self-sufficiently in the country. With some friends, Kat built a solar heated house in an agricultural area of Pitt Meadows, had land with animals and often worked in libraries. “I found myself going back to libraries and realized that working with library people felt really good. I enjoy being around curious people who have an interest in something and want to solve a problem.”
After graduating from library school and working as a professional librarian for the past 30 years, Kat’s librarianship career evolved to her becoming UBC Library’s current Renewals and Collections Librarian. “One of the cool things about Collections Services is that we support all parts of the library. All formats. All languages. All disciplines. We really get exposed to the breadth of what the library has to offer.”
With the growing needs of library users, Kat’s day-to-day involves enhancing the experience and accessibility of UBC’s electronic and print collections: “The exciting aspect about the online environment is that it supports discovery, as well as providing information and knowledge to our users 24/7 from wherever they might be – on campus, at home or in the field. Finding something online might not be the end, in fact it’s often just the beginning,” she says. “Initially, eResources were dominant in Science, Technology and Medicine fields, but now it’s cross-disciplinary. Our Asian Library, for example, is growing its ebook and ejournal collections. We’re also expanding our streaming media collections, which are popular in online courses; and responding to increasing demand for datasets and tools to support digital scholarship.”
Talking about her own growth, Kat shares opportunities she’s been given throughout her library career. Aside from a range of responsibilities within the library, Kat recalls being able to work within local and international organizations and committees. With a smile, she reminisces about being seconded to Southeast Asia and later immersing herself in libraries of the Middle East during an unpaid leave saying, “I’ve been very fortunate, and I’m grateful for that.”
When asked about her favourite UBC Library memory, she looks up and laughs: “I was the coordinator for an academic library and publisher conference held at UBC in the early 90s – pre-Olympics. Many people coming from the United States and United Kingdom hadn’t been to Canada before. They were blown away by the campus, the views and the salmon barbeque at the Museum of Anthropology. It was a really proud moment for me to share the library and campus with people.”
Staying rooted in nature, Kat is excited about upcoming Library Climate Action Initiative seminars and more outdoor activities with her partner: “For Canada’s 150, I took up bird watching. My partner and I set a goal to identify 150 species in Canada that year, which we managed to do. That pursuit has been especially life changing.”
Discover more about UBC Library Collections by visiting our website.