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Canadian native Stephanie Walker met with members of the University of Maine community to discuss her candidacy for the dean of libraries position. She is currently the university librarian at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and spoke recently at a candidate information session.
“[UMaine] attracted me when I saw the ad because of its collaborative spirit … the connections with museums, music and art, like the Music Box project. Also the college community seemed very engaged [with the library]. I was also drawn by the opportunities for large-scale projects,” Walker said.
Walker is very interested in technology and the changing shape of libraries.
“Twenty-five years ago, if you wanted to do research, you went to a library. Most people knew where to look for different topics, or learned quickly. Now you can search in 20 different databases. It is not easy to tell which is a reputable source,” Walker said.
Walker is also concerned about creating interfaces in the library that allow students to search more than one database at a time using the same terms.
“I don’t want someone to be unable to access information because of a few symbols. That’s just silly,” Walker said.
Walker is also interested in bringing a “DSpacelike” system to UMaine in which professors could voluntarily store papers and multimedia resources for student access.
She also wants to campaign to get money for the library to buy materials that are becoming more expensive, and to work with the issues of space in the library.
“A big issue here is where students can study. There’s nowhere to sit and completely spread out. I have been here only one day, but I could tell from my tour that your shelves are very full,” she said. Walker said that in a previous job, she got together with other local libraries and discussed common storage space. They then paid a service to deliver from within 24 hours of a student’s request.
Walker said she is interested in having IT and the library work together.
“With my personal background of computer courses and library knowledge, I can speak both languages,” she said.
At a previous job, she kept a small, local journal in print format but changed a scientific one to digital.
“We’ve grown up used to using the print format. Students now are used to multiplicity. They are becoming article format agnostic. Things are changing,” Walker said.
One student was impressed with Walker’s background in technology and her ideas for Fogler.
“I thought she was really good,” said Katherine O’Flaherty, a history graduate student . “I like her background in technology and her emphasis on advocating for library funding.”
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