Commitment to Service

My life choices are driven by a strong commitment to service. I often joke that I am a “joiner” meaning I am always willing to join a new organization when the opportunity arises. My tendency to lead means it is not long before I am taking on an executive position. I believe my time spent in Girl Scouts helped to nurture this desire. Throughout my education I have frequently served as President and Vice President for a variety of student organizations. In my undergraduate my thesis focused on civil society and social capital. I argued that Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone failed to recognize the changing nature of civil society in light of the Internet. I believe the rise of social networking further supports my argument, in that social capital is now built online versus at the bowling alley. As a result I have tried to remain active in online communities of practice and contribute to the dialogue. My participation with community organizations at a young age instilled a strong commitment to service that has carried on throughout my adulthood. After I completed my first Masters, I decided to put that commitment to the test by serving an AmeriCorps term for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This gave me a great opportunity to understand how societies organize to make contributions to the common good.

All of this has prepared me well for professional service. Already as a paraprofessional I have served on institution wide organizations such as the Campus Navigator program at Tulsa Community College. As a Campus Navigator, I assisted with student recruitment and new student orientations. During my time at Tulsa Community College, I also presented at the Community of Oklahoma Instruction Librarians “unCoiled workshop” in 2009 and presented at the joint 2010 Oklahoma Library Association and Mountain Plains Library Association conference. Additionally I have served as a organizing committee member for the Knowledge and Project Management Symposium's for 2009 and 2010. I served as a Board member for the Knowledge and Information Professional Association for 2010 as well. As a member of the American Library Association and Reference and User Services Association, it is my desire to participate in discussions related to the profession and seek opportunities for development. I now serve on an institution wide e-Learning Advisory Group and Academic Technology group. Our goals are to synthesize efforts at providing educational technology across the organization.

As I continue to grow in this profession I will seek participation in collaborative organizations and cross-departmental associations. I will strive to take on leadership positions when appropriate and focus my efforts on contributing to the overall good of the University. I am eager to take part in team work which facilities personal as well as institutional growth. My desire to share my knowledge will continue to influence my decisions to make presentations and participate in professional development opportunities. Finally, I aim to obtain professional memberships of organizations deemed important for my profession and be an active member within those organizations.