“Meet the CEN” is a series that shines a spotlight on the dynamic individuals who make up the heart of UBC’s Community Engagement Network (CEN). As we continue to foster collaboration, learning, and community-building within the realm of community engagement at UBC, it’s our pleasure to share the stories and insights of those who drive this essential work forward.
Meet Donna Langille!
Donna is the Open Education Librarian at UBC Okanagan. From supporting nonprofits to access research tools to co-hosting workshops and events that celebrate creativity and inclusivity, Donna’s work demonstrates the profound impact of libraries in community-university engagement. In this interview, Donna shares her approach to building relationships over shared goals and conversations, her advice for librarians and others, and highlights the story behind a collaborative queer zine fair.
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Edits have been made to this written Q&A for clarity, style, and tone.
How do you or your program support community engagement at UBC?
The library supports community engagement by connecting community organizations with scholarly information. We also have the Innovation Library, located in downtown Kelowna, which community researchers, faculty, and staff can use as a research space. In my role as a librarian, I co-develop events, resources, and programs in collaboration with community organizations.
Can you share a memorable example of community engagement success?
My most recent success in community engagement was collaborating with my colleague Christian Isbister, the Indigenous Initiatives Librarian, and Eric Beardmore, Programming and Education Assistant at Kelowna Museums, to co-deliver a workshop on zine-making for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Kelowna. Last year, during Pride Month, we also hosted our first annual Queer Zine Fair, which invited people to share, discover, and trade their own zines.
The first zine fair was incredibly successful. Over 100 people attended to share and distribute their zines. We received direct feedback from attendees, who expressed their appreciation for the space to come together and share their creativity.
What advice do you have for others looking to do community engagement?
The advice I have for others who want to engage in community work, especially librarians, is to reach out and start a conversation with potential partners. Most of the successful partnerships I’ve been part of began over a cup of coffee—getting to know one another, learning about each other’s goals, and exploring mutual interests. The events, programs, and resources will naturally follow, but relationship-building is truly the foundation for success.
Is there a resource or initiative you think community partners might want to know about?
In addition to the Innovation Library, UBC Library is also involved in the Community Scholars Portal. The Community Scholars Portal provides B.C. nonprofits and charitable organizations with access to scholarly information in their fields. Additionally, we support these organizations by connecting them with librarians for research assistance.
The primary benefit of access to research through the Community Scholars Portal is providing organizations with the most up-to-date, reliable, peer-reviewed information. This information can inform their policies, white papers, or any other type of work they undertake for their organization.
Connect with Donna
If you’d like to learn more or are interested in working with a librarian on community engagement efforts, check out library.ok.ubc.ca/community/. If you’d like to connect with Donna directly, reach out to her at donna.langille@ubc.ca.