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Skye Soobramanie has always dreamed of being an educator. As a university student, she uncovered her passion for librarianship. Now, she’s a Liaison Librarian for the Community Social Services and Early Childhood Studies programs here at the University of Guelph-Humber to support students on their own learning journeys. When she’s not booked and busy at the North campus library, you could find her reading a romantasy book or fulfilling her wanderlust, travelling the world.
Get to know Skye. Her story is one you’ll want to check out:
Q: What inspired you to become a librarian, and how did you get into academic librarianship specifically?
A: I started out my professional journey by wanting to become a high school teacher, completing my Bachelor of Education at Brock University. Through the experience gained during teacher’s college, I discovered that my passion for education resonated outside of a formal classroom setting. This is where I discovered librarianship and the potential to be an educator within a library context.
Once I completed my Master of Information degree from the University of Toronto, my first librarian role was within the public library where I worked with the community to bring outreach and programming that addressed community needs. After a few years in this type of role, I decided to continue my professional development by pursuing academic librarianship at the University of Guelph-Humber. There is a lot of overlapping and transferable skills between the experiences that led me to my current role, and my hope is to bring the community engagement principles I learned at the public library into the academic setting.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you as a liaison librarian?
A: I would say no two days look the same and it depends on the time of year or semester. Over a semester, my role involves:
- Liaising with program chairs and associate heads
- Providing instructor support with course materials and visiting classes to teach about research strategies, citation skills, and more
- Providing student support through one-on-one research appointments, email, or through the Ask a Librarian chat service
- Updating my program’s Research Guides to keep them relevant
- Supporting the creation of library learning modules like the AI, Algorithms and You module
- Developing and managing library collections related to my program areas
- Planning and implementing library marketing and outreach initiatives
Q: How do you stay updated with trends in both librarianship and academia?
A: I participate in as many professional development opportunities as I can. This includes webinars, online courses, conferences, and participating in library related communities of practice. I also subscribe to newsletters from various professional associations.
Q: What’s your #1 research tip you like to share with students?
My top research tip for students is to start your research by accessing your program’s Research Guide, since it is the main access point to the library’s online resources. In your program guide you will find a curated list of resources from both University of Guelph and Humber libraries specifically tailored to your program. These lists of library resources are a great place to start learning about a new topic or to help you dive deeper into peer-reviewed literature related to your research question.
Q: Who is your favourite author and why?
A: My favourite author is Richelle Mead. She is a fantasy author whose writing style is captivating and easy to read. I started reading her Vampire Academy series in high school and have since read every book she has published! I am hoping she releases a new series soon.
Q: If you were stuck reading only one genre for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?
A: My go-to genre is romantasy (fantasy/romance). I love the world-building, character development, and this genre helps me take a brief escape from the everyday. Once I get into a romantasy book, I have a hard time putting it down! Some personal favourites include the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas and The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.
