Organizing Committee

Melanie is a Learning and Curriculum Support Librarian at the University of Guelph. She spends most of her time working out how to help others think about information critically, and looking for new projects (boredom = death). Melanie received a huge amount of help from friends and colleagues when she was starting out, and happily looks for opportunities to pay it forward. She loves cats, popcorn, and dad jokes, and talks smack on Twitter as @BooksCassidy.

Ali, alongside Juliene McLaughlin, is a co-founder of the New Librarians Symposium. Prior to landing at Guelph in 2016, she was a cross-appointed Liaison Librarian for Engineering and Applied Science, as well as Skilled Trades and Apprenticeships at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (now Ontario Tech University) and Durham College. A strong believer in the importance of collective action, Ali is an active union representative who strives to incorporate worker-focused and feminist principles into all aspects of her work. Ali created and maintains the Archives, Library, and Information Mentor Base (ALIMB), an online resource that connects job seekers with experienced mentors. You can find her half-baked thoughts, pictures of plants, and appreciation for Kyle Lowry @aliversluis.