Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Introducing our newest Library staff, hired in Winter term 2018:
Emily Christofides
User experience specialist, Information services and resources
Emily joined the library on January 15 in the new role of User Experience Specialist, responsible for taking a leadership role in understanding and improving users’ experience with the library. She has worked as a user experience consultant, a researcher, and an instructor, coming to us most recently from CEL where she conducted a university-wide study on the impact of online learning. Earning an MSc in Consumer Behaviour and PhD in Social Psychology, she has worked on projects ranging from understanding why people share the information they do on social media, to how people decide to take part in research. “What I enjoy most about my job is that I am conducting research in order to improve the experience of users in the library, so I get to see the impact of my work.” When not at work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and making music.
The role of User Experience Specialist is new to the Library and will take on a key leadership role in establishing strategic initiatives and directions related to the users’ experience of the Library. Emily will lead investigations into user behaviour, experience and needs, making recommendations on the evolution of the Library’s physical help service points, the built environment, virtual help services and the users’ web experience, ensuring that all services and spaces are accessible.
Tom Harding
Liaison librarian, Information services and resources
Tom Harding joined the Library on February 26, as the new liaison librarian for French, German & Slavic, Spanish and Latin American Studies. He was born and raised in Calgary, going on to earn a Bachelor of Music (musicology) from University of King’s College in Halifax, and a Master of Information from University of Toronto. During library school he worked part-time in the reference and research department at the Robarts Library, and comes to us from a six-month internship at University of Victoria’s special collections and archives. Tom has been enjoying using various foreign languages as part of his day-to-day duties. Outside of work, he enjoys rowing, playing squash and reading, and is interested in Canadian military and architectural history.
Nicole Marcogliese
Archivist, Special Collections & Archives
Nicole joined the Library permanently on February 5, 2018, but has actually been working as an archivist in Special Collections & Archives since January 2017. She takes the lead on arranging, describing and providing access to the Library’s archival collections and the University of Waterloo Archives. Nicole earned a BAH from Queen’s University, going on to concurrently earn a Masters of Information (concentrating on archives and records management) and a Masters of Museum Studies at the University of Toronto. She has interned at Royal Ontario Museum Libraries & Archives, co-curated an exhibit Ontario Science Centre, and volunteered at a number of organizations. When asked about her role, Nicole says, "I believe that information is the most powerful resource we have today. The more I learn, the more I want to help people experience similar moments of discovery and leverage information in a meaningful way." In her spare time you can find her reading autobiographies, brewing a cup of her favourite Earl Grey tea or playing backgammon.
