My Collections Philosophy
I approach collections management as both analytical and relational work. Sustainable collection development depends on responsible budget stewardship, data-informed decision-making, and transparent consultation with faculty and students. Each acquisition carries long-term implications — licensing, renewal costs, access models, and preservation responsibilities — and must be evaluated within institutional priorities and changing technological landscapes. Effective collections strategy balances fiscal accountability with openness to emerging access pathways, including digital delivery and open scholarship.
I approach collections management as both analytical and relational work. Sustainable collection development depends on responsible budget stewardship, data-informed decision-making, and transparent consultation with faculty and students. Each acquisition carries long-term implications — licensing, renewal costs, access models, and preservation responsibilities — and must be evaluated within institutional priorities and changing technological landscapes. Effective collections strategy balances fiscal accountability with openness to emerging access pathways, including digital delivery and open scholarship.
Collection Development & Lifecycle Management
At the Vaughan Memorial Library, I have contributed to collection lifecycle stewardship across multiple service areas. My work has included:
At the Vaughan Memorial Library, I have contributed to collection lifecycle stewardship across multiple service areas. My work has included:
- Conducting lifecycle review and deselection within Archival & Special Collections, applying duplication analysis and preservation prioritization.
- Coordinating Course Reserves collections across physical, electronic, and open materials to support curriculum needs.
- Designing a digital submission workflow for Course Reserves, increasing collection usage by 13% in one academic year.
- Collecting and analyzing usage data to inform ongoing evaluation and renewal decisions.
These initiatives reinforced my view of collections as dynamic systems requiring continuous assessment, renewal, and thoughtful deselection.
Open Access & Resource Sustainability
Through formal training in Open Education Librarianship and my work with Signum University, I have managed subject collections within constrained budgets while integrating high-quality open access resources (DOAJ, OASIS, OpenDOAR). I also maintain an institutional repository supporting faculty and graduate research dissemination. This experience has strengthened my understanding of how open scholarship can complement subscription-based acquisitions and extend sustainable access.
Resource Sharing & Systems Awareness
In interlibrary loan and document delivery services at Acadia University, I coordinate national and international resource sharing workflows, gaining practical insight into licensing limitations, copyright considerations, and collaborative access models. Participation in workflow redesign and Alma systems processes has deepened my understanding of the technological infrastructures that support discovery and access.
Governance & Fiscal Perspective
As Treasurer and Executive Board Member of the Atlantic Provinces Library Association, I oversee budget planning and financial reporting within a regional professional organization. This governance experience reinforces my commitment to fiscal transparency and responsible allocation of resources — principles central to sustainable collections management.