Overview
The 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) was held on October 18-20, 2017 at the Marriott Château Champlain.
The AGM Evaluations Report is now available.
Year
Speakers and Bios (click here to expand)
Clare Appavoo
Executive Director
CRKN
As Executive Director of CRKN Clare is accountable to the Board of Directors and provides leadership and vision to the team. She is responsible for developing CRKN’s overall strategic direction, implementing policies, programs, and decisions in keeping with the strategic direction, as well as administering ongoing operational and business affairs and ensuring member engagement. The ED advises the Board of Directors on new policy developments or initiatives that CRKN might undertake, developing proposals for consideration and approval by the Board of Directors and members during the Annual General Meeting. The ED also represents CRKN members in national and international initiatives. Prior to joining CRKN Clare refined her negotiating skills as Director, Sales and Strategic Support for Ingram, Coutts Information Services, working closely with university libraries across North America to provide collections and acquisitions services for monographic content. She earned a BA in General Studies from Simon Fraser University and continues her education in management and leadership through York University's Schulich School of Business.
Jonathan Bengston
University Librarian
University of Victoria
Jonathan Bengtson has been University Librarian at the University of Victoria since January 2012. Prior to his appointment at Victoria, he served as director of library and archives at the University of St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto, as well as the library director and Fellow for the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies (PIMS). While in Toronto, Bengtson was closely involved in the U of T’s partnership with the Internet Archive to mass digitize materials for open access. Before arriving in 2004 at the University of Toronto, Bengtson was head librarian of Corpus Christi College and then The Queen’s College, Oxford, and, afterwards, the executive director of the Providence Athenaeum in Providence, Rhode Island. He holds an MPhil from Oxford University, an MLIS from University College London, and a summa cum laude BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is the current President of Canadiana.org and the British Columbia Electronic Library Network, and serves on various boards within and outside of the profession, including the Multicultural History Society of Ontario and the Pacific Opera Victoria.
Gwen Bird
Dean of Libraries
Simon Fraser University
Gwen Bird has been Dean of Libraries at Simon Fraser University since October 2014. Previously, she served as Executive Director of the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL) from 2011 – 2014, coordinating collaboration between western Canadian university libraries. During this time she was active in the International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC), and the international shared print archiving community.
Prior to her appointment at COPPUL she was Associate University Librarian, Collections and Scholarly Communication at SFU, with overall responsibility for collections management, the acquisitions budget, and licensing of electronic resources. From 2003 – 2008 she was a member of the Content Strategy Committee at CRKN (then the NRT). Gwen's research and professional interests include shared print archiving, library collaboration, and collections management.
A Toronto native, Bird earned an honours BA in English at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. in 1986, followed by a Master of Library Science at the University of British Columbia in 1992.
Prior to her appointment at COPPUL she was Associate University Librarian, Collections and Scholarly Communication at SFU, with overall responsibility for collections management, the acquisitions budget, and licensing of electronic resources. From 2003 – 2008 she was a member of the Content Strategy Committee at CRKN (then the NRT). Gwen's research and professional interests include shared print archiving, library collaboration, and collections management.
A Toronto native, Bird earned an honours BA in English at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. in 1986, followed by a Master of Library Science at the University of British Columbia in 1992.
Ken Blonski
Director of Operations
CRKN
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Operations oversees the business operations of CRKN, including finance, compliance, human resources, IT, facilities and risk management.
Ken moved to Ottawa from Yellowknife in 2009 to work with CRKN. He has an eclectic work experience and enjoys varied challenges and opportunities for problem solving and creativity. Ken obtained a BCom from the University of Alberta, and an MBA from Queen's University. He obtained his CMA in Alberta in 2001, and is now a member of CPA Ontario. He has worked previously in public practice, in industry, and most recently for a publicly traded aviation company.
Ken moved to Ottawa from Yellowknife in 2009 to work with CRKN. He has an eclectic work experience and enjoys varied challenges and opportunities for problem solving and creativity. Ken obtained a BCom from the University of Alberta, and an MBA from Queen's University. He obtained his CMA in Alberta in 2001, and is now a member of CPA Ontario. He has worked previously in public practice, in industry, and most recently for a publicly traded aviation company.
Samuel Cassady
Digital Information Resources Librarian
Western University
Samuel Cassady has been the Digital Information Resources Librarian at Western University for over 2 years, previously holding the position of Head, Collection Development & Technical services at SAIT Polytechnic. Samuel holds a keen interest in collection analysis, and is presently working with committee members at Western to develop a ‘Resource Evaluation Inventory,’ which will allow librarians to evaluate journals at the package, title and subject levels. In his spare time, Samuel enjoys renovating his 1871 farm home and trying – in vain – to discipline his bengal cat, Daisy.
