Author: ISSA

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Community Spotlight

Meet Jaime Burnet!

Jaime Burnet is a local author and labour, employment, and human rights lawyer. Last year, in April of 2025, Jaime launched her second novel, milktooth, published by Vagrant Press. Her first novel Crocuses Hatch from Snow, also published by Vagrant Press, was shortlisted for the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award and the ReLit Award. Last month I had the opportunity to chat with Jaime regarding her interactions with the public library.

How can librarians make the library a more comfortable space for local authors?

1. Last Summer you joined Niko Stratis for her launch of The Dad Rock that Made me a Woman, could you take me through the process of how that event was organized.

The event was organized by the King’s Co-op Bookstore. Paul MacKay, the Bookstore’s manager, reached out to ask if I would interview Niko after she suggested me. I’m a big fan of Niko’s writing, so I was very excited to take part.

2. Compared to your book launch at Cafe Lara, how welcoming was the library space? How comfortable did you feel in that space?

Both spaces were lovely. The staff at Café Lara were wonderful, as were the library staff. Elliott Gish, who is an Adult Specialist at the Halifax Central Library and talented local author, was the Library point-person and did an excellent job of facilitating the event and making people feel welcome and comfortable in the space.

3. Did HPL reach out to you regarding your work as an author? Have you reached out to HPL, as an author?

Neither! Though I should probably do that.

4. In a dream situation, how would you like to show off your work in a library setting?

Libraries are such vital and radical spaces. I’d love to take part in a panel with other authors at a library, especially other queer authors. I was part of a small panel, Queering the Countryside, with local author Rose Sutherland at the Bridgewater Library during Lunenburg Pride, which was lovely. Talking about books and writing with other authors and readers is always special for me.

Readers can purchase Jaime’s works from the King’s Co-Op Bookstore, or any reputable book seller. Her novels are also available at the Halifax Public Library and the Killam Memorial Library. If you would like to learn more about Jaime Burnet’s work and writing please check out her website, jaimeburnet.com!

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DLIAA – Call for Nominations

The Dalhousie Library and Information Science Alumni Association (DLIAA) has a few positions opening up!

Nominations (for yourself or another alumni) are to be submitted by June 15, 2024 to dallibraryinfoalumni@gmail.com. This is a great way to get involved, new grads!

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April end-of-term updates 

Congratulations to the SIM community for making it to the end of the semester! As the flowers bloom and the days get longer, we are looking forward to having a break for the summer but are also sad to say goodbye.  

Our last Waffle Wednesday of the year was hosted on April 5th. Thanks to all who attended and participated in SIM’s Easter egg hunt!  

Our final book club was also held this week- meetings may continue through the summer months so stay tuned for more details! 

The School of Information Management’s creative journal, SIMagination, is available for purchase while supplies last! This journal was produced to showcase the original work of the SIM community and acts a fundraiser for SIMSA. All funds raised will be used by our student association for student events, programming, and initiatives. We kindly request $10 or PWYC; pay cash to any SIMSA representative or etransfer simsa@dal.ca 

We thank all of our alumni who have kindly contributed to our alumni fundraiser; we have raised almost $200 to put towards SIMSA events and initiatives. 

SIM’s end-of-year event will be held on Saturday, April 22nd at East of Grafton! Please RSVP using the circulated Microsoft Form. We look forward to celebrating with everyone! 

Finally, SIMSA wishes to thank everyone for a wonderful year. Our programming and events are meant to develop community, and it has been a privilege to watch it grow over the past two years. We are lucky to be surrounded by kind and thoughtful individuals at SIM, and appreciate everyone who makes our community the vibrant and lively group it is. We encourage all graduating students to keep in touch, and wish first-years all the best as they embark on their final year in the MI program.  

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Alumni Spotlight Series: Jordan Audas 

Next up in our alumni spotlight series, we catch up with Jordan Audas! Jordan has been working at Digital Nova Scotia since he graduated from the MI program. Jordan offers great insights into how he translated the skills he learned in the MI program to the workplace. Thanks for taking the time, Jordan!

When did you graduate from SIM? What was your favourite class/subject of study when you were in the program and how have your interests expanded since then?

I graduated from SIM in April 2022. I really enjoyed both archive classes, taught by Patti Bannister, and Information in Society, taught by Dr. Mongeon. Both of these, I suppose, boil down to how people interact and engage with information. This is still something I’m passionate about, especially when it comes to accessibility and usability.

What is your current role and how long have you been in it?

I am a project manager at Digital Nova Scotia, a role I was just promoted to just about a week ago. Prior to that promotion, I had been working as a project analyst here since August.

How have you translated the skills and competencies you learned in the MI program into the workplace?

Ignoring the more obvious technical skills, such as navigating databases, visualizing data, and performing research, I think the more overlooked non-technical, or “soft” skills, are truly important in a workplace. Being able to communicate and collaborate effectively, for example, may seem like a given, but this is crucial to an organization’s culture and success, not to mention when interacting with stakeholders. These skills are much harder to learn than we often give them credit for, but I think SIM prepares students well for actually taking these non-technical skills into the real world.

In what ways is working as an IM professional different from the classroom?

It’s no one’s job to teach you anymore. Sure, you may be lucky enough to have learning opportunities and professional growth is extremely important, but everyone else in an organization has their own duties and responsibilities to focus on. So, that being said, if you need guidance in your work, ask! Most people are happy to help, but they won’t know what you can and can’t do until you make it clear.

