NMRT Notes

ALA elections are here and this year NMRT is electing a Vice-President/President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Outreach Director, Member Services Director, and Networking Director. Below, our candidates answer a few questions about their plans for the position.

Candidate: Jennifer Wilhelm

Question 1: Why are you interested in this position?

Howdy! I am very excited to run for NMRT Secretary! My interest in this position stems from my participation on NMRT committees, where I have had the chance to interact with Board members and learn a bit about what they do to keep NMRT running smoothly. As I began building working relationships with fellow committee Chairs and Board members, I became even more interested in how NMRT works. I am a librarian who sincerely enjoys committee work, and running for the Board allows me to continue to help improve and expand NMRT. I enjoy being a leader, and I like the idea of helping new librarians find their place in ALA. My membership on NMRT is important to me, and I welcome the challenge of being your Secretary!

Question 2: What skills and experiences do you bring to the position?

I have been involved with the Communications Committee for two years; first as a member and currently as Chair. This committee works closely with the NMRT Secretary to produce content for Notes, the NMRT Blog. Thanks to this committee, I have become familiar with the Secretary’s duties, and have enjoyed creating relationships with members of the NMRT Board. I believe my experience in NMRT as well as my work experience have prepared me to provide excellent administrative support and social media sparkle.

As an Adult Reference Librarian at a public library, I am in charge of creating content for our branch’s Facebook page and regularly contribute to the library system’s WordPress website. Under my direction, a more cohesive and visually appealing marketing strategy has resulted in our Facebook following increasing by over 20% in the last six months. Through the management of our page, I have learned about analytics, when and how to post successfully to reach a large audience, and many other tricks that help make our social media effective. And finally, my previous position as an administrative assistant means I am familiar with taking minutes, keeping people on track, and all things organizational!

Question 3:  As Secretary, your responsibilities include coordinating NMRT social networking presence on the appropriate tools. What do you feel is the best method to get information to the NMRT membership, and why? What is your plan for coordinating NMRT’s social networking presence?

Despite many of us being unable to remember a time before social media, businesses and organizations are still learning how to best use the multiple platforms to their benefit. At my branch, we have found that promoting the same message and branding across multiple platforms can have excellent results. When a message is consistent, it makes an impact and reduces the chance of misinformation or confusion. I believe the current Secretary has done well coordinating the social media presence, and before I made any drastic changes, I would want to evaluate what is currently in place, including any management tools (HootSuite, etc.). Most social media sites provide feedback and statistics which can be useful in determining the platform that is reaching the most people. I would use that feedback in combination with consultations with the NMRT Board and other members to make my decisions on how to best manage our message. For example, I know the listserv continues to be a popular choice for disseminating information, but it is just one valuable part of a united social media strategy.

Question 4: What do you hope to learn if elected?

There are a few avenues I would like to explore, if elected. Foremost is the experience of being on the NMRT Board – how the Board functions, votes, conducts meetings, etc. I have experience on committees, but I am excited to learn more about the behind the scenes work at ALA and NMRT. In addition, I look forward to the opportunity to observe and learn by making connections with Board members and others in the profession. It is my hope that building these relationships will not only provide a sounding Board for Secretary-related ideas, but also give me a space where I can engage with and learn from a variety of people on topics that I may not know anything about.

Question 5: If elected, what time management skills will you employ to ensure that your NMRT duties remain a priority?

I currently have a few tools at my disposal that keep my professional life on track. Google Keep + Calendar are my main life organizers! I always have a running to-do list specifically for committee-based work, with reminders and notifications for things that need doing. That being said, digital organizing tools are just technology, and they are worthless without the right amount of concentration and motivation, which are my two main time management strengths. I am an energetic person who enjoys having a full and challenging schedule! If chosen to be Secretary, I am confident I could ensure my duties remain a priority.

Candidate: Pauline Stacchini

 Question 1: Why are you interested in this position?

The position of Secretary is particularly compelling to me as I have never before served as an officer for ALA’s NMRT, and this role would afford me the opportunity to “get my feet wet.” As Secretary, I would be able to observe and record board meetings, as well as vote – a great first foray into Officer-dom. As a one-year appointment, I would be able to select the officer role I am most interested, making an educated decision in terms of the roles and responsibilities of each position.

Question 2: What skills and experiences do you bring to the position?

