Meet the team! Check back each month to learn more about the people who help the Ontario Library Service provide seamless access to programs and services that strengthen all public libraries in Ontario.

Name: Brian Alberton

Position: JASI Support Analyst

I’ve grown up and lived in the Sudbury area most of my life.  Though I’ve always loved libraries, I didn’t expect to end up in this field. I couldn’t be happier about it!

 

My favourite meal is…

Homemade gnocchi and garlic bread

My desert island record is…

Queens of the Stone Age Songs for the Deaf

A random and seldom known fact about me is…

I was born in Kitimat, British Columbia despite my parents both being from the Sudbury area and almost never leaving it.  We moved back to Ontario shortly after I was born, so I have no memories of it.

My favourite task or project in my OLS work role is…

In general, I especially like when librarians contact us with ideas that turn into special projects. It’s a nice change of pace from the routine and isn’t as stressful as trying to figure out a mystery error. I also enjoy creating new reports that aren’t the usual requests. I find it very interesting to look at library data in new ways.

Meet the team! Check back each month to learn more about the people who help the Ontario Library Service provide seamless access to programs and services that strengthen all public libraries in Ontario.

Name: Jeff Laitinen              

Position: JASI Support Analyst

Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, I often visited the public library with my mom, and recall checking out many Peanuts books as a young boy. I remember thinking I’d like to work in a library, even back then. In 1991-92 I took the first year of the Cartography program at Sir Sandford Fleming College, receiving Dean’s list honours but did not return for the second year as I was at odds with where my career would lead – we were all told we would likely work in the mining industry, surveying and mapping areas for extracting resources. I saw this as ‘mapping the world to be destroyed’ so did not return. In 1998 I graduated from Seneca college with my diploma in Computer Graphics Imagery, which included animation, website, and graphic design. I started working at Ontario Library Service in 2002 (OLS-North at the time) in the Marketing Department, transferring to JASI when it started up in 2007.

If you could become a character from any book who would you pick and why? Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson. He’s got a great sense of humour, asks the big questions, and is endlessly imaginative – doing his own thing.

My favourite meal is… I’m absolutely not a ‘foodie’, anything that fills my belly (except for liver!). Favourite beer: Innis & Gunn original ; )

My desert island record is… There is sooo much great music out there, it’s hard to pick. If I had to choose just one album (today) I’d have to pick Bitches Brew by Miles Davis, I don’t think I’d ever get tired of listening to that.

My favourite desert island book is… a good survival skills book 😉

A random and seldom known fact about me is… I’m not much of a traveler, but I’d really love to visit my ‘real’ homeland: Finland, someday. Both my parents were born in Finland, but met in Wawa, ON.

What was the most personally inspiring public library related work you’ve helped make a reality during your time with the OLS? Any time I help a library resolve an issue or I can make their job a bit easier makes me happy, and is a reminder of why we do our job.

What do diversity, inclusivity, and connection mean to you? Everyone living together as a community, working together for the betterment of all.

 

 

 

Meet the team! Check back each month to learn more about the people who help the Ontario Library Service provide seamless access to programs and services that strengthen all public libraries in Ontario.

Name:  Gwen Boyd

Position: Finance Assistant

My earliest memory of the library is riding my bike to the bookmobile to take out as many books as possible.  My nose was always stuck in a book. I took my children to the library and now I am bringing my grandchildren.

In 2007, after working for roughly 20 years in the non-profit housing sector, a friend suggested I apply for a position at OLS – North.  What luck! It was the perfect fit for me.  Working with numbers for an agency that helps libraries – who could ask for more?

If you could become a character from any book who would you pick and why?

Eve Dallas of J.D. Robb’s In Death series.  She’s just so cool.  She is strong yet vulnerable and supersmart, very no-nonsense, with great personal and work ethics. And she’s married to Roarke – enough said.

My favourite meal is…

I love food. Period. And so, one of my favourite meals is Christmas dinner because it offers many of my favourite foods in one sitting:  turkey, meatpie, mashed potatoes, gravy, lasagna, fresh bread and desserts.  Maybe this year I’ll add barbecued steak to the menu and then it will be just perfect.

A random and seldom known fact about me is…

We plan to move to our property in the Sables-Spanish Rivers Township.  It is totally off-grid, no power and no water. We will have a combination solar- wind system for electricity and hope to sink a point for water.  The plan is to be relatively self-sufficient with a garden and a greenhouse and maybe even chickens and goats. 😊

Do you have a favourite task or project in your OLS work role? Tell us a bit about it…

My favourite task is to reconcile – anything. Whether it is a general ledger account or a bank account, I so love the challenge of trying to find out why it is not balancing and fix it.

What do diversity, inclusivity, and connection mean to you?

It is about fully accepting and welcoming everyone, and it is also recognizing that I may never fully understand. I have not been in someone else’s shoes and cannot walk that mile; but I can listen and I can learn.

 

 

 

Meet the team! Check back each month to learn more about the people who help the Ontario Library Service provide seamless access to programs and services that strengthen all public libraries in Ontario.

Name: Sue Walls

Position: Human Resources Administrator

I’ve been with the OLS and its predecessor organizations since December 1981. My first position was working in Interlibrary Loan with the Central Ontario Regional Library System. I have had various positions through-out my career with the OLS and have enjoyed the experience and friendships that I have gained. It certainly has been a pleasure to work with such a great team. On a personal note, I enjoy reading, cooking, walks, and spending time with my fur baby, my wee man Sky, the cat who seems to think he’s a dog.

