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Dr. Ben Mitchell is a librarian, curator, and scholar in science and technology studies and the history of science and medicine. As a curator at the Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre, he researched the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital and delivered talks, exhibits, and tours on the history of mental health, neurodivergence, and psychiatric institutions in Ontario. Since learning that he is autistic in 2019 (at the age of 33), he has turned his attention to historical and contemporary patterns of neurodivergent information sharing and community building. He has presented work on neurodiversity and early career librarianship at conferences such as the New Librarians Symposium, OCULA's Neurodiversity in the Library conference, and the APLA's Annual Summer Conference and has served as a mentor and peer-support to disabled early career librarians through the OLA’s MentorMatch program.

He runs the APLA Mentorship and Mutual Aid Discord Server for Canadian librarians and their friends (invite link here: https://discord.gg/Bdg3KGUurm)

As the outreach librarian at Thompson Rivers University, he is the TRUSU Gaming Club faculty advisor and runs the library's weekly Twitch Tuesdays events.
(which can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCznQvUAgvpsJ0puPIEutzQw)

His hobbies include playing Magic: The Gathering, various video games, and learning about special interests (such as video essays and BEES!).