CKUA has a strong history of welcoming students from Alberta post-secondary institutions, for practicum placements and summer work experiences. These days, we’re happy to have Brynne Louis working with us. She’s a student in MacEwan University’s Library and Information Technology Program.
She says she was introduced to CKUA through her older brother, Wyatt. “I’ve found some great records and artists since tuning into CKUA,” she says, “so I’m stoked to get to be a part of the team, even for a short time.”
The Library and Information Technology Program at MacEwan is a two-year course of studies, designed to teach students about all aspects about the library and information field. The great thing about the practicum portion of the program, says Louis, is that students get a choice about where they will go.
Louis worked in a public library setting in Ponoka for two years before starting her studies at MacEwan. “I loved it so much. It was a great team, and I loved the community aspect.” Because the library is small, Louis’s work included reference desk, planning programs, and shelving. “You just got good at everything,” she laughs.
When it came time to put in her request for a practicum placement, she was ready for something different. “We had discussed the CKUA music library in class as one of the specialized libraries that might be an option for our practicum, and that interested me.” Her current duties include cataloguing, putting new music into the database for hosts to access. She also works on CKUA’s digitization project.
When she’s not at work or school, Louis makes room in her life for community outreach and volunteering, mainly with youth programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters. She also says she loves all kinds of music, and is into movies, boardgames, and crossword puzzles.
Louis mentions two things when asked about her work at CKUA: the community connections of the station, and the peaceful atmosphere in the library itself. “I like it. The work is detail-oriented, and It’s quiet here.”
Welcome, Brynne! We are so glad to have you with us.
Everything that CKUA does is made possible by community support. That includes the work happening in our amazing music library. It also includes welcoming young people and students as they launch their careers. April is an important fundraising month at CKUA, and we invite you to donate today.
Brynne chose this Courtney Barnett song to send out to the CKUA community:
