Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Libraries is pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Helwig as the Libraries’ inaugural Head Medical Librarian.
Melissa will be joining TMU Libraries from Dalhousie University where she was Associate Dean of Research & Scholarly Communication and Head of the W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library. She comes to the Libraries with 18 years of experience in health science librarianship. During her time at Dalhousie she also held the positions of Instruction & Research Librarian in the Kellogg Health Sciences Library, and was periodically a part-time lecturer in health sciences librarianship at Dalhousie’s School of Information Management. Previous to Dalhousie, she was a Health Sciences Librarian at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
Melissa has a Master of Library and Information Science from Western University, a Bachelor of Arts from Windsor (History and Political Science), and a certificate of General Arts & Sciences from Humber College. She has published extensively and has served on a variety of professional bodies such as the Canadian Research Knowledge Network, Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, and Canadian Health Libraries Association committees.
As Head Medical Librarian, Melissa will be responsible for building a robust medical library branch including a rich collection of quality health and medical resources, an outstanding medical research instructional program, and student focused services customized to meet TMU’s new medical school curriculum.
“I am eager to join the TMU Library team in working to establish a branch in support of TMU’s School of Medicine,” says Melissa. “The new School of Medicine seeks to innovate, disrupt, and drive change within the healthcare system, and I welcome the opportunity to support this exciting venture.”
Melissa will be joining the Libraries’ leadership team, reporting to Mark Robertson, dean of Libraries while also working closely with Teresa Chan the founding Dean of the School of Medicine and medical school faculty members as they welcome the first cohort of students in 2025.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Melissa joining the TMU Libraries. Melissa brings significant expertise in health sciences librarianship and experience in library leadership roles,” says Mark. “I am excited to work together with Melissa in building our new Medical Library in support of TMU’s School of Medicine.”