Corey Davis
Digital Preservation Network Coordinator
Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL)
Corey Davis is the Digital Preservation Network Coordinator for the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL), where he develops services, infrastructure, and organizational capacity to support long-term preservation. He has been active in academic libraries for 15 years, most recently as Systems Librarian at the University of Victoria, where he oversaw web archiving and digital preservation. He is active in several national preservation efforts, including as a founding member of the Portage Preservation Expert Group and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries’ Digital Preservation Working Group.
Émilie Fortin
Head of Digitization and Digital Production Center
Université Laval
Émilie Fortin completed her Master's Degree in Information Science from Université de Montréal by spending one year at the Haute école de gestion of Geneva. In 2010, she was hired at the Université Laval Library and made responsible for the preservation and conservation of physical and digital collections. She recently helped set up the Library's Digitization and Digital Production Center and was appointed to the CRKN's Trusted Digital Repository Task Group.
Jason Friedman
Senior Member Services Officer
CRKN
The Senior Member Services Officer has responsibility for providing license maintenance support to members, administering the content program including coordinating and supporting the negotiations process and on-going contracts management. He works closely with the Content Strategy Committee, provides staff support to the Serials Management Sub-committee and promotes CRKN's Journal Value Analytics service.
Jason has member experience as an Electronic Resources Technician at University of Ottawa, where he provided bilingual service to the University community. He completed his Master of Information Studies from the University of Ottawa in 2014. He has a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in History and a minor in English from George Washington University and a Master of Arts in History from McGill University.
Jason has member experience as an Electronic Resources Technician at University of Ottawa, where he provided bilingual service to the University community. He completed his Master of Information Studies from the University of Ottawa in 2014. He has a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in History and a minor in English from George Washington University and a Master of Arts in History from McGill University.
Stéphanie Gagnon
Head of Collections
Université de Montréal
Stéphanie Gagnon has been the Head of Collections for the Université de Montréal’s library network since May 2013. She was involved in the analysis work done by the Groupe de travail sur Ia collection de périodiques (GTCP), which put forward the periodical collection analysis methodology, and she then spearheaded the implementation of the large deconstruction project of large sets. She has chaired the Groupe de travail sur le développement concerté des collections des bibliothèques universitaires québécoises (DCBU) of the Bureau de coopération interuniversitaire (BCI) since 2014. She previously held the position of head of the Acquisitions and Development Department of the Universal Collection of the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). At the time, she was on the negotiating committee of the Consortium d'acquisition de ressources électroniques du Québec (CAREQ) and contributed to the development of the e-book lending platform Pretnumerique.ca, developed for Quebec’s public libraries. She has a Bachelor’s degree in French literature (ULaval) and a Master’s degree in library science and information science (UdeM).
Scott Gillies
Associate University Librarian
Wilfred Laurier University
Scott Gillies is currently an Associate University Librarian at Wilfrid Laurier University, a medium-sized public research university in Ontario. His current portfolio includes the following areas: acquisitions and collections, metadata and cataloguing and user and liaison services. Special interests include the role of library consortia in developing and managing information resources, management of legacy print collections, management and labour relations
Caitlin Horrall
Corporate Secretary
National Heritage Digitization Strategy
Caitlin Horrall is the Corporate Secretary to the National Heritage Digitization Strategy. In this role, she helps the Steering Committee deliver on its action plan; leads the development and delivery of projects; and communicates the value of the strategy to anyone who will listen. Prior to this, she was the Chief of the Standards and Systems team at Library and Archives Canada.
Alexandra Houde
Senior Content & Licensing Officer
CRKN
On secondment from the Université de Montréal for the 2017 year, Alexandra is responsible for administering the CRKN Content program including coordinating the negotiations process, on-going contracts management, and license maintenance support. Alexandra performs staff support for CRKN committees and task groups.
Alexandra has a Master's Degree in Library and Information Sciences (2003), and an Honours Baccalaureate in Linguistics (1997), both from the Université de Montréal. Alexandra’s professional interests include usage data analytics, license negotiations and collection assessment.
Alexandra has a Master's Degree in Library and Information Sciences (2003), and an Honours Baccalaureate in Linguistics (1997), both from the Université de Montréal. Alexandra’s professional interests include usage data analytics, license negotiations and collection assessment.
