Catalyzing research, building capacity: Research grants and the academic library

In the days before the pandemic, when I attended and introduced myself as the grants and awards librarian from the University of Victoria (UVic) Libraries at professional events and conferences, my title often evoked quizzical looks. Even now as this unprecedented time continues, as far as I know, I am still the only librarian with this professional designation in Canada, perhaps in all of North America—maybe even the world. Since 2012, I’ve helped UVic Libraries to attract and retain funding, collaborators, allies, and donors, while raising our research profile and demonstrating the value of the 21st-century academic library to university administrators.