Bryson Duda (BSc '08), ULethbridge Library technical specialist

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in Coaldale and moved to Lethbridge in 2003 to attend the U of L. After trying my hand at biology and education, I found my way to the computer science program and ended up loving it! Shortly after graduating, I got married and started working for a local GIS company (the one that operated the satellite receiving station in the giant “golf ball” on campus). After a few years there, I was accepted for a position in the ULethbridge Library and I’ve been here ever since! My wife and I have two wonderful children (ages six and eight) who tend to either make us feel like kids again ourselves or feel really, really old, depending on the day.

How long have you been at the U of L and what do you do here?
I started here just over 10 years ago. I work in the Information Systems area of the Library and I help with everything from tech support and teaching workshops to web development and systems administration.

"My big confession is that I barely used the Library the entire time I was a student, so I’ve ended up learning a lot about libraries during my time here. I've really grown in my appreciation for their value, not just in supporting research, but also in promoting information literacy (which is really vital nowadays)."

What's the best part of your job?
I love having a part in supporting the education of our students. I've also had the opportunity to learn so many new skills, such as digital marketing and the impressive equipment in the Agility Innovation Zone. I’m very thankful for my amazing coworkers as well — I can’t pass up a chance to brag about how great they are!

What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Am I allowed to say video games? I realize it’s not the most highly regarded hobby, but I do genuinely love gaming, especially games made by solo developers or indie studios. Besides playing games, I’ve slowly been learning game development over the past few years as well. I also enjoy playing guitar, hiking, cycling, snowshoeing, skiing, politics, and eating things with cheese on them.