Heather McMullen
Associate University Librarian
Queen's University
Heather McMullen is an Associate University Librarian at Queen’s University with responsibilities for Information Resources and Open Scholarship Services. She came to Queen's in 2015 from Harvard University, where she has held leadership roles at the Harvard Kennedy School Library, the Harvard College Library. As well, her experience includes positions at MIT and the Bank of Canada. Heather's roles have included responsibilities for collections, reference services, instruction, research consultation and data services, and have involved planning and budgeting, the management of human resources, facilities and technology, and the implementation of change and organizational development. She has been recognized with awards in her workplaces for exceptional contributions and leadership, and she has been an active contributor to the profession through local, national and international activities. Heather has a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario and an Honours Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from the University of Waterloo.
Todd Mundle
Chair, Content Strategy Committee
University Librarian
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Todd Mundle has been University Librarian at Kwantlen Polytechnic University since May 2012. Prior to that he served as Associate University Librarian at Simon Fraser University Library with responsibilities for Collections and Scholarly Communications and previously, for Library’s budget and personnel. As SFU’s Head, Collections Management, he was involved in the early years of the CNSLP project.
Prior to SFU he worked as a liaison librarian at the University of Regina. Mr. Mundle plays an active role in BC’s library community recently chairing the Council of Post Secondary Library Directors and the AskAway Advisory Committee. From 2004 to 2011 he served on the Steering Committee of the BC Electronic Library Network, including chairing it for two years. He has been Treasurer of the British Columbia Library Association and sat on the Library 2020 Organizing Committee.
He also served as President of the Saskatchewan Library Association, Institutional Director for the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries and member of the National Library of Canada’s Resource Sharing Review Working Group. Throughout his career Mr. Mundle has had a keen interest in technology, copyright, collection development and labour relations. He received his MLS (1989) and BA in History (1984) both from UBC
Prior to SFU he worked as a liaison librarian at the University of Regina. Mr. Mundle plays an active role in BC’s library community recently chairing the Council of Post Secondary Library Directors and the AskAway Advisory Committee. From 2004 to 2011 he served on the Steering Committee of the BC Electronic Library Network, including chairing it for two years. He has been Treasurer of the British Columbia Library Association and sat on the Library 2020 Organizing Committee.
He also served as President of the Saskatchewan Library Association, Institutional Director for the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries and member of the National Library of Canada’s Resource Sharing Review Working Group. Throughout his career Mr. Mundle has had a keen interest in technology, copyright, collection development and labour relations. He received his MLS (1989) and BA in History (1984) both from UBC
Tanja Neimann
Executive Director
Érudit
Tanja Niemann is Executive Director of the Érudit Consortium. Tanja holds a communication degree from the University of Leipzig in Germany, where she specialized in Book Studies and Publishing. With more than 10 years of experience in academic publishing and research dissemination, she has supported many journals in their transition to digital publishing and Open Access. She developed essential strategic partnerships for Érudit and the publishers represented in order to increase visibility of Canadian research outputs worldwide.
Craig Olsvik
Senior Content & Licensing Officer
CRKN
As Senior Content & Licensing Officer, Craig is responsible for administering the Content program including coordinating the negotiations process, on-going contracts management, and license maintenance support. Craig performs staff support for the Content Strategy Committee and other committees and task groups, as well as oversees the frontline Member Services function. He joined the CRKN team in May 2011 as Member Services & Licensing Officer, and moved to his current position in January 2013.
Craig is a graduate from the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program at Dalhousie University and has previously worked at Saint Mary’s University.
Craig is a graduate from the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program at Dalhousie University and has previously worked at Saint Mary’s University.
Brian Owen
Associate Dean of Libraries for Library Technology and Special Collections
Simon Fraser University
Brian Owen is Associate Dean of Libraries for Library Technology and Special Collections at Simon Fraser University and, since 2005, Managing Director of the Public Knowledge Project (PKP). A past recipient of the CARL Award for Distinguished Service to Research Librarianship, Mr. Owen’s ongoing contribution to research librarianship is reflected in his commitment to Canadian scholarly communication.
Alan Shepard
Chair of the Board of Directors
President and Vice-Chancellor
Concordia University
Professor Alan Shepard is president of Concordia University in Montréal. Concordia is one of Canada's largest and most innovative urban universities. Its founding institutions, Loyola College (1896) and Sir George Williams University (1926), gave rise in 1974 to the modern Concordia, now home to 46,000 students.
Alan joined Concordia in 2012 from Toronto, where he had served as provost of Ryerson University. There he led teams developing entrepreneur-based experiential learning, including the Digital Media Zone (DMZ) and the Centre for Urban Energy. Alan has also held leadership roles in Virginia and Texas and at the University of Guelph.
He studied at St Olaf College and the University of Virginia (PhD 1990), and was a visiting student at Cambridge. He has held senior fellowships at University of Toronto.
