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Congratulations to Kelti McGloin, a fourth-year Juris Doctor/Master of Information (JD/MI) student, who was named the recipient of the 2025-2026 Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Fund scholarship in early October. Awarded annually by the Department of Information Science (DIS), the scholarship benefits a Master of Information student who shows leadership potential in information management, specifically with libraries.

The Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Fund was established in 2007 in honour of Dr. Norman Horrocks, OC, PhD, FCLIP, former director of Dalhousie’s School of Information Management (now DIS) and dean of the Faculty of Management, for his outstanding leadership in the field of librarianship in North America, Australia, and Europe. In addition to the scholarship, the Fund also supports an annual named lecture on information management.

“I am deeply honoured to have been selected as this year’s recipient of the Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Fund,” says McGloin.

“Pursuing the combined degree program has helped me develop a unique skill set that enables me to think about problems in both the legal and information sectors with creativity and rigour that neither degree alone would grant me. This award recognizes the value that interdisciplinary studies can bring to libraries and the broader information profession.”

Growing up in Moncton, NB, McGloin says she always had a passion for social justice and knew she wanted to build a career in a field where she could advocate on behalf of marginalized individuals and communities. “Somewhere along the way, I decided that the best way to do this was by working in law and policy,” she explains, accepting an offer to study at the Schulich School of Law after earning her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Sociology (with minors in Philosophy and Political Science) from Toronto Metropolitan University.

It was during her first year at Schulich Law that she was inspired to pursue a Master of Information alongside her law degree. She had a part-time job at the Sir James Dunn Law Library and had observed the work being done by the law librarians.

“I immediately saw how librarians play a vital role in empowering all actors in the legal system – from students to practitioners to judges to laypeople,” says McGloin. “By asking them about their work, I developed a real sense that information access and literacy are vital to realizing meaningful access to justice.”

McGloin, an active member of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries and the American Association of Law Libraries, has excelled as a reference intern at the law library for the past three years, helping patrons from a variety of backgrounds navigate the complex and sometimes confusing legal information systems to help resolve their needs.

She was also able to incorporate her interest in Aboriginal law through a research assistantship with Schulich Law Associate Professor and Chancellor's Chair in Aboriginal Law and Policy Naiomi Metallic and the Lnuwey Tplutaqan Wikuom. At Metallic’s suggestion, she began working on Best Practices for Writing About Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian Legal Context, a style guide for legal writing at the Schulich School of Law that she co-authored in 2023 with Metallic and Kate Anderson (JD/MI ’24).

After she graduates from Dalhousie this spring, McGloin will do her articles with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. She ultimately hopes to pursue a career in academia as a law librarian, drawing on her diverse professional experience to help future lawyers strengthen their legal research skills.

McGloin will be formally recognized for this accomplishment at the annual Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Lecture set for February 2, 2026.