iSchool Students of the Global Majority (iSGM) was formerly known as IDEAS@UBC and iPOC. We are a group that seeks to provide a safe and productive community for IBPOC students in departments and fields of study related to information, cultural, and memory work at the University of British Columbia’s School of Information. We aim to amplify IBPOC voices in information studies and encourage dialogue on topics such as anti-racism, Indigenous knowledge and information practices, and systemic barriers in LAIS (library, archival and information studies). We also host social events and offer a safe space for IBPOC students in the iSchool programs to share resources on navigating underrepresentation in our fields.
Fun fact: we designed our logo as an abstraction of juniper berries and twigs. Ask us why!
Faculty Liaison
Dr. Elizabeth Shaffer
elizabeth.shaffer@ubc.ca
Organizing Team Members
Name: Dharani
Pronouns: they/she
Program track: Dual
Anything else you’d like folks to know: I am a queer, diasporic Caribbean dual student finishing my third term. My interests lie in community archives and queer, decolonial, and oral histories. I come to UBC by way of unceded Massachusett (Boston) land, and Anishinaabek and Dakota (Minnesota) land. In addition to school, I help run an oral history archive for Indo-Caribbean women and those of other marginalised genders. I’m always down to discuss books (YA! Romance!), discover good food, and rant about colonialism.
Name: Kezia
Pronouns: she/her
Program track: Dual
Anything else you’d like folks to know: I’m a mixed-race Chinese-Indonesian queer who is currently calling the unceded and traditional territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam peoples home. I’m new to the program, but right now I’m interested in subcultural knowledge production and preservation, identity-based information seeking, and community-led harm-reduction approaches to library and archival work. I volunteer at Out on the Shelves, and have some experience with film and art festivals, museum curation, and oral history work. I like to chill, grow things, make bad art, go to shows, and visit the neighborhood ducks. Reach out to chat, vent, ask questions, or if you want to help build something cool for students of colour in the iSchool.
Name: Lauren
Pronouns: she/her
Program track: MLIS
Anything else you’d like folks to know: I’m an international student originally from Hong Kong, currently residing in the unceded and traditional territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam people (the city of Vancouver). I come from an arts background with a bachelor’s degree in Translation and a master’s degree in Japanese Studies. I’m particularly interested in cataloguing, metadata, and the digital aspects of the information industry, such as digitization and digital asset management. In addition to being a member of the iSGM, I also serve as the student representative of BCALS. This is my third year in the programme so if you have any questions, feel free to drop me a message!
Name: Reiko
Pronouns: she/they
Program track: MAS
Anything else you’d like folks to know: I am a queer mixed race Japanese Canadian settler, originally from Mohkinstis (Calgary, AB) on Treaty 7 territories, now residing in the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I have a BFA in Art History and Studio Arts from Concordia University, unceded Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) territories. In addition to grad studies and helping organize with iSGM, I serve on the Board of Directors at 221A, a non-profit charitable arts organization, and am an active member of the Japanese Canadian community, primarily as a member of kikiai collaborative. My career goals are situated in digital archives and applying new technologies for metadata preservation and the permanent storage of digital assets. My personal arts practice is interdisciplinary, combining drawing, painting, installation, research, writing, and performance.
Name: Lis
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Program track: MLIS
Anything else you’d like folks to know: Lis is a second-year MLIS student from the city-state Singapore. She dabbles in poetry, photography, yoga, and experimental cooking.
Additional team members:
- Kritika Joshi, MLIS
- Coco Chen, MASLIS (all pronouns)
- Christina Luo, MLIS
- Alex Gaspar, MLIS (she/they)
*if you have attended one of our meetings and would like to be added to this list, let us know!
Join our organizing team!
Any IBPOC iSchool students who might be interested in organizing for iSGM are welcome to join an upcoming meeting. Get in touch with us through our contact form, email, discord, or by speaking directly with one of our team members!
iSchool Students of the Global Majority 