My tendency to send follow-up “this is what we discussed during our meeting” emails, and thorough note-taking are both assets to the Secretary role. Furthermore, my experience with designing invitations for past NMRT Orientations/Socials for distribution online would bring an added skill for the social media presence of NMRT. I am looking to serve the round table by bringing my strategic thinking and organizational skills to the position.

Question 3: As Secretary your responsibilities include coordinating NMRT social networking presence on the appropriate tools. What do you feel is the best method to get information to the NMRT membership, and why? What is your plan for coordinating NMRT’s social networking presence?

As with all things, it is best to approach with a plan, namely a calendar of posts and topics (as much as can be done in advance). As an NMRT member myself, I get the most out of the email distribution list and from Twitter, but I know that many professionals get more out of Facebook pages, as far as news/events go. Optimally, we would create a shared calendar for all those responsible for posting on social media, including the channel, post topic, and date, in order to prevent duplicate efforts and instead communicate strategically to our constituents. Above all, clear and concise information is key to communicate effectively.

Question 4: What do you hope to learn if elected?

Other than the particular requirements of the role that are not listed – there are always “duties as assigned” – and the responsibilities of the other Officer roles, I am looking to improve my current skillset by using it in this new environment. I believe I will strengthen my teamwork, time management, communication, and overall organizational skills.

Question 5: If elected, what time management skills will you employ to ensure that your NMRT duties remain a priority?

Outlook calendar is a wonderful, wonderful tool; my latest pro-tip I am implementing currently is to add in events to serve as a reminder for follow-ups – whether it’s for emails, tasks to be completed by other team members, or my own set deadlines, this is a great way to remind myself of what yet needs to be done. As mentioned above, the social media post calendar is a great way to coordinate the efforts of a team, as well as set reminders for oneself.

ALA elections are here and this year NMRT is electing a Vice-President/President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Outreach Director, Member Services Director, and Networking Director. Below, our candidates answer a few questions about their plans for the position.

Candidate: Dylan Burns

 Question 1: Why are you interested in this position?

I believe that we are in a critical time in library history. The once promised mass-retirements and the uncertain feelings associated with the future of libraries fosters vulnerability amongst our newest colleagues. The rise of contingency jobs and the decline in library budgets have put many students and new professionals in precarious situations. As a result, I believe that organizations like ALA, and especially New Member Roundtable, have a responsibility to provide guidance and support to library students and new professionals. As a new professional, I believe it is my duty to give back and lend a helping hand to those finding the path to be treacherous. I believe that a strong organization is essential to overcoming these difficulties.

Question 2: What skills and experiences do you bring to the position?

While I was a student I wrote for and was the community editor for Hack Library School, a blog dedicated to students in LIS programs. I feel like this gives me insight into what students and new professionals think about our profession, what anxieties plague them, and how we are all involved in the future of the field. I have developed a deep network of librarians through blogging at ACRLog, speaking at national conferences, and organizing a handful of #critlib chats on twitter. Furthermore, through Hack Library School and other nation-wide projects, I have experience running an organization with a geographically dispersed leadership through email lists, Skype, and slack channels.

As the Digital Scholarship Librarian at Utah State University, I am responsible for administering the University’s Institutional Repository. I am relied on to be cognizant of new trends in librarianship and the ever changing world of scholarship. Through this I have developed techniques to foster communication and understanding with colleagues within my library, around campus, and around the world. I am adept at tracking and organizing digital files, keeping tabs on ongoing projects, and thinking about the big picture; all of which are necessary to both my day job and being Treasurer for NMRT.

Question 3: As Treasurer, you will communicate with all committee chairs and board members. How do you propose to track these communications?

Depending on your point of view I’m either terrible or fantastic at email because I cannot let communications slip, and I cannot let emails go unanswered. This means I’m often answering student emails deep into the night. I pride myself on availability, while maintaining a healthy work-life-balance as is possible in our present circumstances. Furthermore, I organize and catalog my correspondence in my outbox to best preserve my communications with colleagues and students for easy recall. My position at my library is one that is built on trust, and this trust comes from the ability to balance my commitments, my availability, and my time as best as possible.

Treasurer plays an important role on the board as a force for accountability. As such it will be essential to track all communication, the payment of bills, and the monitoring of funds. This will require the transparent use of online and offline systems like Box and Drive to preserve a record for the board and members to be in constant knowledge of the financial situation.

