The following is a message from Dean of York University Libraries Joy Kirchner:
I am delighted to announce that Sheril Hook has been appointed associate dean for teaching and learning at York University Libraries effective May 16.
Sheril comes to us from the University of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto (UofT) where she was the Dr. William D. Sharpe Chief Librarian and director of archives since 2014. Under her leadership, she advanced participatory strategic planning, change management and organizational development processes leading to a culture of positive change and more empowered staff. She also introduced a number of innovations including embedding book arts and primary source literacy into the University curriculum. She also secured capital funds and donations to build a state-of-the-art conservation studio and a digital preservation studio. In tandem, she revived a print studio housed in the library that also served as the experiential education hub and teaching space for students to gain experience in typesetting, printing and binding.
Her extensive background in pedagogy, curriculum development and teaching at the graduate and undergraduate level is very well known in the field. With more than 25 years of teaching experience both in Canada and the United States, she has been course instructor for undergraduate courses in rhetoric and composition, information literacy, and foundations of information studies. At the graduate level, she taught design and evaluation of information literacy programs from 2007 to 2016 at the iSchool, University of Toronto.
Sheril has published extensively on the scholarship of teaching in the information field with numerous peer reviewed articles, book chapters, a book and a textbook. Her co-edited book was an international Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) top 10 best seller; won the ACRL Ilene Rockman Publication award; and was nominated for an outstanding scholarship award from the International Writing Center’s Association. In addition to her own active research and scholarship, she currently serves as a reviewer for several LIS journals in both Canada and the U.S. and served on editorial boards for Publications in Librarianship (PIL) and College & Research Libraries (C&RL).
She holds a bachelor of arts and a master of arts in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a master of arts library science from the same university. She is a PhD candidate in information studies from the University of Toronto with expected completion in 2022.
Previously, she was the curriculum development coordinator and coordinator of Instruction Services at UofT Mississauga and held other librarian roles at the University of Arizona, and the University of South Dakota.
As the associate dean for the teaching and learning division, Sheril will be a member of the York University Libraries’ senior leadership team providing strategic direction and oversight over the division. She will be providing direct administrative oversight for the Curriculum & Course Support Department, the Student Learning & Academic Success Department and Learning Commons & Reference Services, and will work closely with library directors, managers and others across the organization to develop policies that enable and shape the work of the division.
Please join me in congratulating Sheril on her new role and welcoming her to York University.
Over the last nine months, while we conducted an extensive search, Andrea Kosavic took on many of the responsibilities under the associate dean of teaching and learning portfolio, in addition to her role as associate dean of digital engagement and strategy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrea for her stellar contributions. Under her leadership the teaching and learning division advanced many key priorities and furthered the strengthening of the division post-organizational restructure. She also took a lead role in coordinating our new Markham Campus curriculum by marrying the programmatic offerings from both divisions. I am very grateful for all her hard work during these challenging but successful months and the innovations she introduced.