The Lou Duggan Creative Studio is open for business! And we're in the business of making things. This post comes from our Lou Duggan Creative Studio team. Check out more content and events here, opens a new window, anytime.

Internship program

Halifax Public Libraries locations provide a space for everyone, and the same is true for the Lou Duggan Creative Studio, the community makerspace located on the 2nd floor of Central Library.

In this space, patrons are welcomed by enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff to help guide them through their creative and digital projects. The Studio offers open drop-in sessions and guided workshops on a variety of topics, which is made possible in part by the funding of two year-long internship positions for new graduates. Read on to hear from our current intern and their experience working in the Lou Duggan Creative Studio.

Meet Toni

Hi everyone!

My name is Toni (she/her), and I am the new Lou Duggan Creative Studio Librarian Intern.  I’m 33 years old and originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (land of the infamous Saskatoon berries).

I recently graduated from the Master of Information program at Dalhousie University this past May 2024, and I am really excited to begin my career in librarianship with Halifax Public Libraries!

My journey

Before coming to libraries, I worked as a primary teacher at several Canadian international schools.

I began my teaching journey in 2014 in Cairo, Egypt, where I taught Grade 1 at an Ontario-accredited school. I then taught in Guadalajara, Mexico, at an Alberta-accredited school from 2016 to 2019, again in Grade 1. My last international school was in St. Maarten, where I taught Grades 2 and 3 at an Ontario-accredited school called CIA (Caribbean International Academy—sorry for the acronym let-down!) from 2019 to 2021.

Hobbies and interests

My hobbies include yoga, reading (surprise, surprise), cave diving, and, thanks to the LDCS Knitting Circle program, knitting!

Oh, I also love sailing! In June 2021, my husband and I boarded a 1991 39-foot sailboat named Panta Rhei (meaning “everything flows”) and travelled just over 5,000 nautical miles around the Caribbean, up the coast of the United States, and eventually to Halifax—which I love for so many reasons, including the Lou Duggan Creative Studio.

The teacher becomes the student

I’m so grateful for this opportunity to work closely with the Lou Duggan Creative Studio and to learn more about all the different technologies and skill sets we offer to build community with patrons. I’m a firm believer in lifelong learning and look forward to learning all about the ins and outs of working with Halifax Public Libraries and our community.

I’m happy to chat anytime, so please don’t hesitate to drop by! You can explore more ways to get involved with the Lou Duggan Creative Studio, here.

About the Lou Duggan Creative Studio 

Halifax Central Library’s Lou Duggan Creative Studio is a public makerspace where people are invited to learn, discover, create, and share. The makerspace officially opened in 2020, and  features 3D printers, cooking equipment, crafting supplies, sewing machines and Cricut Cutters available for all ages, free of charge. The space and internship was a generously supported by Lou Duggan, a professional librarian and a friend to all. His commitment to life-long learning, curiosity, and meaningful library internships is honoured every day in the Lou Duggan Creative Studio, 2nd Floor, Halifax Central Library.