Selected C. V.

Email: apaterson@tru.ca          ORCiD: 0000-0002-0016-6356

Education

Master of Library and Information Studies (2011) , Dalhousie University

Master of Arts in English Literature (2008), Simon Fraser University

Honours B.A. in English Language and Literature (2006), St. Thomas University

Scholarly and Professional Contributions

Peer-reviewed Publications

  • McLay Paterson, A. (2022). “Just the way we’ve always done it”: Who shapes the new normal for academic libraries? Canadian Journal of Academic Librarianship, 8(Special issue on Labour in Academic Libraries). https://doi.org/10.33137/cjal-rcbu.v8.38476
  • McLay Paterson, A. and Eva, N. (2022). “Relationships of care”: Care and meaning in Canadian academic librarian work during COVID-19. Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.21083/partnership.v17i2.7055
  • McLay Paterson, A. and Eva, N. (2022). “Always at work”: Canadian academic library work during COVID-19. Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.21083/partnership.v17i2.6783
  • Paterson, A. M. (2021). What is a library website, anyway? (Re)considering dominant conceptual models. Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, 16(1). https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/6363
  • Paterson, A. (2010). “NetSpeakWrite: A new breed of communication” in Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management, 6. doi: https://doi.org/10.5931/djim.v6i1.36

Other Professional Articles and Interviews

Reviews

National and International Workshops

  • McLay Paterson, A. (2023). Process mapping for fun and profit. To be delivered at the Canadian Library Assessment Workshop, Oct. 23-25, London, ON.
  • *Invited workshop* McLay Paterson, A. and Eva, N. (2023). What’s next? Library life after COVID-19. Online workshop delivered through the Ontario Library Association, April 21, 2023.
  • Paterson, A. (2019). “Once upon a research consultation: Using consultation statistics to tell stories about relationship building, workload, and organizational change.” Workshop delivered at Canadian Library Assessment Workshop, Windsor, ON, Oct. 22-24, 2019.

Select Conference Presentations

  • Bury, S., Goosney, J., McLay Paterson, A. and Eva, N. (2024). Is this the new normal? Examining past, present, and future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for Canadian academic libraries. Presentation at Ontario Library Association Superconference, January 24-27 in Toronto, ON.
  • McLay Paterson, A. (2023). Citation is a carrot: A modest proposal for a positive framing of academic integrity education. Presentation at Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU), May 16-19 in Montreal, PQ.
  • McLay Paterson, A. (2023). EDI and Collective Bargaining: Progress and Challenges. Presentation at TRU Equity in Action Conference, May 8, 2023.
  • McLay Paterson, A. and Rennie, E. (2023). Growing into inclusive hiring practices: One library’s experience. Presentation at BC Library Conference, April 14, 2023 in Vancouver, BC.
  • McLay Paterson, A. and May, E. (2022). Talking to colleagues about data: Tips and challenges. Presented at DLI National Training, November 24, 2022.
  • McLay Paterson, A. (2022). “They’ll still come, they still need you, right?” Library value after COVID-19. Presented at Library Assessment Conference, November 3, 2022.
  • Paterson, A.M. (2022). “A drop in the bucket”: Academic librarian wellness during COVID. Presented at Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians conference, June 6, 2022.
  • Paterson, A.M. & Eva, N. (2022). Relationships of care: Care and meaning in Canadian academic librarian work during COVID-19. Presented at Alberta Association of Academic Libraries Spring Meeting, May 12, 2022.
  • Paterson, A.M. & Eva, N. (2022). “It’s a friggin’ struggle to be honest:” Early results from a study of librarian workload during COVID-19. Presented at Ontario Library Association SuperConference, February 3, 2022.
  • Paterson, A.M. (2021). Alone, together; or, what’s the point of a virtual writing group? Presented at Keeping it ReAL: Research in Academic Libraries, November 8, 2021.
  • *Invited Presentation* Paterson, A. M. and Sobol, B. (2021). Pandemic-inspired Insights: A Conversation about Library Values. Presentation at UBC-O Leader in Residence Conference, June 28, 2021.
  • Paterson, A. M. (2021). How do we measure, measure this year? Library value during and after COVID. Presentation at British Columbia Library Conference, May 3-7, 2021.
  • Paterson, A. M. (2020). What is a library website, anyway? Presentation at Access Conference, October 23-27, 2020.
  • Paterson, A. M. (2020). Continuing the conversation: Transitioning discussion-based classes to asynchronous alternate delivery. Presented at Online Information Literacy Show and Tell,October 1, 2020. https://youtu.be/THSvvfHgXzc  
  • Paterson, A. (2019). “Pick a topic, any topic: Using improvisational comedy to make feminist pedagogy work for library instruction.” Presentation at Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU), Winnipeg, MB, May 22-24, 2019.
  • Wells, J., Paterson, A., and Lampreau, J. (2019). “Beyond the soup circle: Expanding Indigenous library services at Thompson Rivers University.” Presentation at Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU), Winnipeg, MB, May 22-24, 2019.
  • *Invited Presentation* Paterson, A. (2019). “Web accessibility: Peering down the rabbit hole.” Presentation at Symposium for All Interior Library Staff (SAILS), Kamloops, BC, May 6, 2019.
  • Paterson, A. (2018). “Three questions: A one-shot approach to data literacy instruction.” Presentation at ACCOLEDS (A COPPUL Consortium of Library Electronic Data Services) Conference and Training session, Vancouver, BC, November 26-29, 2018.
  • Paterson, A. “After the desk: Reference services in a changing information landscape.” Presented at IFLA Conference, Lyon, France, August, 2014.
  • Paterson, A. (2011). “Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management: Changes and challenges of producing a student-run peer-reviewed publication.” Presentation at Canadian Library Association Conference, Halifax NS, May 26-30, 2011.
  • Paterson, A. (2008). “A pearl among peas: Unity and difference in Sir Gawain and the green knight.” Presentation at SFU Graduate Conference: Games We Play, Burnaby BC, May 2008.

