The Canadian Association of Research Libraries’ Communications Community of Practice is pleased to invite you to its first-ever, free half-day virtual symposium, CommConnect. This inaugural event brings together communications professionals working in academic and research libraries across Canada to share experiences, explore emerging trends, and strengthen our collective practice.
CommConnect is an initiative of the Communications Community of Practice, created as a way to further connect, support, and engage communications professionals working in academic and research libraries across Canada. Building on the Community of Practice’s ongoing conversations and knowledge sharing, this inaugural half-day symposium provides a dedicated space to explore shared challenges, exchange ideas, and learn from one another.
The theme for this year’s symposium is Communicating the Future: Libraries in a Changing Higher Education Landscape. Research libraries are navigating a rapidly evolving higher education and political landscape, with shifting priorities, new technologies, and changing user needs.
This symposium invites us to explore how innovative communication strategies, creative outreach approaches, and emerging tools are helping libraries to engage with their communities in meaningful ways — ensuring they remain visible, relevant, and impactful today and into the future.
*Please note that the symposium will be held in English, with live automated transcription provided in French. There is no cost to attend the symposium.
The CommConnect planning group is pleased to welcome Joe Friesen, The Globe and Mail’s postsecondary education reporter, as the keynote speaker for the CommConnect Virtual Symposium.
Joe will join us in conversation with Mark Asberg, Vice Provost and University Librarian at Queen’s University and Chair of CARL’s Strengthening Capacity Committee. Together, they will explore key issues shaping higher education and public discourse, including:
This keynote conversation will offer valuable insight into how higher education is reported, interpreted, and understood—and how library communicators can engage more effectively in that landscape.
| Time | Session | Presenters |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00 - 11:10 | Welcome Remarks | CARL Executive Director |
| 11:10 - 12:10 | Keynote | Joe Friesen in conversation with Mark Asberg |
| 12:10 - 12:25 | Break | |
| 12:25 - 12:55 | Rebranding with Purpose: Fostering Belonging and Connection through Library Identity | Morgane de Bellefeuille |
| 12:55 - 1:10 | From Niche to Notable: Community-Driven Collection Awareness | Ann Liang & Lindsay Stokalko |
| 1:10 - 1:25 | Break | |
| 1:25 - 1:40 | A Meaningful Experience: Building Advocacy and Engagement through a Library Student Advisory Committee | Anna Moorhouse |
| 1:40 - 2:10 | The Library Tarot: Enchanting Research Support Communications | Jennifer Robinson, Alison Pegg, Simon Court |
| 2:10 - 2:25 | If You Gnome You Gnome: How Plant Summer Camp Grows Mount Allison Libraries and Archives Social Media Impact | Janice Stockall & Robin Lightfoot |
| 2:25 - 2:40 | Break | |
| 2:40 - 3:10 | Confident in the Face of Change: Communications Insights from UBC Library's Education Library Relocation | Amelia Nezil & Julie Mitchell |
| 3:10 - 3:25 | Whose Job is it Anyway? Internal Communications Strategies for Developing Sustainable Communications Workflows in Times of Transition | Gabby Crowley |
| 3:25 - 3:30 | Closing Remarks | Lisa Abram & Kristine Power, Communications CoP co-chairs |
Time: 9:25 am – 9:55 am ET
Presenter: Morgan De Bellefeuille, Université de Montréal
In 2024, the Université de Montréal Libraries embarked on an ambitious transformation—to evolve beyond being seen solely as a service, and to embrace a more human-centered, relational, and emotionally resonant brand identity. This presentation will share how a comprehensive rebranding process—spanning visual identity, tone, website, photography, and user experience—helped reposition the libraries as a vital, human, and forward-looking presence within the university community.
