Medical libraries are integral to health care organizations and provide the best evidence to improve every type of clinical practice outcome.
No matter where you or your patients are within B.C. and the Yukon, the library will provide vital information to support care, clinical governance, and research. The BC Cancer Library reduces the barriers to accessing the evidence in evidence-based medicine and enhances staff research skills and patient health literacy.
Librarians are experts in health information, and staff are enthusiastic and curious. We enjoy the diverse range of questions received every day.
The BC Cancer Library is unique in that it is both a medical and consumer health library, serving staff, clinicians and researchers while also offering patients and families information to support and guide them through their cancer journeys.
“The health information profession provides access to and delivers important information that improves patient care and supports education, research, and publication." – Medical Library Association
Many clinical decisions are made outside of normal working hours, and staff and patients are often far from a BC Cancer library when the need for information arises. The library strives to meet the need for evidence-based information at all times and across the province through virtual collections and services.
In addition to acquiring traditional print books and physical media, the library manages, negotiates, and facilitates access to a growing number of licenses and subscriptions to online databases, including journals, ebooks, and drug info, evidence synthesis, and point-of care tools. All collection resources are carefully curated and continually evaluated for quality, relevance and cost, often in collaboration with other BC Cancer clinical teams.
The library also plays a large role in developing online patient pathfinders and staff resource guides for specific oncology and support topics, and teach users how to effectively use appropriate sources of information.
The library is always busy and we are driven to provide excellence in patient care and staff support. Each day can be different from the next. Did you know that…
Provincial Library Leader
Location: BC Cancer - Vancouver Library / CIC
Email: chantalle.jack@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: 604-675-8004
Chantalle joined the library team in February 2020 as the Provincial Library Leader. Prior, Chantalle served for 7 years as Vancouver Coastal Health’s Librarian at the Lions Gate Hospital where she provided reference, literature search, and research services to clinicians, researchers and health administration. Chantalle also has years of experience working in academic, business/legal, and public libraries. Outcomes focused and committed to excellent service, Chantalle works with BC Cancer staff, clinicians, and patients to identify opportunities for library growth and improvement, increase service and resource awareness, and enhance the library’s support of patient care whilst furthering clinical and research endeavors.
Traveler, runner, dog lover
Clinical Librarian
Location: BC Cancer - Abbotsford Library / CIC
Email: pamela.bontuyan@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: 604-851-4710 ext 646827
Pamela joined BC Cancer library in 2008 and played an integral part in the development of the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Center’s library space. For 10 years, Pamela divided her time between the Surrey and Abbotsford Centers but currently focuses her librarian work in Abbotsford where she serves both BC Cancer and Fraser Health staff and patients. In her role, Pamela appreciates the opportunity to share about library services and connect health professionals and patients with information. Pamela is married and has two young sons. On weekends she enjoys discovering new walking and hiking trails with her family. She also fosters rescue cats and volunteers with Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration.
Trail explorer, beach reader
Reference Librarian
Location: BC Cancer - Vancouver Library / CIC
Email: angela.doyle@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: 604-675-8005
Angela joined BC Cancer in 2023 and serves the Vancouver centre. Angela has years of health and academic library experience as a Library Assistant at UBC’s Woodward Library and at St. Paul’s Library, and as a medical researcher for a legal firm before pursuing her Master of Library Information Sciences (MLIS) degree. Since obtaining her MLIS, Angela has been a Librarian at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and at Adler University.
Angela works to cultivate a culture of respect and is committed to socially responsible practices. She is passionate about enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion, and dedicated to upholding the shared responsibility of building meaningful, lasting reconciliation. Angela looks forward to enhancing the library’s collections and services so as to amplify Indigenous authors, knowledge, and methodologies.
When not buried in reading the multiple books she has on the go, Angela stumbles around her garden coaxing things to grow with a little pleading and her ukulele. She loves to incorporate what she manages to harvest into her baking.
Avid baker, Scrabble enthusiast, manatee lover
Library Clerk, Document Delivery
Location: BC Cancer - Vancouver Library / CIC
Email: requests@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: 604-675-8002
Annie has been with the BC Cancer Library since 2017, working out of the Vancouver branch in the dual roles of circulation and document delivery. When she isn’t helping patients find the books and resources to help them on their cancer journey, she is tracking down journal articles and research materials for staff. Annie has helped organize and run patient programs in conjunction with PFCS, including the 1000 Cranes Origami display and the Library Knitting Circle. Annie loves the library’s ability to engage with all aspects of BC Cancer from patient and clinical care to research and teaching. When she isn’t working, Annie enjoys drawing, watching bad movies and getting someone else to cook for her.
