Two MLIS Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Students awarded
Published on September 11, 2025
The Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS) and Western Libraries are pleased to announce that new Master of Library & Information Science (MLIS) students Savannah Simon and Olivia Couchie have been named the inaugural recipients of the Western Libraries-FIMS MLIS Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Students. The fellowships are being awarded for the first time this September and are funded by FIMS and Western Libraries as part of a commitment to increasing diversity within librarianship and the information profession.
“Librarianship is rooted in the stewardship of knowledge, and that responsibility demands diversity of thought and experience,” said Geoffrey Robert Little, vice-provost and chief librarian of Western Libraries. “These fellowships are an investment in voices and perspectives that will strengthen librarianship, advance equity in access to information, and honour multiple knowledge traditions. By supporting these students, Western Libraries and FIMS are acting on their responsibility to ensure libraries reflect and serve the diversity of the communities they support.”
Olivia Couchie is a member of the Nipissing First Nation and is local to London, Ontario. She has previously completed a double major in Gender and Women’s Studies and Criminology, as well as a Master of Arts in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, both at Western. As a new Master of Library & Information Science student, Olivia says she’s “most looking forward to the courses in the MLIS program and the chance to learn from and alongside others who care about access to knowledge and community.”
Savannah Simon is from Natoaganeg First Nation, just outside Miramichi, New Brunswick. She completed her BA (Honors) in History at St. Thomas University in Fredericton. This year Savannah is looking forward to the mentorship and experiential learning opportunities available through co-op placements and other student activities.
“I am so excited to see how this opportunity will help me grow and learn, not only as a student, but also as an upcoming professional in this field. My goal has always been to give back to my community with the utmost of my abilities, and I believe that the MLIS program at Western will prepare me to do just that,” she said.
As the home Faculty for the Master of Library & Information program, Acting Dean Susan Knabe said that FIMS is very pleased to be involved in the partnership with Western Libraries, and that the initiative will “provide students like Olivia and Savannah with the opportunity to explore how information, knowledge and librarianship can meet the needs of diverse communities.”
The Western Libraries-FIMS MLIS Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Students are intended to recruit and support applicants who identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) or Black who demonstrate academic achievement, community involvement, and a desire to build a career in libraries and the information profession. Recipients receive funding for tuition and fees and are provided with a two-term, paid co-op placement with Western Libraries.
Classes for MLIS students began on September 8.
