Get Involved at the iSchool and the Community at Large
Faculty of Information Clubs, Groups, & Associations
These are activities organized by Faculty of Information students, for Faculty of Information students. Some of them are student chapters of professional organizations relevant to various concentrations at the Faculty of Information, while others may be of interest to the entire student body. These groups have been confirmed active as of September 2019. To contact any of the Club Heads/Presidents, look for them on social media, or email us and we can put you in touch.
Thursday, September 10: 12pm -1:30pm MISC Clubs Day/Brown Bag
We welcome all students to our a virtual brown-bag lunch showcasing various iSchool clubs! The event will take place on the MISC Microsoft Teams account. Each club will have their own “table” or channel where you can filter in and out of video calls to engage with club members and learn about their initiatives! Current list of registered clubs include: the iJournal, Special Libraries Association, Fibre Arts, The Association of Moving Image Archivists, Librarians Without Borders, and your student councils, MISC & MUSSA!
ARLIS/NA is a professional group composed of librarians, curators, archivists and arts administrators working in the field of art information. Through the UofT chapter, the association hopes to connect with future professionals, encourage awareness for specialty art libraries through tours and events, and create a forum for discourse in this specialized field.
Toronto Association of Moving Image Archivists Student Chapter (AMIA@UofT)
The University of Toronto Association of Moving Image Archivists Student Chapter (AMIA@UofT) is a professional association that aims to raise awareness about moving image preservation through a variety of professional and social events. We hope to bring together those interested in the future of moving images. To see more of what we do please visit our blog and Facebook page.
More information: https://amiaatuoft.wordpress.com/
The University of Toronto Association of Canadian Archivists Student Chapter (UofT ACA) is dedicated to representing the future professionals of the Canadian archival community. We encourage all students who are interested in archives to participate in Chapter activities and liaise with our parent organization. The Chapter exists to encourage student involvement in the archival community and to interact with other archival students and professionals across Canada. The chapter has monthly meetings and organizes a number of social events and speakers throughout the year.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/ACAUofT/
The University of Toronto's CAPAL Student Chapter was formed in Summer 2014 and allows students to connect with and learn from information professionals in academic librarianship. The CAPAL Student Chapter is an extracurricular organization that curates resources and events that promote excellence in librarianship. Their mission is to introduce library students to the opportunities and professional development options available to them, while educating ourselves and our colleagues on core principles and ethics of librarianship.
More information: https://utcapal.wordpress.com
To teach students how to be more ecologically proactive and improve sustainability initiatives at the Faculty.
FILM CLUB aims to bring together UofT students from the iSchool and other departments who share an interest in films which challenge traditional styles and narratives of art and politics. Selected films demonstrate alternative perspectives on social-political issues such as gender identity, mental health, colonialism, and broadly incorporate iSchool themes: technology, archives/archival media, libraries...and of course iNformation. Screenings include snacks (potluck style) and take place in the iLounge. Discussion periods follow screenings. Suggested titles from members of FILM CLUB are welcome and encouraged.
Founded in 2015, the iJournal is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal run by graduate students at the iSchool. Our aim is to publish exemplary student research on the divergent topics of information studies, thereby fostering collective identity and interdisciplinary understanding among information students, faculty, and practitioners.
More information: http://theijournal.ca
Every year, members of the iSchool student body organize a conference at the Faculty of Information, sponsored in part by the Master of Information Student Council.This is an opportunity for self-reflection and educated prognostication; it allows students, faculty, scholars and professionals to build an understanding of an iSchool program, the work performed there and what it means for the future of the field. We welcome students to participate by submitting work, volunteering, or attending the three-day event! You can also like us on Facebook. You can also peruse links and descriptions of past and present conference websites.
The iSchool Chinese Professional Association (iCPA/isCPA) leads the effort in helping newcomers settle down, promoting awareness, facilitating communications to improve the students experiences at Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. More importantly, it aims to enhance the professional development for future careers as well as to foster and support innovation and entrepreneurship for the members.
