Devon Hayley Farrell
2019/20 Honourable Mention iSchool MAS Co-op Student of the Year
Excellence in the Workplace
As Data and Document Management Intern at Cornerstone Planning Group, Devon’s main project was to create a corporate archive that could house the firm’s project files dating back to 1974. Among other tasks, this involved making recommendations for digitizing and deaccessioning the firm’s long-term storage of reports, finding an archival software that would meet search functionality needs, and providing a training document that would teach other staff how to access and archive documents. In addition, Devon provided a fact sheet that summarized Cornerstone’s project files, including information such as the sectors and locations in which they took place.
One of Devon’s most significant achievements on her work term was being able to arrange and describe over 600 project files in an eight-week period. As her supervisor Melanie Roskell reflects, Devon was quick to create a timeline for the project up front and displayed excellent time management skills under the pressure of tight deadlines.
Community Involvement
Outside of co-op, Devon’s passion for her field is evidenced by her active involvement in the local community. In addition to being a member of both the Vancouver Chapter of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators and the UBC Student Chapter of the Association of Canadian Archivists, Devon presently serves as a board member at Friends of the Vancouver Public Library. Amidst other accomplishments, she has communicated with over 500 individuals about memberships, renewals and donations, as well as sourced and implemented new software for migrating donor and donation records.
Co-op: A Foundation for Future Success
During her co-op term, Devon believes that she was able to use the knowledge she has gained from archival studies to inform and enhance her performance in the workplace. For example, to research and select an archival software that would meet the needs of the organization, she applied knowledge from iSchool classes like Database Design and Records System in the Digital Environment. Her coursework in preservation helped her in not only rehousing paper materials in adequate folders and boxes, but also in cataloguing electronic materials in a manner that would not put them at a risk of disassociation. Besides allowing her to put what she learned in the classroom into practice, Devon’s experience at Cornerstone has significantly informed her future career plans. On top of having discovered that she particularly enjoys project-based work, she now hopes to one day become an independent archives and records management consultant.
About the iSchool Co-op Student of the Year Award
The Arts Co-op Program’s Student of the Year Award recognizes two co-op students in UBC iSchool (Library, Archival, and Information Studies). Two annual awards of $1,000 are available: one to a MLIS or dual student (who used their MLIS background on the co-op job) and the other to a MAS or dual student (who used their MAS background on the co-op job).
These annual awards recognize outstanding achievement in all aspects of the UBC iSchool co-op student’s performance, including academics, the workplace, and professional/community involvement.
Devon Hayley Farrell
2019/20 Honourable Mention iSchool MAS Co-op Student of the Year
Excellence in the Workplace
As Data and Document Management Intern at Cornerstone Planning Group, Devon’s main project was to create a corporate archive that could house the firm’s project files dating back to 1974. Among other tasks, this involved making recommendations for digitizing and deaccessioning the firm’s long-term storage of reports, finding an archival software that would meet search functionality needs, and providing a training document that would teach other staff how to access and archive documents. In addition, Devon provided a fact sheet that summarized Cornerstone’s project files, including information such as the sectors and locations in which they took place.
One of Devon’s most significant achievements on her work term was being able to arrange and describe over 600 project files in an eight-week period. As her supervisor Melanie Roskell reflects, Devon was quick to create a timeline for the project up front and displayed excellent time management skills under the pressure of tight deadlines.
Community Involvement
Outside of co-op, Devon’s passion for her field is evidenced by her active involvement in the local community. In addition to being a member of both the Vancouver Chapter of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators and the UBC Student Chapter of the Association of Canadian Archivists, Devon presently serves as a board member at Friends of the Vancouver Public Library. Amidst other accomplishments, she has communicated with over 500 individuals about memberships, renewals and donations, as well as sourced and implemented new software for migrating donor and donation records.
Co-op: A Foundation for Future Success
During her co-op term, Devon believes that she was able to use the knowledge she has gained from archival studies to inform and enhance her performance in the workplace. For example, to research and select an archival software that would meet the needs of the organization, she applied knowledge from iSchool classes like Database Design and Records System in the Digital Environment. Her coursework in preservation helped her in not only rehousing paper materials in adequate folders and boxes, but also in cataloguing electronic materials in a manner that would not put them at a risk of disassociation. Besides allowing her to put what she learned in the classroom into practice, Devon’s experience at Cornerstone has significantly informed her future career plans. On top of having discovered that she particularly enjoys project-based work, she now hopes to one day become an independent archives and records management consultant.
About the iSchool Co-op Student of the Year Award
The Arts Co-op Program’s Student of the Year Award recognizes two co-op students in UBC iSchool (Library, Archival, and Information Studies). Two annual awards of $1,000 are available: one to a MLIS or dual student (who used their MLIS background on the co-op job) and the other to a MAS or dual student (who used their MAS background on the co-op job).
These annual awards recognize outstanding achievement in all aspects of the UBC iSchool co-op student’s performance, including academics, the workplace, and professional/community involvement.