If you could go back and give your first year self one piece of advice, what would you tell them?

I’d probably slip them the answers to a few tests; is it cheating if it’s coming from yourself?

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First Year Student Spotlight: Hailey Wills

Our last First Year Student Spotlight for the winter term features Hailey Wills! Hailey has been a wonderful presence at SIM over the past year and is SIMSA’s incoming Non-Academic Chair! We are happy to have Hailey continue to foster a warm and welcoming environment here at the School of Information Management. Thanks for sharing a bit about yourself, Hailey!

Tell us a bit about yourself! 

My name is Hailey, and I am a first-year student at SIM. I’m originally from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and have been living in Halifax for the past 4 years. I completed my undergrad degree at Mount Allison University in International Relations. I decided to complete this program as I was looking to stay close to family and friends in the Atlantic provinces.

What is your favourite thing about SIM so far? 

So far, I’ve been really enjoying meeting so many new people. The staff and faculty have fostered a supportive environment and the program is a great size to be able to connect with your peers.

What about Information Management interests you the most? What are you looking forward to learning more about? 

I’m really looking forward to taking a variety of courses throughout my degree. I’ve found so many different aspects of Information Management that we are learning about interesting and don’t have any specialized interests yet, so it is great that the courses offered are so varied so I can explore lots of different topics.

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End-of-term Updates

As we sail past the midway point of the winter term, we wanted to highlight a few initiatives happening and SIM, and what students can look forward to for the rest of the semester!

Past:

  • Waffle Fundraiser. On March 1st, SIM’s monthly Waffle Wednesday was expanded into a Faculty of Management-wide fundraiser for earthquake relief for Turkey and Syria. SIMSA would like to sincerely thank everyone who bought a waffle, popped in to say hello, and donated to this initiative. It was wonderful to see so many faces in the SIM common room, familiar and new. Together we raised $222 for earthquake relief for Turkey and Syria, which was donated to Humanitarian Coalition. Millions of people across both countries are in need of humanitarian assistance, and we encourage you to make a donation if you are able.
  • Book Club: The SIMSA book club met again in February to discuss their book of the month! Look forward to the book pick for March and the meeting date and time.
  • Headshots and the annual SIM class photo. On March 10th students were welcome to have their headshot taken by a professional photographer. We also gathered as a group to photograph our class in 2023! 
  • Thanks to all who signed our collective letter to the Halifax Clerk’s Office and Councillor Sam Austin protesting the proposed budget cuts to Dartmouth Heritage Museum. We are relieved to hear the good news that these cuts will not be occurring and affecting the posterity of this valuable organization.
  • SIM Career Day Part 2 occurred on March 17th! This day featured in-person resume review by our Professional-in-Residence, Cabot Yu and virtual review by a larger group of Information professionals. We will be following up this event with a virtual group networking event on the platform Wander. Stay tuned for more details!
  • Alumni Fundraiser. We wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to all alumni who have donated to SIMSA in the past month. We have raised $155 dollars so far and will be using these funds for student programs and initiatives. Thank you.

Upcoming:

  • SIMSArchive Workshop 3: Description will be taking place on March 24th from 9:30- 11:30am in the SIM meeting room (4025). All are welcome to join us to learn about archival description and continue with next steps in processing SIMSA’s records to prepare them for their move to the Dalhousie Archives.
  • Lunch and Learn: Melissa Rothfus. Join us for pizza and a talk from Melissa Rothfus, Dalhousie’s Scholarly Communications librarian! This Lunch and Learn will be held on March 27th from 12-1pm in the SIM Meeting Room (4025) and over Teams.
  • Point Pleasant Walk: Join SIMSA for a walk in Point Pleasant on April 1st at 2pm! Get in touch with a Non-Academic Chair for more details about meeting points.
  • Triva Night: Our wildly popular trivia nights are returning: join us on Tuesday, March 21st at The Brewery by Quinn’s for trivia! Starts at 7pm.
  • SIMatinee. To wind down the semester we will be hosting a movie screening in the SIM common room on Friday, April 14th from 2:30-5pm! Please join us for the 1957 film ‘Desk Set’ starring Katherine Hepburn. Alongside this film we will be discussing an article written by Dr. Allison-Cassin entitled “Bodies, brains, and machines: An exploration of the relationship between the material and affective states of librarians and information systems”. Popcorn and movie snacks provided!
  • April’s Waffle Wednesday will be occurring on April 5th from 10am-12pm in the common room. This is our last WW of the semester, so come on out for socializing, homemade waffles, and coffee and orange juice!
  • The next book club meeting will be held on April 10th at 5:30pm in the SIM Common Room. The pick of the month is The Bear by Claire Cameron. If you’d like to join, feel free to sign out a book in the common room!
  • SIMSA is hard at work planning the annual SIMphony, our end-of-year celebration where SIM students, faculty, and staff gather in community to celebrate all we’ve accomplished in the past year. This year’s SIMphony will be taking place at East of Grafton! Stay tuned for more details and get excited!

That’s all for now! We hope the term wraps up smoothly for students. As always, never hesitate to reach out to SIMSA with questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns. We are hear to listen and support you. Get in touch with a SIMSA exec or at simsa@dal.ca