I am a Library and Information Science (LIS) doctoral student. My dissertation research focuses on how public libraries can improve their communities’ resiliency during natural disasters. Utilizing a cross-national perspective as well as an integrated, intergovernmental approach, this research seeks to compare and contrast Canada’s decentralized attitude towards emergency management with the U.S.’s more centralized one in hopes of providing both practitioners and researchers with an assessment of the current state of Canadian public libraries’ overall level of emergency preparedness. Additionally, it seeks to provide concrete, stakeholder-driven policy recommendations for Canada’s public libraries in the areas of disaster management and community resiliency.
Previously, I have worked as both a freelance print journalist and a middle school science and visual arts teacher. In my spare time I like to write urban fantasy and horror novels. I also enjoy binge watching the news, reading graphic novels, and gardening.
Other areas of research interest include: crisis communication, information barriers, social justice, information policy, accessibility issues, education, and human information practices.
Courses
Co-Instructor (& Co-Developer): LIS 9377: Information in Pandemics and Disasters, University of Western Ontario, May 1, 2020 - August 31, 2020.
Guest Lectures
"Disaster Management & Public Libraries", LIS 9005 (Summer & Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Winter 2021), University of Western Ontario.
"Availability, Emotion, & Risk", MIT 1025 (October 7, 2019), University of Western Ontario.
Committees
LIS DSA Vice President & Representative for Research Committee, Faculty of Information and Media Study, University of Western Ontario, September 2020 – May 2021.
LIS DSA Constitution Revision Committee, Faculty of Information and Media Study, University of Western Ontario, September 2020 – November 2020.
LIS DSA Representative for Doctoral Program Committee, Faculty of Information and Media Study, University of Western Ontario, September 2019 – August 2020.
Volunteer Work
Copyeditor, Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science/ Revue canadienne des sciences de l’information et de bibliothéconomie (CJILS/RCSIB), January 2021 – Present.
Teaching Assistant Mentor, University of Western Ontario, September 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020.
Editorial Team Member, Emerging Library and Information Perspectives (ELIP), January 2018 – April 2018.
Publications
Vander Kooy, S. A. (2019). A tale of two degrees: The potential for smalls worlds within academia. Emerging Library & Information Perspectives, 2, 115-154. doi: https://doi.org/10.5206/elip.v2i1.6208
Vander Kooy, S. A. (2019). Mending seams: A study of information barriers related to textile artists. Emerging Library & Information Perspectives, 2, 81-114. doi: https://doi.org/10.5206/elip.v2i1.6209
Helkenberg, D., Schoenberger, N., Vander Kooy, S. A., Pemberton, A., Ali, K., Bartlett, S., . . . Zip, S. (2018). Education for the common good: A student perspective on including social justice in LIS education. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 59(4), 265-272. doi: 10.3138/jelis.59.4.2018-0013
Conferences
Vander Kooy, S. (2021, June). #LibraryLife: A quantitative analysis of social media usage, content, and engagement at the Vancouver Public Library. Paper presented at Canadian Association of Information Science Conference. Virtual Conference.
Vander Kooy, S. (2021, June). A whole new world: Investigating the use of social media by the Vancouver Public Library to deliver services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster presented at Canadian Association of Information Science Conference. Virtual Conference.
Vander Kooy, S. A. (2020, September-October). Preparing for the worst: An analysis of disaster response resource provision by Canadian library associations. Paper presented at Canadian Association of Information Science Conference. Virtual Conference.
Vander Kooy, S. A. (2020, September-October). Surveying the surveyors: An analysis of the survey response rates of librarians. Paper presented at Canadian Association of Information Science Conference. Virtual Conference.
Vander Kooy, S. A. (2019, June). Whatever it takes: A close examination of the roles and services public libraries provide during community crises. Paper presented at Canadian Association of Information Science Conference, Vancouver, BC.