More information: http://iscpa.ca/
The iSchool Doctoral Student Association (DSA) represents the special interests of the doctoral students and concerns pertaining to the doctoral studies program at the Faculty of Information; it also works toward improving communication among doctoral students, masters students, and faculty. The DSA was formed in 1989, as a body providing separate representation for PhD students. It was established at the suggestion of the ALA accreditation team. All PhD students, full and part-time, are automatically members of the DSA.
More information: http://www.ischooldsa.ca/
A place for crafters to share their projects and passion for various fibre arts.
"We believe that in today’s global economy, knowledge of a second language leads to a greater number of career opportunities; however, such knowledge also leads to more meaningful leisure interactions with diverse populations. For this reason, we are proposing to establish the first-ever iSchool French Club, recognized by the MISC.
The iSchool French Club will provide an opportunity for students who are interested in the French culture to practice their French-language skills with one another while exploring and participating in French-language events in the city. One of our co-presidents has experience teaching French to non-native speakers and will be able to devise methods for learning the language in casual settings. The other has affiliations with French cultural institutions in Toronto and will be reaching out to those associations to organize club events. Students of all levels will be welcomed into our community, enabling those who are already fluent in French to maintain and strengthen their skills, and others who are interested in developing an understanding of the language to find inspiration and support from their peers. Ultimately, this club will encourage socialization among classmates, the exploration of different cultures, collaborative language discovery, and above all, fun! "
Like a book club, but with podcasts!
The Podcast Club will bring together iSchool Students of all disciplines who love podcasts with the purpose of fostering community, dialogue, and critical thinking.
Librarians Without Borders U of T is the student run chapter of Librarians Without Borders, a non-profit organization that strives to provide access to information regardless of cultural, geographical or linguistic boundaries. Our goal at Librarians Without Borders University of Toronto is to address the information resource inequity that exists on both a local and international level. We do this through collaborative efforts with the University of Toronto iSchool and our parent organization Librarians Without Borders. Our local/global fundraising and awareness initiatives enable us to contribute to the access of information in diverse communities.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Librarians-Without-Borders-U-of-T-Chapter/397410673657649
The purpose of the Museum Studies Student Association (MUSSA) is to: Foster unity, sociability, and friendship among members of the Association and Faculty of Information (iSchool) community; Represent the members within the Museum Studies program, the ischool, the School of Graduate Studies, the Graduate Students' Union, and the University of Toronto community at large; Seek representation on the Museum Studies' program's decision-making bodies; Seek representation on Faculty decision-making bodies and Council Committees; Promote the advancement of museum studies; and, Facilitate professional relations between members and the museum community.
More information: http://mussa-ischool.weebly.com
Mentoring @ iSchool is a student-run service, organized by current Faculty of Information students in an effort to help incoming students feel at home at the iSchool. To learn more about this program, have a look at our page on the iSchool site. Be sure to join our Facebook group, where you can pose your questions to fellow members of iSchool student community!
More information: http://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/mentoring
The Special Library Association Toronto Student Group (SLA-TSG) is a branch of the SLA run by students at the iSchool at the University of Toronto. While the group reports directly to SLA headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, the SLA-TSG also closely interacts with the SLA Toronto chapter. This dynamic chapter provides a great deal of leadership, guidance and networking opportunities for the Toronto student group. Throughout the year the SLA-TSG interacts with the information professional community in Toronto by networking at SLA events, organizing tours of a variety of special libraries around the city, and hosting various career-focused events at the iSchool. An ongoing project of the SLA-TSG is the Professional Profile Series: interviews with current information professionals consisting of both recent grads and seasoned experts, with the aim of discovering what career opportunities exist for those interested in the special library profession and what paths can be taken to achieve such careers.
More information: http://slatsg.blogspot.com
"The iSchool book club’s purpose is to provide a community through which interested iSchool students can embrace their love of reading and books, and meet other iSchool students who share this love. Reading and discussion encourages critical thinking, allow us to better understand other peoples' lives and perspectives through reading about them, and builds connections between students who share a similar passion.
The club will facilitate dialogue through a community-chosen book for the group to read and discuss every month. A monthly cycle will mean that students who are especially busy in a particular month can skip that book and meeting and still easily continue to participate in the following months. We will also aim to pick shorter books to make them more accessible to the busy student schedule.
