I am the Copyright and Reserves Supervisor at Wilfrid Laurier University. I hold an MLIS, a BA, a BEd, and a Library & Information Technician Diploma. I am also the co-host of #LISprochat on Twitter.
Opinions are my own.
Projects
Haunted Canada (Digital Library) (April 2021)
Abstract: A digital library collection of stories about haunted locations and hauntings all across Canada in a variety of formats. There are podcasts, videos, book excerpts, maps, self-guided walking tours, and more!
Open Access Publishing: What You Need to Know (LibGuide) (December 2020)
Abstract: With 80% of the world’s research output still trapped behind paywalls open access is more important than ever especially with the continued growth of online learning and the rising cost of course materials and journal subscriptions. The purpose of this libguide is to explain key elements and aspects of open access publishing to educate, encourage advocacy, and showcase resources for changing policy.
The “Use Our Words” Toolkit (July 2020)
Abstract: Subject terms can be triggering to First Nations, Métis, Inuit (FMNI or Indigenous), and other non-white, non-straight, or non-cis library users. The two most common metadata schema, the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) and Canadian Subject Headings (CSH), are well documented as being colonial and problematic when it comes to describing Indigenous materials. This toolkit will assist academic and public libraries in conducting an evaluation of the subject headings in their catalogues in the decolonization process of removing culturally insensitive headings that cause harm to Indigenous communities. It includes a guide on finding problematic subject headings; suggested alternative terminologies; links to relevant resources; and training activities for cataloguing staff.
Alice’s Adventures: A Digital Library Collection (April 2020)
This is a curated digital collection of adaptations of Lewis Carroll’s Alice adventures done as an assignment for LIS 502 – Organization of Information at the University of Alberta in the Winter 2020 semester. The collection contains three sub-collections: written works, performed works, and interactive works. Within each sub-collection you’ll be met with five index lists arranging the items in the collection by author, genre, medium, publisher, and title.
Finding and Legally Using Online Images (LibGuide) (November 2019)
Abstract: In the digital age, it can be difficult to remember that you can’t just use whatever images you find online for any purpose. Copyright laws are complicated and mysterious to the everyday person, even copyright experts can struggle with figuring out the rules surrounding these laws. However, it is important to know how to legally use images found on the web. This guide walks you through what copyright and licensing are and why they matter, and how to find images and photos that you can use for your presentations, projects, publications and any other products.
Publications
Cover letter advice from a meme, really? Yes, really! (June 2021)
Article written for Hack Library School.
How to decode job postings and customize your applications (May 2021)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Some bumps along the way — back-up plans, flexibility, and expanding your horizons during your MLIS (April 2021)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Special Librarianship doesn’t just mean special libraries – more on non-traditional LIS career paths (March 2021)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Treat yo’ self…to a student membership in a professional association and reap the rewards (February 2021)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Things every librarian should learning about: Copyright edition (January 2021)
Article written for Hack Library School.
LIS and podcasting (December 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
So you want to be an academic librarian? You should learn about OERs. (November 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
How to make the most of your online MLIS experience (October 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
“I’m baaaaack” – My experiences with going back to campus and back to the library during the COVID-19 pandemic (September 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Spotlight on IndigenousLIS.ca: Indigenous librarianship and renewable assignments (August 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
When one of us screws up and we do nothing, that makes us all look bad. And no, backpedaling doesn’t help. (July 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
We need to talk about diversity and neutrality in libraries (June 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Casting a wide net: Alternative and non-traditional jobs for LIS pros (May 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
How can you stay professionally engaged while working from home (or not working)? (April 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Hacking your assignments with business mantras (March 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
No one can give 100% effort 100% of the time and that’s okay! (February 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Thinking ahead: The next semester, the next year…and then what? (January 2020)
Article written for Hack Library School.
OLA’s 2019 Copyright Symposium at the Intersection of Copyright Law and Indigenous Knowledge (December 2019)
Article written for Hack Library School.
How to deal with divisive discussions in your digital classroom (November 2019)
Article written for Hack Library School.
October is Canadian Library Month AND LGBTQ History Month, so let’s celebrate both! (October 2019)
Article written for Hack Library School.
How I Survived My First Full Week of Classes (September 2019)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Prepping for grad school (after 7 years of being out of school) (August 2019)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Going back to school for an MLIS as a full-time library worker (July 2019)
Article written for Hack Library School.
Presentations
Let’s get packing: How Laurier Library partnered w/ the bookstore & printing services (Presentation) (May 2021)
This presentation was given by myself and my colleague Melanie Ross at the 2021 Library Publishing Forum.
OLITA 2021 Tech Talk: Increased Demand for Open and Accessible Copyright Education caused by COVID-19 (Lightning Talk) (February 2021)
This lightning talk was presented at the OLA 2021 Super Conference.
Do Traditional Knowledge Labels have the potential to ease intellectual property concerns around using Traditional Knowledge in OER localization, remixing, and publishing? (Lightning Talk) (November 2020)
This lightning talk was presented at the OE Global Conference 2020.
Does Relationship Building Hold the Key to the Inclusion of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge in OERs (Lightning Talk) (November 2020)
This lightning talk was presented at the Open Education Conference 2020.
INALJ Canada (Poster Session) (June 2015)
This poster session was presented at the CLA Conference, Ottawa, ON. It was designed in consultation with Naomi House founder of INAL.com. It presents information and data related to the Canadian pages on the INALJ website.
Pocket Reference: Phase I of askON’s TEXT pilot project (Poster Session) (January 2014)
This poster session was presented at the OLA Superconference, Toronto, ON. It was designed in partnership with Stacey Nordlund on behalf of the askON service run by the Ontario College Library Services (OCLS). It presents data related to the initial pilot run of askON’s text message reference service.
Lauren Bourdages - Copyright, Course Reserves, and Open Education Specialist 