Research Symposium
Every year in the first week of May, Western Libraries hosts a symposium to showcase the research of Western’s librarians, archivists, and library staff. Participants share their work in lightning talks, research talks, panel discussions, posters, and more.
If you have any questions, please contact the Research Symposium Committee at larsn@uwo.ca.
2026 Research Symposium
Date and time: May 7, 2026, 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location: Community Room, The D. B. Weldon Library
Preliminary Program
| Time | Topic | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m. - 9:15 a.m | Coffee, tea, and light refreshments | |
| 9:15 a.m - 10:00 a.m. | Welcome and lightning talks | |
| Welcome to the 2026 Research Symposium | Research Symposium Committee | |
| #DHMakes is research | Arielle Vanderschans | |
| From the desk to the decision tree: How structural models shape reference work | Kate Beswick | |
| 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. | Poster session and break | |
| Encoding humanities data in the age of AI | Joanne Paterson | |
| The multiplicitous potentiality of libraries in support of independent undergraduate research experiences: A framework for cultivating a culture of inquiry | Patrick Gavin and Ryan Rabie | |
| Mapping and analyzing AI research tools in academia: Toward a framework for understanding mechanisms, tasks, and claims | Patrick Gavin and Miyang Roh | |
| Who is the patron saint of libraries? | Jordan Patterson | |
| 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Research talks | |
| Collection librarian decision-making: Alignment and interactions with faculty and administration | Samuel Cassady | |
| When data met librarians: A Canadian data story | Liz Hill | |
| From access to competency: How GIS is framed in Digital Humanities pedagogy and scholarship | Patrick Gavin | |
| You’re gonna need a bigger map: Planning a horror novel with Google Earth and digital mapping | Leanne Olson | |
| 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Lunch break | |
| 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Research Talks | |
| Storytelling, space, and the library’s role in restoring shared reality | Bobby Glushko and Jennifer Robinson | |
| GIS and open data | Liz Sutherland and Maia Somers | |
| Data anonymization: The "Wicked Problem" of messy research data | Kristi Thompson | |
| Landscapes of memory: Unfolding four years of massacre mapping in El Salvador | Zach MacDonald and Liz Sutherland | |
| Closing remarks | Research Symposium Committee |
Proposal Details
Eligibility requirements
All full-time workers in Western Libraries, the FIMS Graduate Library, and university-college affiliate libraries are eligible to submit proposals for the symposium.
Submission types
Lightning Talks
Presentations between 5 and 7 minutes that introduce the audience to your research project at any stage. Share a brief overview of findings from a completed project, a peek at a research method you used, or give us a taste of an idea you are currently workshopping.
Research Talks
Presentations of 15 minutes that dig deeper into your research, findings, experiences, or methods, which is followed by a period of questions and answers.
Panel Discussions
Guided discussions comprised of groups of colleagues exploring similar research topics or methods, which is followed by a period of questions and answers.
Posters
Visual displays of your research that will be available throughout the symposium for attendees to view. Please note that we can only display physical posters, not digital ones.
Wildcards
If you have an idea that does not fit with the other session types, contact the Research Symposium Committee at larsn@uwo.ca.
Selection process
Review
Proposals will be reviewed by the Research Symposium Committee based upon the following criteria:
- Is the applicant a staff member of Western Libraries, the FIMS Graduate Library, or an affiliate university-college library?
- Does the proposal deal with research?
- Is the proposal comprehensible and coherent?
- Does the proposal description work with the proposed format?
Organization
Proposals will be counted to see if there is enough space for all applicants. After this, they will be organized based on the type of presentation and theme.
Adjustments
Proposals will be reviewed to see if any adjustments can reasonably be made so that the combination of submissions allows the greatest number of applicants to participate. To achieve this end, some applicants may be asked to consider giving a different type of presentation.
Past programs
Read the abstracts from the programs of past Research Symposiums.