The club will also offer the space and platform through which iSchool students can discuss books in general, exchange recommendations, and connect with fellow book-lovers at the iSchool. Furthermore, often the intense studies required in Grad School make it difficult to continue to pursue reading. This club can act as a source of momentum for those students who want encouragement to read more.
Club principles will emphasize reading diversely and expanding our reading horizons, informed and inspired by organizations like We Need Diverse Books (http://weneeddiversebooks.org/) and Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenges (http://bookriot.com/2015/12/15/2016-book-riot-read-harder-challenge/). Book selections will be leisure/hobby/recreation-motivated—whether non-fiction, literary fiction, chick lit, romance, etc.—rather than academically-motivated; that is, books chosen for discussion need not relate directly to a particular area of study at the iSchool."
U of T Groups
These are other groups and activities of interest for graduate students at the University of Toronto in general.
Grad Minds is the official Graduate Student Mental Health Ad-Hoc Committee at the University of Toronto, a sub-committee of the Graduate Student Union (GSU). Grad Minds represents the interests and concerns of the graduate student population at the University of Toronto.
More information: http://www.gradminds.ca/
The Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) at the University of Toronto represents over 17,000 students studying in over 80 departments. For many years this union has advocated for increased student representation, funding, and provided services such as health insurance, confidential advice, and a voice for the graduate student body on the various committees of the University.
More information: https://www.utgsu.ca/
External Groups
These are the major professional associations and activities that may be of interest to information professionals.
The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world, providing association information, news, events, and advocacy resources for members, librarians, and library users. Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of ALA is to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.
More information: http://www.ala.org/
The Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) consists of over 600 members and represents archival institutions, all those working in archives, as well as users and supporters of archives. Established in 1993 as a result of the amalgamation of the Ontario Association of Archivists and the Ontario Council of Archives, the AAO is the voice of archives in Ontario.
More information: http://aao-archivists.ca/
Founded in 1977, the Art Librarians Association of North America (ARLIS/NA) includes over 1500 members in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and is the only professional organization in North America devoted exclusively to the concerns of art information specialists. The Ontario Chapter addresses these concerns on a local level, and welcomes archivists, librarians, visual resource curators, museum and gallery professionals, artists and designers, and those working in the areas of dance, theatre and film.
More information: http://arlison.org/
The Association for Information Systems (AIS) serves society through the advancement of knowledge and the promotion of excellence in the practice and study of information systems. AIS is the premier professional association for individuals and organizations who lead the research, teaching, practice, and study of information systems worldwide. Its strategic goals are to: promote AIS as a global leader for excellence in information systems research, practice, and education; position information systems as a leading profession in the service of society; lead and promote excellence in information systems education and scholarship; and provide services and products to meet the diverse needs of members and related communities.
More information: http://start.aisnet.org/
The Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) is a federally incorporated, not-for-profit association. The ACA was established in 1975, and incorporated in 1978, after operating for a number of years as the Archives Section of the Canadian Historical Association (CHA). Today, the ACA represents over 600 English-speaking archivists in Canada, with headquarters in Ottawa. Our mission is to provide the archival profession leadership and to facilitate an understanding and appreciation of Canada’s archival heritage.
More information: http://archivists.ca/
The Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (Canada) represents researchers, front-line fundraisers and other Canadian professionals with an interest in the field of advancement research.
More information: http://www.apracanada.ca/
CAPAL is a national membership association representing the interests of professional academic librarians in relation to the areas of education, standards, professional practice, ethics, and core principles. CAPAL differs from other library associations in that it is an advocacy group focused on the individual and the profession. Like other academic associations, we aim to work collaboratively with local, provincial and national organizations currently working on behalf of librarians and libraries. CAPAL evolved in response to the challenges academic librarians have faced in recent years.
More information: http://capalibrarians.org/
The Canadian Library Association (CLA) is an award-winning not-for-profit organization, serving as the national voice of the Canadian library and information community and delivering a range of value-added services to professional librarians, library technicians, trustees and the organizations that employ them.
