As an educator and lover of knowledge, it's always been important to me to continue to grow in my understanding of the world around me. After this program, my formal education is complete, but there are a number of ways that I can keep expanding my knowledge base as my career in information science grows.

Ideas for Continuing Education

• Conferences: I've already had a couple of opportunities to attend library conferences. In 2022, I attended the American Library Association (ALA) conferences in Washington D.C. In 2023, I was able to go to the rescheduled Joint Council for Librarians of Color (JCLC) in Florida. I left both of these conferences with a wealth of knowledge because I got to interact with librarians from all over the country, speak to book vendors & other sponsors, and even explore other public libraries to see what other services libraries are offering. I plan to continue to take any opportunity that I can to attend conferences and expand my network.

• Online Webinars/Courses: There is a host of knowledge available online. One of the only pluses to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic was learning the technology to share knowledge across platforms. Educational institutions, such as the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and others, offer classes for a small price on a variety of topics. Library and other organizations, like the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, offers webinars on library issues and topics that they think are important for the wider library world to discuss. Attending these webinars or signing up for these courses are a way to continue to be in the know about library happenings and keep learning about topics (such as the Black Lives in the Founding Era course I'm currently taking through Gilder Lehrman) that are helpful to do my job well. I will committ to completing one online course or participating in one webinar at least once a quarter.

• Local Community Organizations: As a Tulsa transplant, one of the things that I love the most is the sheer number of organizations that are always having programs on topics that affect various communities in Tulsa. One example is the John Hope Franklin Center of Reconciliation that offers programs around the year to help community members gain more insight and understanding. I will commit to attending at least one local educational or community program a year to stay up to date on what's going on in the community; it's important to understand the communities that TCCL serves.