Alexandra Patterson | Source | Director of Library Services at Mercersburg Academy

I currently serve as Director of Library Services at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. As director, I manage a staff of five MSLS librarians, paraprofessional library staff and an archivist. During my time at Mercersburg I have reworked our ordering process, started a book club devoted to fantasy literature, spearheaded a weeding project, and developed our big bookish event program.

For the 2019-2020 school year, I serve as the We Speak Coordinator to run a team of 13 students and faculty as we develop a 1-day symposium to celebrate 50 years of co-education at Mercersburg Academy.

I also teach as part of the innovative 9th grade English team. The 9th grade English program asks students to rotate between teachers regularly, which allows for differentiation.

Finally, I serve as a dorm parent in Fowle Hall where I have 8 advisees.

I completed my masters in library science (MSLS) at UNC Chapel Hill where I completed an internship in serials/electronic resources and interlibrary loan at the Environmental Protect Agency Library (RTP). The experience gave me the opportunity to work with SerialsSolutions, OCLC WorldShare, and EBSCO. I also interned in teen services at the Orange County Public Library where I staffed the reference desk and developed programs for teens.

I graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier, OH in 2012 with my B.A. in English. During my time at Kenyon, I studied abroad for an academic year at the University of Exeter where my program focused on Victorian Literature.