Meagan Collins: The power of policy

By Alexandra Burza

Meagan's hometown: Niagara Falls, Ontario

Meagan Collins is known to her classmates in the Master of Library and Information Sciences program as the go-to person for all things policy and law.

---

Meagan Collins is a candidate for the Master of Library and Information Science, and is currently completing her final term in the program. Throughout her time as an MLIS student, Meagan has developed a particular interest in information policy and ethics, particularly issues surrounding privacy, copyright and intellectual property.

Her proudest accomplishment was winning a national writing contest held by the Association of Record Managers and Administrators. Alongside her group members, Meagan submitted a research project they had completed for an Information Ethics course. The project examined Canadian health services and the ethics of their terms of use and legal documentation. Their work is now pending publication in the association’s Sagesse Publication.

This is Meagan’s third degree, but her first with the Faculty of Information and Media Studies. Before attending Western for MLIS, Meagan studied at Brock University where she earned her BA in Political Science before completing an MA in Comparative Politics and Judicial Studies. After studying law for a semester in the UK, she realized she was far more interested in information policy and decided to apply to the MLIS program.

“It’s really nice to have that camaraderie within the program, which I hadn’t ever had before with my other degrees.”
She made the decision to attend Western University because she thought FIMS took a more humanistic approach to library sciences compared to other schools. “FIMS prepares us to be critical readers of media of all forms. We’re learning subjects that are super relevant to the times,” she explained. Meagan has also found that what sets the FIMS graduate student body is an exceptional sense of community and camaraderie.

Fun Fact

A true FIMS student at heart, Meagan’s favourite novel is Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.

During her time on campus, Meagan was involved in the MLIS Student Council, as Academic Representative and later as the Chair. Meagan served on the MLIS Program Committee as well as the American Library Association accreditation committee as a student representative. She also enjoyed the opportunity to volunteer in Western’s Pride Library. “It was amazing, because it’s one of the largest library of LGBTQ+ material in Canada,” Meagan said.

Meagan appreciates the flexibility her program affords her, because she can gain professional experience while simultaneously working toward her degree. Since September, she has been completing an eight-month internship with the Federal Economic Agency for Southern Ontario in Waterloo. Meagan is enjoying work in information management, and hopes to continue working for the agency once she graduates. Meagan sees a future for herself in public service, as it’s a great fit for her particular academic background.

---

Profiles in the Meet Our Students section are written by students in the Master of Media in Journalism & Communication program, who are enrolled in MMJC 9604 - Professional Writing.