Drawing on this large-scale case study, I will outline the strategic and participatory approach that guided this evolution: co-design with internal teams, consultations with diverse communities, and collaboration with institutional partners. Central to this process was the decision to bring together communications, engagement, and outreach within a newly created unit—the Direction de l’engagement et de l’innovation sociale (Direction of Engagement and Social Innovation, DEIS)—uniting communications, community initiatives, and pedagogical engagement under a single, holistic vision.
By aligning brand identity with social impact, the DEIS fosters a culture of engagement that connects ideas, people, and communities. Through this integrated model, the libraries have redefined what it means to communicate the future: not merely through storytelling and design, but by embodying values of accessibility, innovation, and collaboration in every aspect of their work.
This presentation will offer insights, lessons learned, and practical takeaways for institutions seeking to integrate brand, engagement, and organizational transformation in academic library settings.
Time: 9:55 am – 10:10 am ET
Presenters: Ann Liang & Lindsay Stokalko, University of Saskatchewan
Learn about our strategic community engagement driven approach to promoting the Neil Richards Collection of Sexual and Gender Diversity at the University of Saskatchewan. By monitoring emerging interests in the community and cultivating relationships with individuals whose passions intersect with underexplored areas of the collections, we created a unique opportunity to produce targeted programming to promote this resource. This intentional outreach has led to meaningful collaborations where experts used the collection for their own projects, while becoming ambassadors for its existence and value. Some examples of projects that we have put together with community collaboration that we will discuss include Drag History and Queering the Ring: A Slamming History of Diversity in Wrestling. By spotlighting these contributors and their work, we have fostered a sense of community ownership and pride to encourage further exploration and dialogue around this collection. This model of strategic engagement and content co-creation has allowed us to build a dynamic ecosystem around the collection where it is continually refreshed by new voices and perspectives.
Time: 10:25 am – 10:40 am ET
Presenter: Anna Moorhouse, University of British Columbia Library
Over the past three years, the University of British Columbia (UBC) Library has reshaped its student advisory committee model to create a more meaningful and accessible experience for student members. The changes have not only increased member engagement and provided a sustainable, ongoing model for new member recruitment, but have also transformed the committee into a platform for student relationship-building and authentic feedback.
By introducing structural changes—such as improved recruitment methods, inclusive meeting practices, and new communication pathways—UBC Library has fostered sustained member engagement and transformed the committee into both a reliable source of qualitative insights and a network of student ambassadors, excited to amplify the library’s impact across campus.
This presentation will share:
As student needs and communication preferences continue to evolve, we’ll also discuss how UBC Library continues to evaluate and adapt this model each year to maintain its relevance and effectiveness. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to strengthen advocacy, engagement, and qualitative feedback within their own institutions.
Time: 10:40 am — 11:10 am ET
Presenters: Jennifer Robinson, Alison Pegg, Simon Court, Western University
At a time when research libraries must communicate their value in creative and resonant ways, Western Libraries sought to engage students with research support through an imaginative (and seasonal) lens: a Library Tarot deck. Implemented the week of Halloween in anticipation of students beginning major research assignments, each card in the deck symbolizes an aspect of the research process. From the Search Strategy (the scholar’s spell book) to The Database (the labyrinth of knowledge), the entire deck connects the mystical language of tarot with the tangible supports libraries offer.
This session explores how we used visual storytelling, humor and thematic design to spark curiosity, lower barriers to engagement, and reinforce the message that the library is approachable and essential to the academic journey. Participants will learn how the campaign was conceptualized, designed and implemented, and how it was received by students. By aligning seasonal creativity with strategic engagement goals, Western Libraries used playful yet purposeful theming to create an environment where research support feels both magical and meaningful.
Time: 11:10 am — 11:25 am ET
Presenters: Janice Stockall, Robin Lightfoot, Mount Allison University
Dig into Mount Allison University and Archives’ Plant Summer Camp, an “outside the [planter] box” program that has refocused and grown our library marketing both on social media and in our day-to-day contacts with the Mount Allison community and beyond. Discover how we made one student’s request to look after their houseplants in the spring of 2023 into an award winning, creative, and whimsical social media campaign.
