Originally Published in McGill University's Arts Life Magazine, 2019

A few years ago, faculty at McGill’s School of Information Studies (SIS) began tackling what they viewed as a lack of exposure in their Master of Information Studies (MISt) program, designing a course that would prepare Masters students conceptually for a career while also teaching emotional and social competencies; also known as ‘real world skills’. Through consultations with employers and alumni and adding their own intellectual backgrounds, they created the capstone GLIS 602: Integrating Research and Practice course. Now in its third year, GLIS 602 is lauded by students as “the most rewarding part” of the program, appreciation undoubtedly inspired by the course’s last-day tradition, the Knowledge Café.

Developed by its current instructor Max Evans, the Knowledge Café is a wrap-up that solidifies the principles it teaches in class by bringing students face-to-face with industry professionals, letting them ask any questions and listen to experiences and insights into different fields of information and knowledge management. Professor Evans personally brings the professionals to the class, making sure to bring a wide range of vocations to the class. This year’s guests included professionals from the National Research Council, Bombardier, McGill Libraries, CBC and Radio-Canada, management and consulting, and the Bank of Canada.

Appreciating their collective support for students, Professor Evans has much praise: “All of these professionals are there for the students. Everyone wants to help with transitioning, to share personal experiences, and to acknowledge that it’s scary and totally okay to be uncertain about your future, even at the end of your MA, or to switch careers when in your 40’s”.

Since the course is only offered to graduate students in their final semester of the MISt, the Knowledge Café might offer a small preview of the ‘real world’ for those who haven’t worked, and a taste of the unique field for those who have. The idea of an informal, in-class ‘speed dating’ event was inspired in Professor Evans at a conference, where the Q&A was delivered in a similar style. He finds it a helpful strategy to alleviate students’ anxieties about the future, especially when technology is constantly changing the way information is consumed.

“As new technologies and roles are emerging, and traditional boundaries between positions are blurred, it is important for students to be exposed to actual professionals in the field. Since my professional experience is limited to the business/management domain, I can only try and facilitate a connection to the many other domains information professionals inevitably work in”.

In the Knowledge Café, students break into small groups that rotate between each professional’s table. The short amount of time allotted – three hours for 60 students to speak with 10-15 professionals – makes formal or small-talk a major obstacle. As communication skills and networking are part of the course’s overall aim of building real world skills through practice, the chance to practice is another win for students.

The nature of Information Studies as a “meta-field” driven by the management of information rather than specific expertise makes industry-driven guidance and in-course preparation difficult, even in a class that teaches important ‘transferable’ skills like effective interviewing, conflict resolution, proposal writing, and networking.

“It’s also about introducing students to a new profession. For example, a PhD student of ours who is in charge of information services at the National Research Council of Canada has all SIS students working for them. Another student who is at the BBC does research on bank loans for entrepreneurs. There are really cool fields in Informational Studies that they may not know of…. And the fields are also so new”.

Industry experience and coursework don’t have to be separate entities for a student. While a small department in the Faculty of Arts, the School of Information Studies is an important hub for fostering cross-disciplinary understanding around human-information interaction. The Knowledge Café, a space for human-human interaction on this relationship, is uniquely addressing characteristics, needs, and future of the field.

“I get so many nice notes from both students and professionals about how much they enjoy the Knowledge Café each year, and I’m lucky that I can make that connection for them. For the professionals who come, I sense real empathy and an eagerness to help. I encourage our students to always ask for help, because the worst you could be told is no”.