With our new interview series Faces of the Library, we are highlighting a few 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 first interview, we sat down with Hugo Crites, Data Specialist. Learn more about him and his expertise!
Tell us more about you and your role at the Library.
My name is Hugo Crites, I‘m the Data Specialist and I have been working at the Library for 6 years. I support the uOttawa community with data manipulation and visualization across all disciplines. I also support various data manipulation software like Microsoft Excel, SPSS, and R. Any data question is welcomed!
Why do you love working at the Library?
I really appreciate the variety of skills and services that the whole library staff has to offer. The appreciation of our users for our services is also something that is truly rewarding. It feels great to have the sense of supporting students in achieving some of their assignments or research.
With Artificial Intelligence and easy access to digital resources, what unique value do you bring to the research process that technology alone cannot?
I am very fortunate to have studied while employed at the Library. My current PhD research experience allows me to understand what a student goes through whether they’re graduate or undergraduate. I’m not only a Data Specialist but also someone to ask questions about topics that fall outside my role at the Library.
What resources or databases do you find particularly useful for undergraduate and graduate research?
I don’t think there is a particular one I’d like to point out, there are too many…
What’s one thing you want students to know?
Don’t be shy to ask questions! If we’re not the right resource, we’ll certainly point you in the right direction.
What’s your favourite book or author?
Weirdly I don’t read a lot for a library employee, but I particularly like Chuck Palahniuk's minimalist style of writing.
“It feels great to have the sense of supporting students in achieving some of their assignments or research.”
Hugo Crites
— Data Support Specialist
Contact
Feel free to email me at [email protected] or book your research consultation.
You can also check my research guide for more training material and hands-on exercises about statistics and DATA.