Awards and Grants

  • Contributor to TRU Integrated Strategic Plan Grant (2023)
  • Canadian Association of Public Data Users (CAPDU) Travel Grant for New Data Librarians (2018)
  • Beta Phi Nu (MLIS Honour Society) inductee (May 2011)
  • School of Information Management (SIM) Leadership Award—Dalhousie University (May 2011)
  • Alberta Letts Travel Award to Canadian Library Association (CLA) Conference (May 2011)
  • First-Timer’s Award to 2011 Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA) Conference (May 2011)
  • Stephanie Downs Memorial Award for SIM Leadership—Dalhousie University (Aug. 2010)
  • Graduate Fellowship for incoming students—Dalhousie University (Sept. 2009)
  • Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS-Master’s Scholarship (SSHRC) (Jan. 2009)
  • Graduate Studies Fellowship—Simon Fraser University (Apr. 2008)
  • Francis M. McLaughlin scholarship: appx. $20,000 over four years at St. Thomas University (2002-2006)

Selected Professional Work Experience

Librarians’ Department Co-Chair (June 2022—present), Thompson Rivers University

  • Provides leadership to departmental faculty by providing consistent mentorship, support, feedback and direction to departmental faculty
  • Regularly meets with library administration to discuss ongoing issues with library leadership
  • Assigns annual workload to faculty librarians
  • Facilitates intradepartmental conflicts and addresses issues as they arise
  • Chairs relevant committees (Appointments, Performance Review)

Assessment and User Experience Librarian (July 2016—present), Thompson Rivers University

  • Implements, organizes and advises on ongoing assessment activities in the TRU Library, including the implementation of an Assessment framework and management of analytics software
  • Supervised a student research assistant participating in library assessment activities
  • Serves as DLI contact, liaising with Statistics Canada and providing research help for students and faculty needing statistical data
  • Arts Liaison team member, providing collection development, library instruction, and communication to these departments
  • Provides frequent reference and research consultations to students, faculty and staff
  • Works with vendors to configure and improve access and management of electronic resources
  • Assigns and oversees work for functional area staff
  • Responsible for management of access to electronic resources, including oversight of Ezproxy server and Electronic Resource Management System (2016-2022)
  • Oversees TRU Library website and LibGuide development, assigning work and providing publishing guidelines (2016-2021)

Sessional Instructor (Jan 2016—April 2016), Mount Saint Vincent University

  • Taught Distance section of LIBR 2100: Introduction to Research in the Information Age via Moodle and Blackboard Collaborate
  • Designed course syllabus, gave weekly lectures, graded assignments

Sunday Supervisor (March 2015—April 2016), Halifax Public Libraries

  • Answered reference, reader’s advisory, and technical questions at the information desk of a busy downtown public library
  • Served as Senior person in charge on Sundays, making sure that the library was opened and closed properly, as well as submitting reports, making decisions, liaising with building and security personnel and dealing with difficult situations, as needed

Electronic Resources Librarian (June 2014—March 2015), Nova Scotia Community College

