Emily Dafoe
Meet one of the friendliest faces on campus, librarian Emily Dafoe. She is known for her amazing dresses, great dogs that she brings to campus, and helpful nature. She is originally from Canada and her presence on campus makes it a brighter place.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m Emily Dafoe and I am the User Services Librarian at VCSU. I’m originally from Brooklin, Ontario, Canada and have been at VCSU since March of 2018. I have a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Trent University and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario.
What led you to your current position at VCSU?
Prior to VCSU, I worked at a similarly sized university in London, Ontario in the library’s research support department.
As the User Services Librarian, my main role is to support the research needs of VCSU students, staff and faculty. You can usually find me at the library’s Research Help Desk, but I also visit classes to teach about information literacy skills. Other duties that I have at Allen Memorial Library include planning events and programs, purchasing items for the collection and providing library outreach.
What appeals to me most about my work is working with the students and supporting them in their academics. As the User Services Librarian at VCSU I have had the opportunity to connect with the students I serve and seeing their progress over their academic career is incredibly rewarding!
What attracted you to Valley City State, and what’s kept you here?
What brought me to VCSU is the size of the university and VCSU’s commitment to a student-focused, learner-centered education. When I was a student in university, I had experiences with both small campus and large campus settings, and on the small campus, you have a feeling of support and community that is more difficult to achieve on a larger campus. Which is why, when I went into my career as an academic librarian, I wanted to be at a smaller institution where I could connect and develop that one-on-one relationship to support the students. Through developing that connection between the library staff and students I find that students are more comfortable coming into the library when they need our help and services. What’s kept me at VCSU (aside from the size) is the community of students that study here. VCSU has a great student body!
My favorite part about my position at VCSU is working with the students, equally at the Research Help Desk, in classes, or during my outreach. I also love the variety of my work, which is another benefit of working at a smaller institution.
What’s the biggest takeaway so far from your experience with VCSU?
How wonderful the students are! VCSU has a great community of students who make it very easy for me to love coming to work every day!