My time at the University of Regina began in 1994 as an undergrad student, which resulted several years later in a BFA. After that I had some part-time positions at the Bookstore and Mailroom at the same time I was doing installation work at several art galleries. Then in September 2004 I started working at the Archer Library full time in what was then known as Circulation (now User Services.) From there I moved on to working the Micro Materials department (prior to the restructuring of that area) before finally accepting a Reference Assistant position in 2010. I’ve seen many changes in the library over the years, from the amalgamation with the old Fine Arts / Education Library (which was just finishing up when I arrived in 2004) to the unification of the Reference and Circulation desks. Also in that timeframe I’ve expanded my duties and skills to include library instruction, student tutoring, activities coordinating, and graphic design. A significant part of my work week now involves designing promotional material for library and library-adjacent events, initiatives, and content for social media. Likewise, my BFA training has found an application in the scripting, shooting and editing of library tutorial and orientation videos, as well as assisting with the Archway art exhibition space on the library’s main floor.

When COVID19 arrived and library staff were sent home to work remotely, it was a mentally taxing time for me (as it was for most people.) But as the weeks went on and I settled into the new routine, I became more willing to use this time as a unique opportunity for growth and creativity. In April 2020, I volunteered to become an instructional designer for the T.L.C. and Flexible Learning to help create the framework for mid-term and final exams, which now needed to be completed online due to the pandemic. This became a challenging but enlightening task since it allowed me to learn about how UR Courses is constructed behind the scenes and gave me a better understanding of the various measures implemented to prevent cheating during online exams.

In August 2020 an even bigger opportunity presented itself to me, which was to assist Archives and Special Collections in processing a massive art donation from the estate of Canadian artist Mary Filer. Some 4000+ artworks needed to be cataloged, organized, evaluated and documented to meet the art appraiser’s deadline, so it was a huge undertaking. But again, it was another good use of my BFA and previous experience handling artwork, so I was happy to help. Not to mention how pleasant it was to spend the hottest part of summer 2020 working mostly alone in the air conditioned Archives reading room, laying all the drawings and paintings out on the large study tables for photo documentation and to look for thematic groupings amongst Filer’s work. This was also a perfect job for someone with an introverted streak.

In the months that followed, I developed a familiarity with Mary Filer’s style, techniques, and biography, which led to me being asked to help create content for the Filer website launched in March 2021 via oURspace. With our current reduction in on-site operations at the library, I am able to continue my work with Archives by continuing to document the donation and create new content for the Filer website, which will be added during the summer of 2021.