Position:

Associate University Librarian

Contact Information:

manderson@paloaltou.edu

Biography:

Mary Anderson is a native Californian who serves as Associate University Librarian at Palo Alto University (PAU). Her work experience and education have informed her practice at PAU, where she leverages her passionate knowledge of libraries, psychology, and counseling to meet the information needs of our community. 

Mary joined the PAU librarian staff after earning her Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at San Jose State University (SJSU) in 2011. Mary was a Staff Council representative for five years (2015-2020), serving as chair for the final two, and represented staff on the Academic and Student Affairs Subcommittee of the PAU Strategic Planning Committee in 2021. Mary is a member of multiple professional organizations, including ALA, CARL, NCTPG, NNLM, NCCPL, and SCELC.

While working on her MLIS, Mary interned at the PAU Library, the Stanford University Green Library, and the SJSU Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Previously, she managed an elementary school library in the Cupertino Union School District for several years. 

Mary holds a B.A. degree in Communication Disorders from Whittier College and M.S. degrees in Counseling (Counseling Psychology) and Education (Educational & Psychological Studies) from California State University, Hayward (East Bay). She enjoyed early career positions as an educational research consultant and university lecturer.