January/February 2004
Vol. 36, no. 1
ISSN 1492-4676

Students Lend a Hand

Elizabeth A. Morton, 50th Anniversary Coordinator

As part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the National Library of Canada in 2003, four library school students came to Ottawa and volunteered at the Fun of Reading: International Conference on Canadian Children’s Literature in June. Library and Archives Canada (LAC) covered their travel and living expenses during their stay in Ottawa from June 26 to 29. The students met with speakers, delegates, and members of the LAC staff. Not only did LAC benifit from their hard work at the forum, but it also enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the next generation of professionals.

The trip to Ottawa followed the American Library Association/Canadian Library Association annual conference held June 19–24 in Toronto, where the students also volunteered as part of the 2003 Students to CLA program. (Each year, the Canadian Library Association brings a student from each of the library schools in Canada to volunteer at the annual conference.)

Our student volunteers were Anwen Boyd, in the Master of Library and Information Studies program at the University of Alberta; Avril Belfon, a student in the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto; Shannon D’Agnone, an MLIS candidate in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at the University of Western Ontario; and Victoria Wei Zhang, a student in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at McGill University.

"The trip to Ottawa produced some unexpected learning opportunities," said Shannon D’Agnone. "The highlight was without a doubt helping at the International Bazaar. The presenters were wonderful to spend time with, and most of the volunteers left that day with lovely henna tattoos, thanks to the Bangladeshi women."

"I felt both privileged and grateful to be afforded this opportunity not only to be a part of the conference but also to observe some of how it was organized," commented Avril Belfon. "I listened in wonder as English flowed into French and French into English on the mutual path to understanding. Most importantly, this experience has helped to reinforce my vocation by revealing the joy and satisfaction of practitioners who have been in the field for several years."

As we move towards a future that promises to be as challenging as it was when the National Library of Canada was created 50 years ago, it is exciting to discover the enthusiasm and drive in today’s young library and information professionals that characterized the early pioneers of librarianship in Canada.