Initial Self Assessment

Name: Megan George

Faculty Advisory: Dr. Yong-Mi Kim

Background

I grew up in Northwest Arkansas and Philadelphia where I grew very curious about local history and its preservation. I went on to volunteer at the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art as part of their Teen Council where my passion for art and history led to my love for the museum field. 

I received my bachelor’s degree from Utah State University with a major in American Studies, minors in History, Art History, and Anthropology, and I also received my Museum Studies Certificate. While I was in school, I interned at the Hyrum City Museum where I began my archival and curatorial experience. My favorite experience in undergrad was when I researched and curated for a Rare Book Curatorial Seminar Exhibit at my university’s library. Having the opportunity to engage in hands-on rare book and archival experiences in community and academic spaces encouraged me to pursue museums, archives, and libraries in my career.

After graduation, I was accepted as a Tulsa Service Year School and Community Engagement Fellow at the Philbrook Museum of Art where I worked in museum educational programming. While I loved this experience and learned bounds about the museum field, I discovered that education was not the department for me in this field. After the fellowship, I was asked to be Assistant Registrar at Philbrook, where I found my love of database and record management work. Working closely with the museum librarians, I felt encouraged to pursue library school to grow my understanding of information management, archives, libraries, cataloging, and more. 

I am currently a Graduate Assistant at the OU-Tulsa Schusterman Library gaining my first experience working in a library while I begin my Master of Library and Information Studies program at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. This current position allows me to connect and enhance the theories that I learn in class with hands-on library experiences. 

Vision Statement

Preserving our past to inform the present to strengthen our future.

Mission Statement

To enhance my understanding of conservation and preservation of books and artifacts through hands-on experiences in order to be a resource for researchers and educators to benefit all generations with understanding of culture and history. 

SWOT Analysis 

• Strengths: Efficient and determined worker. Strong organization and time management skills. 

• Weaknesses: Doesn’t succeed when there is ambiguity, needs clear instructions. 

• Opportunities: Participating in more hands-on preservation and conservation experience, especially with historical objects. 

• Threats: Lack of volunteer positions to gain new experience in the field. 

Strategy Areas

• Strategy Area 1: Record Management. 

  • Supporting Statement: I will engage in the Documents and Records Management course. 

  • Strategic Outcome: Increase my understanding of record management theory, best practices, and ethics to become a proficient record manager. 

• Strategy Area 2: Rare Book Preservation. 

  • Supporting Statement: I will volunteer or intern at an institution where I can work hands-on with rare books. 

  • Strategic Outcome: Strengthen and expand my current knowledge of the rare books field and gain experience working with and preserving rare books. 

• Strategy Area 3: Database Design. 

  • Supporting Statement: I will enroll in the Database Design for Information Organization course. 

  • Strategic Outcome: Gain understanding in the principles of database design to enhance intuitive access and ensure accurate information retrieval. 

First Reflection

Second Reflection

Third Reflection