About our Teams

At the McLaughlin Library, we’ve embraced a team-based management philosophy that is rooted in our beliefs around shared leadership practices, innovation, personal management, strong communication, and collaboration. A team environment allows us to better leverage these strengths and to better support students and faculty in their academic pursuits.

Guided by the Office of the University Librarian, our internal structure is made up of the following teams:

Archival & Special Collections

Home to more than 20,000 rare books that range from the 16th to the 20th Century, Archival & Special Collections (A&SC) offers a passageway to the culture, social, physical and political history of the University of Guelph (U of G) and its disciplines. A&SC is responsible for collecting, preserving, arranging, describing, making accessible U of G’s special, rare, and archival information resources. They also provide experiential learning opportunities at U of G.

The team is responsible for the development, curation, and preservation of our unique collections.

Assessment & Reporting

Assessment & Reporting is responsible for assessment and user experience (UX) in the library. The team provides valuable information that leads to the improvement of library services, programming, collections, and spaces.

Collections & Content

Collections & Content (C&C) is responsible for building, maintaining, and stewarding general library collections. By engaging in evidence-informed decision making, C&C builds collections that are central to the evolving curriculum and research activities at U of G. C&C includes the following sub-teams:

Acquisitions & Resource Management

Acquisitions & Resources Management is responsible for the acquisition of resources, ensuring resources are discoverable and available, managing collections throughout their life cycle, and providing technical support to library staff and users.

Collection Development

Collection Development is responsible for building and curating general collections and collections of record – comprehensive research collections on topics of historical and enduring interest to the university.

Course Material & Reserves Services

Course Materials & Reserves Services are responsible for creating, processing, and cataloguing course related materials and facilitating students’ access to them. Content includes materials from the library’s general collections, materials provided by faculty, course notes, assignment and exam materials, streaming media, web content, and documents in both print and electronic formats.

Digital Strategies & Technology

Digital Strategies & Technology provides information technology services that support the library and our user community. The team:

• Manages, purchases, and maintains hardware, software, services, and licenses
• Oversees IT (Information Technology) and digital project management, development, customization, and integration of library systems
• Supports library systems and technology used in research, teaching, and learning

Learning & Curriculum Support

Learning & Curriculum Support (L&CS) is responsible for many of the forward-facing service functions of the library. L&CS is comprised of several sub-teams:

Access Services

Access Services manages the Ask Us Desk and is your first stop in discovering all library services, workshops, and events. They manage library user accounts, loan books and course reserve materials from U of G and beyond.

Information Literacy  

Information Literacy provides research assistance to students and researchers who wish to enhance their information research skills. They also collaborate with faculty and instructors to develop in-class instruction, assignments and assessment tools to support and enhance students’ research skills.

Library Accessibility Services

Library Accessibility Services (LAS) offers a range of services, spaces, and adaptive software and technology, to help students with disabilities with reading, writing, note-taking, and studying. U of G students registered with Student Accessibility Services have full access to what LAS offers.

Media Studio

The Media Studio supports students in enhancing their digital literacy skills, and partners with faculty who wish to incorporate digital learning into their courses and curricula.

Writing & Learning Services

Writing and Learning Services supports students at all levels as they strive to become independent, resilient, and strategic learners. They support instructors and campus partners in their efforts to help students develop academic skills and make academic transitions. In addition to providing a wide range of resources, workshops and support, the team is also home to a variety of core programs that assist students in reaching their academic goals.

Learn more about:

• Writing Resources & Workshops
• Learning Resources & Workshops

Library Administration Services

Library Administration Services contributes to the overall strategy of the library and is comprised of the following teams:

Communications & Marketing

Communications & Marketing is responsible for the library’s communications and marketing strategy. The portfolio includes contributing to website content, social media management, digital and print advertising, publications, newsletters, email marketing, and other promotional efforts.

Facilities Services

Facilities Services maintains and manages the library’s physical space. This includes all physical spaces, shipping and receiving, building improvement projects, and administration of the library’s room bookings.  

Human Resources & Administration

Human Resources & Administration provides support for recruitment, onboarding, compensation, performance planning, staff training and development, and employee relations.

The Tri University Group of Libraries Annex

The Tri University Group of Libraries Annex is the offsite storage facility for the University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Wilfred Laurier University. The team is responsible for filling requests and circulating materials.

Research & Scholarship

Research & Scholarship supports and contributes to the work of researchers and research teams on campus. They support the U of G researchers with author rights, copyright, open scholarship and publishing, open educational resources, research data management, research metrics, and research IDs.

Data Resource Centre

The Data Resource Centre is the central repository at U of G for numeric, statistical, and geospatial data. The team provides support for data-specific needs including collection, cleaning, analysis, and visualization.

Staff Directory

Looking for someone in particular? Browse the Staff Directory to find who you’re looking for.