Each summer, student “plant parents” send their plants to camp at the R. P. Bell Library where, under the guidance of their camp counselor Vincent (aka Vinny) Van Grow, they have a different activity in the library, on campus, or in the community that is posted to our social media account. (Find us on Instagram mta_libraries)
Vinny and the plants have become celebrities in the Mount Allison community with many followers eagerly waiting for the weekly activity posts. Since the start of Plant Summer Camp, our followers have more than tripled, and we are harvesting thousands of views and hundreds of likes on individual posts. Our first Plant Summer Camp post in April 2023 had 199 views. In the summer of 2025, our Plant Summer Camp “Dance Party” post had 5729 views. Beyond social media, the camp’s location in the library is also a featured stop on the recruitment and student familiarization tours of campus, which allows the library to be part of a student’s academic journey from the beginning.
Please join us to discuss how we are cultivating the seeds of Plant Summer Camp’s success as we continue to grow this fun and informative social media engagement at a critical point in our Library’s journey “down the garden path,” moving towards the completion of a major renovation in 2030.
Time: 11:40 am — 12:10 pm ET
Presenters: Amelia Nezil, Julie Mitchell, University of British Columbia
As library communicators, we know we play a significant role in leading change across our organizations. But how do we shift out of a reactive mindset to one where we feel prepared and flexible enough to respond with confidence to the unexpected? With effective planning, we have an opportunity to craft communications strategies that are proactive, empathetic and—perhaps most importantly—adaptable.
Amelia Nezil, Director, Library Communications & Marketing, UBC Library and Julie Mitchell, Associate University Librarian, UBC Library will share a case study on their experience communicating through the relocation of UBC Library’s Education Collection and the closure of the Education Library branch. More broadly, they will share insights and lessons learned, as the library continues to navigate the budget challenges that led to the relocation.
Areas of discussion will include:
Attendees can expect to come away with practical tools and strategic insight to help them develop a communications approach that is consistent yet also adaptable to the needs of employees, faculty, students and researchers.
Time: 12:10 pm — 12:25 pm ET
Presenter: Gabby Crowley, Scholars Portal
Amidst staffing changes, a shifting social media landscape, and evolving needs of the Canadian data community, communications strategies for Borealis, the Canadian Dataverse Repository have been continually in flux. In the past two years, the Borealis team has navigated a number of staffing transitions which impacted capacity for a robust communications plan. With new staff joining the Borealis team, the need arose for additional internal coordination of communications goals and workflows to match the fast pace of the Borealis service and initiatives from the broader Canadian data community.
This presentation will discuss strategies the Borealis and Scholars Portal teams are exploring to better organize communications priorities and responsibilities for a relatively new and geographically widespread team. In particular, this presentation will look at using a communications calendar model to improve workflows, capacity, bilingual support, and community outreach and engagement for the service moving forward.
Morgane De Bellefeuille is a cultural manager and strategic leader in the fields of social innovation, communications, and organizational transformation. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University, a Master’s in Arts and Cultural Enterprise Management from HEC Montréal, and a Certificate in Archives and Records Management from the Université de Montréal.
She currently serves as Associate Director and Director of the Direction of Engagement and Social Innovation (DEIS) at the Université de Montréal Libraries. In this role, she leads strategic initiatives in social innovation, community engagement, and institutional transformation—helping to redefine how libraries connect with their communities and communicate their mission. Her work bridges communication strategy, brand identity, and collective engagement, fostering a human-centered culture that aligns institutional purpose with community impact.
Prior to joining the Université de Montréal, Morgane held leadership roles in several cultural organizations, including Director of Services at La Machinerie des arts, Director of Administration and Development at SBC Gallery of Contemporary Art, and Marketing and Commercialization Manager at La Guilde. She has also taught at HEC Montréal as a lecturer in cultural management.