  • Lead transition to LibGuides 2.0 and LibGuides CMS, creating templates, customizing CSS, and training other librarians
  • Sat on Novanet Primo Implementation Group, leading the User Interface Ad-hoc group for Novanet Primo installation; managed NSCC Primo instance, coordinated communication and training for other NSCC librarians
  • Managed, developed and updated NSCC Libraries website using Dreamweaver
  • Delivered in-person and online technology training sessions via Blackboard Collaborate to library staff at 13 campuses
  • Participated in NSCC Libraries Research Series, delivering educational training in library and information resources to NSCC students and staff
  • Configured EZproxy and troubleshooted access issues to library resources
  • Managed Open URL Resolver and successfully transitioned from WorldCat Link Manager to SFX
  • Evaluated potential electronic resources and packages for future purchase
  • Liased with vendors
  • Weekly virtual reference shifts via LibraryH3lp, fielding questions from 10 Novavet institutions
  • Troubleshooted IT problems and questions from patrons and librarians across Nova Scotia

Public Services Librarian (Aug. 2013—May 2014), John Bassett Memorial Library, Bishop’s University

  • Taught multiple sections of for-credit Information Literacy and Critical Thinking (ILT) courses for Education students, designing lectures, labs, and online Moodle content
  • Implemented and administered virtual reference system via LibChat and setting up accompanying LibAnswers system
  • Configured EPrints installation for upcoming institutional repository
  • Designed copyright guide for faculty and students
  • Designed and lead user experience assessment project for library website
  • Liaison librarian for departments of English, Psychology, and Sociology, including collection development and LibGuide responsibilities for these areas
  • Faculty and student outreach via Facebook, Twitter, and in-person Orientation sessions; Community outreach to Champlain College
  • Weekly reference shifts and in-depth research consultations by appointment

Public Services Librarian (July 2011—July 2012), H.T. Coutts Education Library, University of Alberta

  • Provided reference and research assistance, circulation service, and technical assistance at a busy integrated Service Desk
  • Served as Liaison Librarian to Education Technology Commons
  • Collaborated with Digital Projects to create an online collection of Historical Curriculum resources in Alberta
  • Initiated and managed social media profile for H. T. Coutts Library, using WordPress, Facebook, and Twitter; provided social media training to other librarians
  • Created video tutorials using Camtasia
  • Created and managed numerous LibGuides, including a widely-used APA style guide
  • Taught classes and provided reference consultations for Education students and faculty
  • Collaborated with the Head of Rutherford Library in an an-depth study of the Rutherford Service Desk

Selected Professional Service

Service to Thompson Rivers University

  • TRUFA Vice-President Salary and Working Conditions (2021—present)
  • Lead Negotiator for TRUFA Collective bargaining to negotiate a new 3-year Collective Agreement (2022-2023)
  • Integrated Strategic Planning Steering Committee member (June 2021—2022)
  • TRU Merit Awards Judge (2021-2022)
  • TRUFA Performance Review Coordinator (2019—2021)
  • TRUFA Deputy VP Steward (2021)
  • Member of the Learning Analytics Working Group (September 2018—present)
  • TRUFA Shop Steward (April 2018—present)
  • Member of TRUFA Gender Equity Committee (2016—present)

Professional Organizations and Committee Work

  • Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians (CAPAL) Advocacy Committee (2019—present)
  • Data Liberation Initiative (DLI) Professional Development Committee, Western representative (2019—2023)
  • Librarians without Borders Dalhousie Executive Liaison (2011—2016)

Conference Planning and Execution

  • Program Committee member for DLI National Training 2022
  • Program Committee member for DLI National Training 2021
  • Volunteer for ACCESS 2021
  • Program Committee member for DLI National Training 2020
  • Volunteer for ACCESS 2020
  • Program Co-Chair for ACCOLEDS conference and training session, to be hosted by University of Saskatchewan, November 26-28, 2019.
  • Chair of the Local Arrangements Committee to plan ACCOLEDS conference and training session, hosted by Thompson Rivers University, November 28-30, 2017 (see Conference website for more information)
  • Planning committee member for University of Alberta Educational Technologies Conference, hosted by University of Alberta Faculty of Education, February 12, 2012
  • Planning committee member for 2008 SFU Graduate Conference: Games we play, hosted by Simon Fraser University English Department, May 9-11, 2008

Journal Editorial and Review Boards:

  • Peer reviewer for Canadian Journal of Academic Librarianship (2022—present)
  • Technical Editor (2011-2012) and Copyeditor (2012) for Deakin Review of Children’s Literature
  • Editorial Chair (2010-2011) for Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management

Professional Support Networks:

  • Provides mentorship, job advice, and resume help to LIS students and new graduates
  • Regular participant in BCLA mentorship program as a mentor
  • Regular participant in CAPAL mentorship program as a mentor
  • Past participant in CLA mentorship program as a mentor