Introducing the new chief law librarian

Anne Matthewman.

From September 20 to 24, Dal News presents a series of profiles of new folks on campus. Today, Dal News introduces you to Anne Matthewman, chief law librarian.

The Dalhousie Libraries are pleased to welcome Anne Matthewman as new Chief Law Librarian of the Sir James Dunn Law Library. She took up her position at the Dunn on August 3, 2010.

Ms. Matthewman comes to Dal from Toronto, where she was Executive Director and Library Manager of the Toronto Lawyers Association. Being in a university setting and particularly having contact with students appeals to her. “I’m coming from an environment where I worked with lawyers so I’m looking forward to working with students before they become lawyers. I have a good idea of what they are going to need to know when the senior partner asks for research or a judge sends them to the library for information.”

When asked about her vision for the future of the Law Library, Ms. Matthewman has some thoughtful answers. “We need to look at some new models for how we provide services to our faculty and students, to build on the idea of library as ‘third space,’” she says. “We also need to revisit our involvement with legal writing and research courses—make them more exciting and useful, more personal, more geared towards answering the question, What’s in it for me?“ 

She points out the importance of addressing print resources in law courses. ”Students need to understand how the print edition of the Canadian Abridgement works—its layout, its purpose—or they just won’t get the online version.” She envisions all Law Library reference staff working together to improve legal courses, whether or not they currently teach. She also hopes to make the physical layout of the library’s front desk area more inviting.

Although her family is in Toronto, Halifax is already familiar to her as she has friends here. “I’ve been coming to Halifax for five years, and I always knew it was a place I’d enjoy living in,” she says. She’s currently staying with some of those friends while she looks for a house in Dartmouth. To her the commute across the bridge is actually a pleasure, compared with being on Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway every day.

Her interests include theatre, opera, and classical, folk and country music, and she’s eagerly anticipating attending events at the Rebecca Cohn. She’s also hoping to start a garden and looking for a book club she can join.

“Every morning I cross the bridge and look at the ocean, and I’m so happy to be here," she says with a smile.