The Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS), in collaboration with Western Libraries, is pleased to welcome Lexi Alarie and Kaylah Christie as 2026/27 MLIS Black and Indigenous Student Fellows. This is the second year that the Fellowships, jointly supported by FIMS and Western Libraries, have been awarded.

Lexi Alarie grew up in Timmins, Ontario, and is a member of Red Rock First Nation, located near the Nipigon River. She received a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from Western in June, majoring in English Literature with a minor in Indigenous Studies. Lexie has been part of Western’s Head & Heart Fellowship for the last two years and it was through the program that her interest in librarianship was piqued. Sitting in on a presentation about libraries and classification schemes given by Western Librarian Erin Bourgard prompted Lexi to look more closely at the program and the Black and Indigenous Student Fellowship opportunity.

“I looked more into the MLIS program and found that I was really interested in the topics and content of the degree, so I decided to apply,” said Lexi.

“I hope to leave Western with a better understanding of what it means to be an Indigenous librarian and researcher, and to have a stronger foundation as I continue to pursue this field of study.”

Kaylah Christie is from Newmarket, Ontario, and completed a Bachelor of Arts in History at York University, along with a concurrent Cross-Disciplinary Certificate in Public History. Kaylah plans to continue pursuing her interest in public history through librarianship, working to make information more accessible to people.

“I want to find a career that provides me with opportunities to connect people with information in meaningful ways,” she says.

While in the program, Kaylah hopes to gain a better understanding of how library and information science impacts society. She also aims to learn ways she can pursue areas of specific interest to her.

“I would also like to gain skills that will help me in future projects, notably, organizing and preserving Afro-Caribbean diasporic materials and facilitating its accessibility.”

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.

Acting Dean Susan Knabe said that the fellowships are another method through which FIMS can increase the accessibility of LIS education and contribute to more diverse representation within professional librarianship.

"In partnering with Western Libraries to offer these fellowships, FIMS is committing to addressing the ways in which libraries and academic institutions have been implicated in perpetuating colonial systems of knowing and learning,” she said.

“The fellowships are concrete examples of the importance of reimagining librarianship and libraries as places that welcome and celebrate diverse perspectives on the production and stewardship of information and knowledge and recognize the importance of acknowledging alternative ways of knowing and knowledge traditions. Students who are awarded these fellowships contribute not only to developing their own learning and practice, but also, through their diverse perspectives, help realize a more inclusive and equitable future for librarianship and libraries here at Western."