Faces of the Library: Interview with Emily Da Silva

With our new interview series, Faces of the Library, we're highlighting some of the dedicated employees, librarians, and specialists who make our library an essential resource for students and faculty. Discover their insights, learn about their recommended tools, and see how they can support your academic journey.

In our second interview, we met with Emily Da Silva, a Research Librarian. Learn more about her and her expertise!

Tell us more about you and your role at the Library.

My name is Emily Da Silva, I am a Research Librarian supporting students and faculty at the Telfer School of Management. I specialize in business research, which draws on a wide variety of sources. I help students find credible and reliable information for their course assignments and I collaborate on faculty knowledge synthesis projects by developing comprehensive literature search strategies.

Why do you love working at the Library?

I love working at the library because I get to work every day with people who are passionate about lifelong learning and care about the community in which they work and live. It’s a pleasure to help professors and students find resources to help them make new discoveries and insights and to be part of a vibrant campus community.

With Artificial Intelligence and easy access to digital resources, what unique value do you bring to the research process that technology alone cannot?

I offer personalized guidance to help you navigate today’s complex information ecosystem, including AI tools and digital resources. I can help you critically evaluate sources to find credible information and go beyond search engines to uncover specialized materials not easily found on the open web, so you can get a more comprehensive and authoritative view of your research area.

What resources or databases do you find particularly useful for undergraduate and graduate research?

One database I highly recommend is Statista. It’s incredibly useful for students from all disciplines because it provides access to a vast array of statistics, reports, and infographics on a wide range of topics. Whether you’re looking for market data, demographics, or consumer surveys, Statista can be a great starting point.

What’s one thing you want students to know?

One thing I want students to know is that we actually like getting your questions! We are here to help. We have library folks providing support on almost anything you can study at the University of Ottawa, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us. 

Feel free to ask your questions at [email protected] or book your research consultation. 

You can also check my research guide for more resources about Finance, Management, International Business...