More information: http://www.cla.ca/
IASSIST is an international organization of professionals working in and with information technology and data services to support research and teaching in the social sciences. Its 300 members are from a variety of workplaces, including data archives, statistical agencies, research centers, libraries, academic departments, government departments, and non-profit organizations. As an organization, IASSIST strives to foster and promote a network of excellence for data service delivery, advance infrastructure in the social sciences, and provide opportunities for collegial exchange of sound professional practices. IASSIST members are working together to advocate for responsible data management and use, to build a broader community surrounding research data, and encourage the development of data professionals.
More information: http://www.iassistdata.org/
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession.
More information: http://www.ifla.org/
Librarians Without Borders (LWB) is an organization that was born in February 2005 by a group of socially-minded librarians who wanted to address the vast information resource inequity existing between different regions of the world. Our vision is to build sustainable libraries and support their custodians and advocates — librarians.
More information: http://lwb-online.org/
Founded in 1900, the Ontario Library Association (OLA) is the oldest continually operating library association in Canada. With more than 5,000 members, the OLA is the largest library association in the country. We provide an opportunity for the people in our field to associate, to meet, to share experience and expertise, to create innovative solutions in a constantly changing environment. The OLA also organizes an annual Super Conference in Toronto, which is Canada's largest continuing education event in librarianship, along with Canada's largest library trade show. iSchool students have the opportunity to volunteer at the conference and receive free conference registration, which is an excellent opportunity to meet future employers, network with library information workers in a wide range of positions, visit the exhibits, and attend workshops.
More information: http://www.accessola.com/
Founded in 1936, the Society of American Archivists is North America's oldest and largest national archival professional association. SAA's mission is to serve the educational and informational needs of more than 5,500 individual and institutional members and to provide leadership to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of records of historical value.
More information: http://www2.archivists.org/
The Special Library Association (SLA) is an international association representing the interests of thousands of information professionals in over eighty countries worldwide. Established in 1909, the SLA is composed of a large variety of information professionals, or “special librarians,” who are considered to be information resource experts who collect, analyze, evaluate, package, and disseminate information to facilitate accurate decision-making in corporate, academic, and government settings. The aim of the SLA is to promote and strengthen its members through “learning, advocacy, and networking initiatives.” To this end, the SLA fosters leadership and community through its local chapters and student groups.
More information: http://www.sla.org/
SLA Toronto was founded in 1940 and represents the interests of information professionals in Toronto and most of the province of Ontario west of Kingston. The Toronto Chapter is a dynamic and active organization with over 400 members and is part of SLA, an international organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. We provide an opportunity for information professionals in our area to learn and network at events as well as participate in a discussion list. On this web site you will find our Chapter newsletter, The Courier and the popular web source, the Librarians’ Resource Centre, as well as many other items of interest.
More information: http://toronto.sla.org/
As a member of the Toronto Association of Law Libraries (TALL), you have access to a network of professional contacts, including continuing education programs delivered in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and often accompanied by great food. Our members cover the gamut of the legal community, ranging from law firm, academic, government, legislative, law society, court house and corporate libraries as well as several legal publishers. We invite members and other interested parties to participate in our unmoderated discussion list (T-LAWLIB), hosted by the University of Toronto, to discuss issues of interest to the profession and to share information. See what’s happening with your colleagues that excites and motivates us! In addition, as a bonus of membership and to further serve the needs of members, TALL offers a wide range of publications, including a quarterly Newsletter, an annual Membership Directory, a bi-annual Union List and a Salary Survey. A separate Interlibrary Loan list (TALL-ILL-L) is also available to members only.
More information: http://www.law-lib.utoronto.ca/tall/governance/index.asp
Toronto Special Libraries and Information Services (TSLIS) is a group of local special librarians and “non-traditional” info professionals dedicated to sharing, promoting and benefiting from the wealth of knowledge in Toronto’s professional community. They are a diverse network, with members including librarians in fields like news, law, business and government, as well as research consultants, prospect researchers, and students.
More information: http://tslisnetwork.org/