An active contributor to Montréal’s cultural ecosystem, Morgane was selected in 2022 for the Réseau des jeunes femmes leaders of Concertation Montréal and was a finalist for the 2018 ARDI Award recognizing innovation in cultural philanthropy. She served for over seven years as Co-Chair of the HEC Montréal Management & Culture Alumni Committee, five years as President of the Board of Théâtre La Bête Humaine, and as a mentor for Affaires/Arts’ Artvest program supporting Canadian arts organizations.
She has also completed executive certifications in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Management and in Communication and Marketing from HEC Montréal’s School of Executive Education.
Ann Liang is the Business Librarian at the University of Saskatchewan where she teaches marketing research and hunts the next big tech trend. With a B.Sc. in Biology, a B.A in Archaeology she dreamed of running Jurassic Park or becoming Indiana Jones, but when that didn’t pan out, an MLIS from Western and librarianship provided the best of both worlds.
Lindsay Stokalko is the Archives Specialist in the University Archives and Special Collections at the University of Saskatchewan. With a B.A. Honours and M.A. in Archaeology, her fascination with old gossip runs deep. She has extensive experience working with memory institutions on the Western Prairies and is dedicated to locating all the historic hunks lurking within.
Anna Moorhouse is a Communications and Marketing Manager at the University of British Columbia Library in Vancouver, Canada. As a marketing professional, she brings more than 13 years of experience from roles in financial services, the technology sector and higher education. She completed her undergraduate studies at Simon Fraser University with a BSc in Biology, followed by a MA in English Literature at Queen’s University.
Jennifer Robinson is a User Experience Librarian (Student Engagement and Outreach) at Western University where she develops and delivers user-centred services and programs that foster student engagement and inclusion.
Alison Pegg is a User Services Manager at Western University with accountabilities for reference service provision and operationalizing outreach and engagement activities with and for the Western community.
Simon Court is Library Assistant (Engagement and Outreach) at Western University. He focuses on connecting a diverse campus community with library services, spaces, resources, and collections.
Janice Stockall is the Manager of Access Services at Mount Allison with over 25 years experience working in libraries. She has also worked at UNB Law Library. She has been part of the Plant Summer Camp team since it start in April 2023.
Robin Lightfoot is a graduate of the LIT program from Mohawk College and joined MTA as the Assistant Manager of Access Services in 2024. With her degree in Fine Arts(photography) she has quickly become an essential part of Plant Summer Camp and our Social Media team.
Amelia Nezil is the Director, Communications & Marketing at University of British Columbia Library, where she oversees internal and external communications strategies for the library system. Amelia previously spent 10 years working in health-care communications, including managing communications for 11 hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she honed her change management expertise.
Julie Mitchell is the Associate University Librarian, Teaching, Learning and Engagement and Director of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at the University of British Columbia Library. Julie provides strategic leadership and oversight of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and is also responsible for the Music, Art & Architecture Library, David Lam (Business) Library, Education Library and Xwi7xwa Library at UBC.
Gabby Crowley is the Client Services Librarian at Scholars Portal – the service arm of the Ontario Council of University Libraries. She is responsible for consortial information sharing about Scholars Portal services through library communications, documentation, reference support, webinars, and more. She has a BA in English and Creative Writing from Concordia University and a Master of Information (MI) from the University of Toronto, with concentrations in Library & Information Science and Archives & Records Management.
Established in 2022, the Communications Community of Practice (CoP), also known as the CommUNITY, brings together library workers and other colleagues from Canadian academic institutions working or interested in communications. The goals of the CoP are to connect, provide information sharing, and grow expertise and capacity across Canada.
The CoP is managed by a Steering Committee of individuals from the community who meet on a monthly basis to organize community calls, roundtables, workshops, and/or other forms of community engagement. They also create and provide access to resources for the community of practice as related to their activities (e.g., links to presentations, shared resources, etc.).
Steering Committee Members:
