Brett Dimond has been with UBC Library since 2020 and is the Program Assistant at the Research Commons, located at Koerner Library. In this role, Brett supports the Research Commons’ day-to-day activities by assisting patrons and staff, facilitating programming and providing facilities and equipment support.
“One of my main areas of responsibility is the space within the Research Commons. This can be anything from helping patrons with our equipment, to coordinating scheduling and room access for people who use our space. Another key area is responding to patrons’ questions onsite or through the Research Commons inbox, and connecting them with the resources they need.”
As a former research assistant and graduate student, Brett is no stranger to navigating the academic research environment. Before joining UBC Library, Brett conducted research work on different social policy areas, particularly homelessness in Vancouver and childcare services within the Kootenays region in BC. He leverages his experience as a researcher, as well as his collaboration and project coordination skills, to support patrons at the Research Commons.
What surprises him most about working at UBC Library is the scope of digital tools and services that are available to UBC students, researchers, faculty and staff.
“Certainly, the form of information in the digital age has evolved, but beyond that, there is a strong commitment to providing research services that match the pace of technological change.”
One of his favourite projects at the Research Commons is the implementation of the LibInsight platform across UBC Library, which streamlines how faculty and staff record, view and collect data about library services to inform planning and decision-making.
“Transitioning the data sets from an older platform to LibInsight was not a one-to-one match. They’re different systems so it took a bit of experimentation and thought to achieve the results we wanted. The project gave me great insight into the many complex considerations when starting up a new data collection platform.”
Brett also enjoys working with the geospatial team at the Research Commons in making the library’s map collections more discoverable. “There are thousands of maps available at the library but they can be difficult for users to find. Our goal is to increase their discoverability by putting the maps online and providing a spatial index so that users can search more visually, making it much easier to find them.”
Of the six UBC Library aspirational values, Brett says that growth and appreciation best reflects his experience working at the library. “I’ve had the incredible opportunity to collaborate on a range of different projects that have exposed me to new tools and workflows and helped me develop new skills. Special thanks to Jeremy Buhler, Meghan Waitt, Evan Thornberry, Paul Lesack, Eugene Barsky and Doug Brigham for providing these opportunities, supporting me along the way and, most importantly, having the patience to help revise what isn’t always a perfect product on the first take.”
Outside of work, Brett enjoys reading, exploring beautiful BC by foot and by kayak, frequenting Vancouver’s artisanal bakeries and protecting his kale plants from aphids.
Learn more about the UBC Library Research Commons.