Hello! I am an archivist and librarian. My pronouns are he/him. I work as the Canadiana Librarian for the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto. I also serve as a sessional instructor for the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto for the course INF2403H: Digital Archives Workflows.

The work of stewarding library collections, both digitial and physical, is grounded on Indigenous lands. I am grateful to live on the traditional lands of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River.

At the Fisher Library, I serve as the curator of our significant and extensive Canadian collections with a focus on primary sources and rare books documenting Canadian history and the literatures of Canada. My work includes building and maintaining a diverse, dynamic, and responsive suite of Canadian collections through purchase and donation; creating original catalogue records and descriptions for printed books and archival collections, including remediating problematic language and metadata in legacy descriptions; and providing responsive reference, teaching and outreach services to students, faculty, staff at the university and researchers and community members in Toronto and beyond. In all of my work, I aim to bring life to the complex, colourful, and multi-layered stories that come from these lands through the thoughtful activation of our library’s remarkable collections.

From 2016-2022 I worked as the Digital Preservation Librarian at Scholars Portal, the information technology service for the Ontario Council of University Libraries, where I led a portfolio of preservation and storage services, including the creation of the Permafrost digital preservation service.

I’m always happy to talk about my work with others and you can find my mentorship profile on Alimb!

I started my career as a summer archives assistant at the Charlotte County Archives in my hometown of St. Andrews, New Brunswick on the traditional and unceded territory of the Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy). I was 16 and it was my first real summer job - and it turns out, led to my career! I returned to the Archives for three summers after that, and in that time, fell in love with the exciting and dynamic work that happens in archives on a daily basis. After pursuing a research interest in Canadian literature through a BA and MA, I completed the Dual Master of Archival Studies and Master of Library and Information Studies program at the University of British Columbia in 2015.

Outside of my work, I love to cook up big meals, shake up cocktails, collect Canadian music of the 1960s and 70s, go on hikes, and read thick and thin books. I just finished the WSET Level 3 certification in wine, so hit me with your wine questions in addition to your archival ones.

Articles on my Work

“U of T’s 2023 Orange Shirt Day event centers Residential School Survivor Storybase”; “Librarians create educational tool for accessing residential school survivor stories”
News coverage of the Indian Residential School Survivors Storybase project and a panel talk, with Mikayla Redden and Desmond Wong, I spoke at for the University of Toronto’s 2023 Orange Shirt Day event.

“Grant Hurley recognized for contribution to digital preservation”
2021 article on my receipt of awards for professional service and teaching.

“Will anybody care?: A small press author contemplates archiving in the digital age”
2017 article by Mark Sampson in Canadian Notes and Queries no. 100 featuring myself, Jess Whyte and Natalya Rattan talking about digital archives work.

“The Alcuin Awards: Celebrating Canadian design through beautiful books”
2017 article on the Alcuin Society’s 2016 awards and my work as Catalogue Project Manager.

“2014 UBC iSchool (SLAIS) MAS Co-op Student of the Year”
2014 article on my work experience at Teck Resources Ltd. and UBC Arts Co-op Award.

“UBC Celebrates opening of special collections room”
2014 article describing my work setting up UBC Okanagan’s Special Collections.

“Surprise: It’s riesling and syrah - Analysis points to British Columbia’s candidates for signature grapes”
2014 article on my UBC visual analytics class project to identify BC’s signature wine grapes.

“Cowan Tetrapod databases have evolved!”
2012 article on my work with the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.