Runner, reader and comedy lover
Clinical Librarian
Location: BC Cancer - Victoria Library / CIC
Email: lleitz@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: (250) 519-5517 ext 695517
Lorraine has been the librarian at BC Cancer—Victoria since the centre opened in March 2001. Originally from Vancouver, she graduated from UBC with a Master of Library Science Degree in 1989, and previously worked as a law firm librarian and established a distance learning library for the Commonwealth of Learning. Lorraine loves working with physicians, staff, patients and families at BC Cancer to help them find the information they need. When not working, Lorraine enjoys genealogy, miniature book binding, antiquing, cooking and travel. She lives in a book-lined downtown condo with her husband and an orange and white cat named Jack.
Cat lover, reader, and traveler
Clinical Librarian
Locations:
Email: elena.popova@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: 604-675-8006
Elena has been a librarian with the BC Cancer Library since April 2019 after relocating to Vancouver from Montreal, Quebec. Ever since obtaining her MLIS in 2006 from McGill University, Elena has focused her work in health care and research environments, including 5 years in at the Cancer Research Program at McGill University Health Centre where she provided information services to healthcare professionals, researchers and patients. At BC Cancer, Elena works in Vancouver, Surrey, and, occasionally, Prince George, assisting patients and staff with various health information requests. Besides English, she speaks Russian and French, and is happy to use her skills in all three languages. Elena is a member of the Canadian Health Libraries Association and the Health Libraries Association of British Columbia. In her free time, she can be found playing beach volleyball, doing yoga, hiking or taking long bicycle rides. She is a mother of two grown daughters.
Mountain hiker, volleyball player
Library Technician
Location: BC Cancer - Vancouver Library / CIC
Email: ying.su@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: (604) 675-8000 ext 7004
Ying joined BC Cancer Library in 2023 as a casual Library Clerk doing circulation and document delivery services before transitioning to the Library Technician role in 2024 doing collection acquisitions, cataloguing and classifying library materials. With a background in linguistics and library technology, Ying finds it energizing and rewarding to search through the MeSH database and NLM Classification schedules to maintain accessibility of library materials. In her free time, Ying enjoys reading, online gaming, and making easy crafts.
Reader, gamer, beader
Clinical Librarian
Location: BC Cancer - Prince George Library / CIC
Email: david.gill1@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: (250) 645-7300 ext 687460
David (he/him/his) joined BC Cancer in Summer 2024 and serves the PG centre. David is a South Asian, autistic, and originally from Quesnel, BC. Before receiving his MLIS degree from UBC, David majored in History and minored in First Nations Studies at UNBC in PG.
David has worked at numerous libraries throughout the province and currently serves as the Bibliographer for BC Studies: The British Columbian Quarterly where he assembles a bibliography about the province’s scholarly record. He is also a mentor for numerous Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC) library students and early professionals and organizes engagements that supports the IBPOC library community.
David likes to play video games, watch movies/TV, go for walks, make TikToks, and spend time with friends.
Walker, video gamer, TikTok content creater
Clinical Librarian
Location: BC Cancer - Kelowna Library / CIC
Email: kclement@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: (250) 712-3966 ext 686821
Krista has been a Librarian at BC Cancer – Kelowna since just after the doors opened in 1998, and is committed to supporting all staff, patients and community to access cancer information. Since receiving her Masters of Library and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia, she has found being a Medical Librarian interesting, challenging, and very meaningful. Krista is often involved in the technical side of library work, wrangling the programs that provide and manage the library resources. Her passion is promoting patient-centred care that matters, based on the best possible evidence. She has put her hair on the line for patient care – twice – cutting it all off to support the Patient Emergency Fund at the Kelowna centre. Outside of work, Krista enjoys gardening and is the choreographer for a local school musical theatre program.
Archer, dance enthusiast, cat lover
Library Technician
Location: BC Cancer - Vancouver Library / CIC
Email: susan.morris@bccancer.bc.ca
Telephone: (604) 675-8000 ext 700
Susan joined BC Cancer Library—Vancouver as a Library Technician in 2015. Previously, Susan had worked in telecommunications customer service and sales. It took a dare with a co-worker about pursuing dreams to prompt Susan to enroll in the Langara Library Technician program.
Susan enjoys working in the challenging world of medical libraries, her motto being “Always work with people who are smarter than you”! Susan is instrumental in ensuring that the library runs smoothly behind the scenes, whether it is preparing, processing and cataloguing new items for loan, finding book titles for the BC Cancer library collection, and much more.
Her biggest joy is meeting patients and listening to their stories. Susan lives with her husband of 25 years and their three dogs. You will find Susan and her ex-Hastings racehorse, Joey, galloping about or hanging out together in the paddock after work and on weekends.
History enthusiast, ardent horsewoman
The BC Cancer library system consists of a central library at Vancouver Centre (VC), and branches in Abbotsford (AC), Kelowna (SAHCSI), Prince George (CN), Surrey (FVC), and Victoria (VIC). All centres have patient resource collections in our Cancer Information Centres (CIC), and all centres have a professional collection on site. Professional resources for CN are housed in the adjacent UHNBC Library.