 

If you could become a character from any book who would you pick and why?

It is really hard to pick just one character, but I do love a good murder mystery so I would pick the Women’s Murder Club, Lindsay Boxer character written by James Patterson.  I enjoy how the women of the club interact with each other and put all the pieces together to solve the crime. The fact that the character has a border collie named Martha helps as well.

My favourite meal is…

Another hard one!  I love food but if I had to choose it would be scalloped potatoes and meatloaf. That was always my comfort food growing up, and it brings back fond memories cooking with my mom.

My desert island record is…

Anything by the Beach Boys 😎

Meet the team! Check back each month to learn more about the people who help the Ontario Library Service provide seamless access to programs and services that strengthen all public libraries in Ontario.

Name: Bailey Urso-Mahy

Position: JASI Support Analyst

I knew I wanted to work in libraries since I was about 16 years old – however I have never found myself in a public librarian role.  I completed my undergraduate degree in Archaeology, and my first job after my MLIS was with an Archaeology firm cataloguing artefacts and creating a staff resource library. I spent the next seven years working in hospital libraries, both as part of a team and as a solo librarian.  In that time, I worked with several ILSs, which is what brought me to the JASI team at OLS.  I have been on the library side of working with an ILS and needing support (and sometimes not getting it), so I want to use that experience to offer the best services I can to our JASI libraries.  Outside of work, I am a mom of two very energetic children.  I love being active, especially outside, drinking copious amounts of coffee (which is also great outside), and making things – food, crafts, etc.

If you could become a character from any book who would you pick and why?

Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.  She is so authentic and unapologetically weird.  She is confident and unwavering in her beliefs.  I think those can be great qualities.  Plus, who doesn’t love radish earrings?

My favourite meal is…

Pork Vindaloo.  I have an uncle that introduced us to Indian cuisine at a young age and a few years back he gave me one of his cookbooks.  We have experimented with many of the recipes in that book, but our favourite is Pork Vindaloo with homemade Naan.  The Naan takes three days to make, but it is worth every minute of it.

A random and seldom known fact about me is…

I am a registered yoga instructor.  Ten years ago I went to North Goa, India and completed my training in Ashtanga Yoga.  Since then I have gone on to train in aerial yoga, fascial release, and pilates. I haven’t taught in two years, thanks to the pandemic and moving across the province, but I know I will get back into it one day. For now, I just enjoy “teaching” my kids (which mostly involves maybe two poses and then playing with cars on our yoga mats).

What was the most personally inspiring public library related work you’ve helped make a reality during your time with the OLS?

Working towards implementing the Connecting Public Libraries Initiative on behalf of the Province of Ontario has been a great experience.  I was the libraries’ point of contact for Site Assessment Surveys and I have continued to be the contact person as the initiative has advanced.  I have gotten to talk to a lot of libraries about internet-related things (the good and the bad) and it has been a wonderful experience to be able to offer them this opportunity to upgrade their internet options.

Meet the team! Check back each month to learn more about the people who help the Ontario Library Service provide seamless access to programs and services that strengthen all public libraries in Ontario.

Name: Mellissa D’Onofrio-Jones

Position: CEO

I have worked in libraries in both Alberta and Ontario in a variety of positions, starting my career as a casual library clerk for the London Public Library.  Librarianship always felt like the right fit making the most of my English and Women’s Studies degree as well as my background in education.  I have held a number of library leadership positions, led two library renovations and expansions and absolutely love my job as CEO of the OLS and seeing the incredibly valuable impact our work has on the library sector for the province and beyond. I am an avid library user – just ask the library staff at Greater Sudbury PL.  Curbside pickup was an absolute life saver during the lockdowns and my family and I love visiting the library, checking out mountains of books and devouring them at home on the couch.  As a parent of three children under 11 and CEO I relate to the struggle of balancing career, leadership and home – and I do not have all the answers, but I do find listening to audio books while folding mountains of laundry helps!

If you could become a character from any book who would you pick and why?  Mary Poppins – practically perfect in every way!  Not to mention she has magic powers and can sing, dance, has lots of fun but puts up with no nonsense.

My favourite meal is…Soup – seriously its soup! All the delicious hearty soups: minestrone, Italian wedding, chicken noodle, split pea. Even better with warm homemade bread and butter for dipping!

A random and seldom known fact about me is… I always dreamt of being an elementary school teacher, I even have my Bachelor of Education and Early Childhood Education Diploma.  I’ve been happy in librarianship but like many came to discover it through a meandering path.

What was the most personally inspiring public library related work you’ve helped make a reality during your time with the OLS?  The most personally inspiring work during my time with the OLS was the amalgamation.  Working with a truly incredible leader Barbara Franchetto to reimagine a way to continue to serve Ontario’s Public Libraries in a new fiscal reality for both the former SOLS and OLS – North was inspiring.  Being a part of the OLS from the very first day, and seeing how OLS staff have supported library clients throughout the changing COIVD mandates with resources and updates, hosting a virtual conference with an over 300% increase in participation and helping libraries realize savings through consortia purchasing so that they can best serve their unique communities has been tremendous.  Working with amazing staff that are incredibly dedicated to empowering Ontario’s public libraries to continuously adapt to best serve their local communities makes it so rewarding to come to work each and every day.