Leadership in the library space can mean a number of things. Often, the thought about leadership in any organization is the management roles - managers or assistant managers, department leads, and program coordinators. However, that is not the only way to be a leader.
My own journey in leadership began in college when I interned with a program called Deep, where I taught Creative Writing fundamentals to elementary and middle school students. This position provided me with a base understanding of what it means to have other people look to you for answers, for knowledge, and for understanding. When I worked with the AmeriCorps program, City Year, I served as a tutor and mentor to several students, supplying them with English support but also supporting them in making the everyday decisions that teenagers must. That role was amplified when I became a classroom teacher.
Now that I am beginning my role in librarianship, the question of whether to eventually move into a management role is ever present. But leadership can also look like building relationships with colleagues and community members in a way that means they can come to you with ideas and programs. Leadership can also look like joining and taking an active part in local city and community organizations. Sitting on the boards of local organizations can be a form of leadership, especially when you use your voice to advocate for the library community's needs and wants.
I do have some experience in more traditional roles of leadership. I currently serve as a commissioner for the Greater Tulsa African American Affairs Commission, and as the Co-Chair of the Culture and Engagment Committee on that board. I am the current chair of the Nubian Voices Affinity Group, the Black & African American affinity group for the Tulsa Library staff. As a teacher, I served as the Lead 8th grade teacher, supporting the other teachers through mentorship as they learned their roles.
As I continue in my role as a resource coordinator and I move into any future roles in libraries, I look forward to ways to expand my leadership capacities. I look forward to continuing to work as a leader within communities: building relationships and positioning myself as a advocate through membership in organizations. I also look forward to determining other ways that I can be a leader at the library, spearheading committees and potentially even departments down the line.
Whatever way my leadership roles look, I only hope that I can continue to work with our community members to build the library they deserve.