Allyson Mower
Title: Scholarly Communications & Copyright Librarian
Organization: Marriott Library, University of Utah
Email: allyson.mower@utah.edu

Born and Lived: I was born and raised in Utah, spent two summers in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and lived in Maryland for three years.

Professional Career and Activities: I provide information, tools, and services related to both publishing and copyright. Previous to this position, I worked at Eccles Health Sciences Library as reference associate, virtual reference coordinator (2003-2006), and institutional repository coordinator (2006-2008). I oversaw the digitization of the health sciences theses and dissertations at Eccles Library and was co-creator of a copyright permissions tool called University Scholarly Knowledge Inventory System (U-SKIS). With colleagues from Purdue University and Georgia Tech libraries, my co-workers and I received a grant in 2010 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to explore the state of library publishing services which, in turn, fostered a recent digital publishing collaboration with Oxford University Press. I received my MLIS from the University of Washington in 2009 and have an MA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College and a BA in American Studies from Utah State University. I was a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2008, was nominated for the 2012 SSP Emerging Leader award, and was elected U of U Academic Senate President in May for the 2013 academic year.

Family: Significant other. No kids.

In My Spare Time: I run, bike, swim, read, watch TV, walk around beautiful Salt Lake City.

Favorite Books: People of the Book, the Stieg Larsson series, anything by Henning Mankell (thanks to Charles Watkinson for recommending him), Love Medicine, Annals of a Former World and so many others. Right now I’m reading Game of Thrones.

Pet Peeves: Mean people.

Most Memorable Career Achievement: Building the copyright permission tool and being elected Senate President.

How/Where I See the Industry in Five Years: Much more collaboration between publishers and librarians to provide content in multiple formats to a wide range of users.