News

Congrats to Alison (MLIS ’17) from everyone at SIM!

When Stephanie Downs returned to Canada from the UK to become a librarian, she chose to enter the MLIS program at Dalhousie for its sense of community, welcoming faculty and Maritime culture. Diagnosed with cervical cancer at the end of her last year at SIM, Stephanie graduated with her MLIS but lost her hard-fought battle to her illness on May 27th, 2007.

Remembered for her enthusiasm, Stephanie was a “doer” and very active in school life, serving as 2005-2006 Co-Chair of SIMSA and SIM Team Captain for the 2005 Halifax “Run for the Cure”. She was also awarded the Student-to-CLA travel award to attend the 2005 CLA Conference in Calgary. This award was established by Stephanie’s family and friends in her memory.

Alison Brown is a mother, wonderer, wanderer, and student in the Master of Library and Information Studies program at Dalhousie University. She has lived across the country and around the world, working with organizations that connect people to beautiful books and important resources. Working with street-involved youth in Tanzania and Thailand, feminist lawyers and community organizers in Kenya, community journalists in Vancouver, social justice educators in Toronto, and sea turtle conservationists in Costa Rica, Alison has had incredible opportunities to live among and learn from those dedicated to a more just and generous world.

Motivated by a deep and abiding passion for creating spaces where communities not only consume but create content, Alison has implemented programs that facilitate self-directed learning, mentorship, and collaboration. Her work has been rooted in social justice values, consensus and cooperative principles, and amplifying voices less heard.

As a lifelong learner, Alison is pursuing her MLIS with an intention to gain new skills and experiences that will strengthen and expand the work she loves. This year, she will begin her thesis work with a participatory action research project exploring the information practices of marginalized youth. She extends her learning and contributions beyond the classroom through chairing SIMConnect, a professional mentorship program, and as an active member of Atlantic Provinces Library Association, Progressive Librarians Guild, the International Federation of Library Associations and her children’s school’s committees. She is excited about a career that incorporates her commitment to knowledge mobilization, community-led librarianship, and international library development.

More information about SIM’s awards and scholarships can be found here.