Indigenous Student Librarian program – in partnership with McGill University and Université de Montréal

Call for applicants

The call for applicants for the indigenous student librarian is now closed.

About

Concordia University is located on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we gather today. Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections with the past, present and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and other peoples within the Montreal community.

The Indigenous Student Librarian Program offers the opportunity for an Indigenous student to work part-time as a student librarian (or archivist) at Concordia Library, while pursuing a master’s degree in information studies at either McGill or Université de Montréal. This initiative, led by Concordia University Library, is a partnership between three universities: Concordia, McGill University, and Université de Montréal.

Concordia Library is part of Canada’s most dynamic universities in one of North America’s most livable cities. It reflects a unique blend of commitments to diversity, accessibility, social responsibility, and innovation. With over 46,000 students (6,300 international) and nearly 1,700 full-time and part-time professors, Concordia is recognized for offering a rich academic experience combined with strong community engagement. McGill University has a reputation for excellence that reaches around the globe, and its School of Information Studies is the pioneer school of its kind in Canada, offering programs at McGill University in Montreal since 1897. The Université de Montréal is one of the world’s leading research universities, as shown by its excellent standings in international rankings. L’Ecole de bibliothéconomie et sciences de l’information offers a cutting edge program delivered by renowned professors. The close proximity of the three institutions in the city of Montreal creates an opportunity for this collaboration.

At Concordia Library, a team of 120 librarians, professionals, and support staff put student and faculty success at the centre of their practice and collaborate to achieve the goals outlined each year in its annual plan.

Since 2016, Concordia University’s Indigenous Directions Leadership Council provides oversight and guides the implementation of the Indigenous Directions Action Plan. The Plan was created in part to respond to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Indigenous Student Librarian program was launched in 2017 as one of several Library initiatives in the Action Plan.

Objectives of the Indigenous Student Librarian program:

• To support a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit student in obtaining a master’s degree in the field of library and information studies while working at the Concordia Library.
• To foster a culture of diversity and inclusion among members of the library team.
• To offer the opportunity for an Indigenous person to contribute to the Library and to the wider Concordia community.
• To provide the student with a wide exposure to the range of activities in an academic library setting including the opportunity to work in reference, instruction, special collections, and on special projects.
• To allow the student the opportunity to develop experience in areas of interest to begin a successful career in academic librarianship or archives.

The program is two years in length. It is expected that the Indigenous student librarian (or archivist) will complete their master’s degree within that time. The student will work alongside other student librarians, as well as all groups of library staff.

Features of the two-year program include:

• A part-time paid position in the Concordia University Library (Webster Library or Vanier Library). The position entails a guarantee of 15 hours of work per week from September to April and 30 hours per week from May to August for both years. The hourly rate of pay is currently $22.30 plus benefits.
• Master’s degree tuition and student fees waived by Université de Montréal or covered by Concordia University.
• Supervision and mentorship by professional librarians.
• Access to all support services for Indigenous students at either McGill University or Université de Montréal.
• Support from the Otsenhákta Student Centre at Concordia University.
• Possibility to attend one conference related to Indigenous librarianship, such as the International Indigenous Librarians’ Forum.

Eligibility

The program is open to students with Canadian citizenship. Applicants must be accepted into the Master of Information Studies (MISt) program at McGill University or the Maîtrise en sciences de l’information (MSI) at Université de Montréal and beginning their studies in the fall term.

Candidates must be citizens of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities of Canada. Proof of Indigenous identity may be required.

Application and instructions

In order to be considered for the program, applicants must have submitted their application to their university of choice and have received an offer of admission to the information studies program from the institution.

OR

The applicant may apply to the program before being accepted by a university. Acceptance into the student librarian program is dependent upon the student enrolling in a Master’s degree program leading to a MISt. or MSI.

To apply, please submit the following documents:

• Cover letter, including your goals for the program and future plans in the field of library and information studies (approximately 500 words);
  • When applying, the candidate should indicate in the cover letter to which school(s) they have applied. Upon acceptance to either McGill’s MISt. program or Université de Montréal’s MSI program, the applicant should forward the official offer of admission.
• One letter of recommendation from an instructor, supervisor (past or present), or a member of the community;

The following elements are not required for applicants:

• A resume/cv is optional, but not required;
• A university transcript is not required;
• Previous experience working in libraries, archives, museums, or cultural institutions is not required.

Deadline

The deadline for receiving the complete application (cover letter and letter of recommendation) for the Indigenous student librarian at Concordia is March 1, 2024 by 5:00 PM (EDT). Applications may be submitted in either English or French.

Applications and letters of recommendation should be submitted to rajiv.johal@concordia.ca.

Notification of the successful candidate will be given in April or May 2024.

The Concordia University Library Indigenous Student Librarian program is expected to begin September 1, 2024. Classes at McGill and Université de Montréal usually start during the last week of August or first week of September.

For more information about the program or for questions about the application process, please contact Rajiv Johal, Associate University Librarian, Research & Graduate Studies, rajiv.johal@concordia.ca.

For information about admissions to the McGill University MISt. program, contact Kathryn Hubbard, Administrative & Student Affairs Coordinator at admissions.sis@mcgill.ca. For information about admission to the Université de Montréal MSI program, contact Alain Tremblay at ebsiinfo@ebsi.umontreal.ca. The deadlines for applying for admission to the master’s programs are January 15, 2024 (McGill) and February 1, 2024 (Université de Montréal).