New Staff at the Library
Posted: September 23, 2024
Our ATSU library campuses have some new faces and we wanted to make sure to introduce them to you!
Trevor Stratton, Metadata and Cataloging Librarian
Trevor has been with ATSU since December and works on the Kirksville, Missouri, campus. Trevor’s main focus is ensuring our collections and resources are accessible and discoverable through quality metadata and connection points. He has also taken over the administration of Still Scholarworks, ATSU’s institutional repository.
Trevor graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2022. He also graduated with a master’s degree in library and information science as well as a master’s degree in history from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024.
During his time at Mizzou, Trevor worked with the State Historical Society of Missouri, where he first found his passion for the information profession. Upon arrival at the University of Illinois, Trevor began serving as the metadata services graduate assistant for the University of Illinois Library. It is in this role that he gained the majority of his experience in technical services and decided that he wanted to pursue a career as a metadata and cataloging librarian.
Outside of work, Trevor loves traveling with his wife, spending time with family, and watching sports, especially football. Trevor is very excited to get started at ATSU and to return home to Northeast Missouri.
Laura Barkema, Liaison and Communications Librarian
Laura joined ATSU in July and works on the Mesa, Arizona, campus. She graduated from Wartburg College with a bachelor’s degree in history and biology in 2011 and from the University of Pittsburgh with a master’s degree in library and information science in 2012.
While at Pitt, Laura participated in the health sciences track, where she volunteered and interned at two separate hospital libraries in Pittsburgh. After graduation, Laura became a Reader and Information Services Librarian at the Boston Public Library, where she worked for five years. Following her time in Boston, she moved to Nashville, and worked for Ingram Content Group as a Collection Development Librarian for another five years. Her experience has been varied, but she is ultimately very excited about this new role with ATSU and achieving what she set out to do upon first entering grad school – becoming a health sciences librarian.
When she’s not working, Laura enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and breweries, pet-sitting, and above all else, she loves to travel. Laura has been lucky enough to visit 67 countries, 17 of which she visited last year while on a career break. While the previous year of travel has been amazing (and feel free to ask her more about it), she’s looking forward to settling into her new home and role in Mesa.
Alex Crawford, Evenings and Weekend Library Assistant
Alex began working for ATSU on the Kirksville, Missouri, campus in August. She graduated from Truman State University with a bachelor’s degree in English earlier this year. While attending college, she worked at the school’s writing center for three years and participated in several extracurricular activities, such as Marching Band and different dance organizations. She has gained many interests throughout her college career, but she is looking forward to working with students and staff at the ATSU Library.
When she’s not working, Alex enjoys reading, tending to plants, dancing, and most importantly, writing. Her goal is to work jobs such as this one, and work on publishing novels and poetry on the side.
We are so excited to have these three join A.T. Still Memorial Library and our campus community. Stop by the libraries to welcome them when you get a chance.