His past and present public service includes Canadian Research Knowledge Network, Montréal Board of Trade, Stratford Festival of Canada, Montréal’s Quartier d’innovation, Fondation Montréal Inc., Montréal Science Centre Foundation, and Aéro Montréal.
Alan joined Concordia in 2012 from Toronto, where he had served as provost of Ryerson University. There he led teams developing entrepreneur-based experiential learning, including the Digital Media Zone (DMZ) and the Centre for Urban Energy. Alan has also held leadership roles in Virginia and Texas and at the University of Guelph.
He studied at St Olaf College and the University of Virginia (PhD 1990), and was a visiting student at Cambridge. He has held senior fellowships at University of Toronto.
His past and present public service includes Canadian Research Knowledge Network, Montréal Board of Trade, Stratford Festival of Canada, Montréal’s Quartier d’innovation, Fondation Montréal Inc., Montréal Science Centre Foundation, and Aéro Montréal.
Carol Shepstone
Chair of the Executive Committee
Chief Librarian
Ryerson University
Carol Shepstone is the Chief Librarian at Ryerson University. Prior to this appointment, she was University Librarian with Mount Royal University. Carol has served as a member of a number of Canadian consortia including the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL), The Alberta Library (TAL), and Saskatchewan’s Multitype Library Board. Carol has served on CRKN's Cost Sharing Advisory Group, Finance & Audit Committee, Committee Review Task Group and currently, is Chair of the Executive Committee. Carol’s research and professional interests include organizational culture, library and assessment in the post-secondary setting, copyright and intellectual property and library cooperation and collaboration.
Kimberly Silk
Special Projects Officer
CRKN
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Special Projects Officer develops and implements the project plan for the Integrated Digital Scholarship Ecosystem (IDSE) Project and supports related projects such as the Institutional Mobilization Toolkit, the Canadian National Digital Heritage Index, and the Journal Usage Project. Prior to joining CRKN in the spring of 2015, Kim was Data Librarian at the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Kim’s research interests include examining the value of the librarian in the academic research environment, and evaluating the community impact of public libraries. She earned her Honours BA in English Literature from the University of Waterloo, and her Master of Library Science (MLS) from the University of Toronto.
Chantal St-Louis
Director of Consulting and Collections
Université Laval
With a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Sciences and a Master's degree in Québécois Literature, Chantal St-Louis has been with Université Laval since 2003. As Director of Consulting and collections, a position she has held since 2013, she is responsible for a team of 26 librarians and 2 conservation officers. Her main mandates relate to professional teaching and research services as well as cultural mediation and collection enhancement activities. She is a member of the Working Group on Cooperative Collection Development of Québec University Libraries at the Bureau of University Cooperation (BCI). She was previously responsible for the Library of the Collège de Lévis and the Administrative Library of the Government of Québec.
Robert Tiessen
Content Development Librarian
University of Calgary
Robert Tiessen is a Content Development Librarian within the University of Calgary Libraries & Cultural Resources. He has worked at the University of Calgary Library in various roles since 1999 after moving back to Canada from working as a librarian in Montana and Ohio. His strong interest in licencing eventually led him to work in the Content Development unit.
Leslie Weir
University Librarian
University of Ottawa
Leslie Weir began her professional career at Statistics Canada Library before moving on to the National Library of Canada. In January 2003, she became University Librarian at the University of Ottawa, where she is a member of the faculty of Graduate and Post-doctoral Studies and holds a cross-appointment at the School of Information Studies (ÉSIS). Ms. Weir has played many key roles in the Canadian library landscape, including President of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) from 2008-2010, Chair of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) from 2010-2012, member of the Board of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN), formerly the Canadian National Site License Project (CNSLP) from 2001 – 2009 and from 2011 2013 and President of Canadiana.org from 2012-2016 and currently as President of the Ontario Library Association Ms. Weir was the Principal Investigator on the CRKN CFI-funded project, Digital Content Initiative (DCI) for Human and Social Sciences. She also led groups charged by OCUL with the development of its Scholars Portal initiative from its inception in July 2001 through May 2010. Internationally, Ms. Weir served on the Executive and the Board of the Centre for Research Libraries (CRL) until May 2015 and is currently on the Boards of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and has just been named Secretary of the Management & Marketing Section of IFLA.
Martha Whitehead
Vice-Provost (Digital Planning) and University Librarian
Queen's University
Martha Whitehead is Vice-Provost (Digital Planning) and University Librarian at Queen’s University. She has served as president of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, chair of the Ontario Council of University Libraries, and chair of CRKN’s Executive Committee as well as its Negotiations Resource Team. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Leadership Council on Digital Research Infrastructure and SSHRC’s Programs and Quality Committee. Prior to joining Queen’s, Martha held various roles at the University of British Columbia Library.