Question 4: What do you hope to learn if elected?

All new members of ALA are interested in learning more about the inner workings of the organization and I believe that one of the things I will learn is how to be a leader on the national stage. This is something essential for people who are interested in making an impact beyond their individual library to learn, and I will relish this opportunity. I also want to learn more about the needs of NMRT members, the changing face of librarianship, the future of librarianship, and how we as new professionals can connect, share stories, and mentor each other.

In this time of uncertain state and library budgets the fiscal responsibility and budgeting for an organization of this size will be essential to my future as a librarian. I can think of no other office where this kind of expertise can be gained so quickly, and I will bring usable skills back to my own library for the benefit of the students and faculty of Utah State University.

Question 5: If elected, what time management skills will you employ to ensure that your NMRT duties remain a priority?

As an academic librarian my time must be successfully managed in order to balance my job responsibilities, service, and research. As a result, I am adept at setting aside times for priority projects which balances my work responsibilities with my service. To accomplish this, I dedicate time each week to long and short term projects in order to make sure that I am giving adequate time to each of them. I thrive when I’m busy. I use many online applications to achieve this including tracking important projects through Trello and Workflowy, keeping files organized and preserved via cloud services, and sharing calendars with colleagues across many scheduling platforms. Also important is an institutional commitment to service which I believe will allow me the work flexibility to devote the time I need to NMRT.

ALA elections are here and this year NMRT is electing a Vice-President/President-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Outreach Director, Member Services Director, and Networking Director. Below, our candidates answer a few questions about their plans for the position.

Candidate: Dani Cook

Question 1: Why are you interested in this position?

I am interested in running for Networking Director of NMRT as the position focuses on building community for new librarians and library professionals. Over the past seven years that I have been involved in ALA (and NMRT specifically), the most valuable aspect of my involvement has been building relationships with other new librarians and connecting with more experienced library colleagues. I am excited to help facilitate those opportunities for connection and community for other new professionals, and to investigate what a more expansive view of “networking” outside of in-person conferences might look like.

Question 2: What skills and experiences do you bring to the position?

I bring significant management and leadership experience, including with geographically distributed teams, to the role of Networking Director. I have twice chaired the NMRT President’s Program Committee, am serving as the LITA Communications and Marketing Committee chair this year, and have participated in both national and local committees in a variety of roles, including as a student at UNC Chapel Hill. I have also volunteered on some of the committees that this position supervises, including the Annual Conference Local Information Committee.

I’m a solid communicator and have significant event-planning and project-management experience. I planned the largest book sale that my library school had ever put on, organized a variety of events at local public libraries, and coordinated the planning of the NMRT pre-conference in 2014.

Question 3:  As Networking Director,, you will oversee NMRT committees associated with conference attendance. In what ways would you like to see NMRT reach out to those members not able to attend MW or Annual conferences?

I’d like to see NMRT committees work on creating toolkits that local or student chapters could use to hold networking events. For example, the Association Options Committee puts together materials every year to introduce new members to the variety of opportunities in ALA, and I’d love to see that shared more broadly with new members. Similarly, the Orientations Committee could help to put together a toolkit for local groups to build on to hold introductions to ALA. I could also see these committees working with the Outreach Director to connect members who are not able to attend conferences with local speakers or ALA NMRT members to run their own, more local networking events. I’d also be interested in exploring what an online speed networking event might look like. It seems crucial to me that the networking opportunities of NMRT be made available to our members who may not be able to attend conferences–geographical or funding limitations should not prevent us from helping to create more local or online communities.

Question 4: What do you hope to learn if elected?

If elected, I hope to learn more about the kinds of community that NMRT members want and need. How can we create inclusive and welcoming spaces, both at conferences and more broadly? What are some of the barriers to participation in NMRT and ALA more broadly? The Networking Chair will need to think broadly about how new librarians and library professionals can engage with each other, even if they can’t all be in the same physical location.

Question 5: If elected, what time management skills will you employ to ensure that your NMRT duties remain a priority?

I have always been good about setting and completing priorities, but I’ve recently adding bullet journaling to my repertoire of time management strategies. I would incorporate my NMRT duties into my current day-to-day, and plan out as much of the year as possible when elected. Outlook Calendar reminders to send e-mails and prepare for events can be set far in advance, and I’d anticipate setting those plans as soon as reasonable.