One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Katie Aldrich, Library Services Assistant at Northcentral Technical College.
Why did you, personally, choose to work in libraries?
Libraries are such a unique work environment. They don’t serve just one type of customer, but rather an entire community of people – a diverse range of ages, needs, backgrounds, vocations, cultures, and sometimes even countries! The library itself is an amazing environment – full of accessible technologies, collaborative spaces, introvert nooks, amiable staff, and historical and creative ideas.
My favorite aspect of the job is the variety in each day and in the skills that I employ. In my role, I get to work in acquisitions, copyright, library instruction, collection development, reference, faculty & student support, as well as utilize creativity, collaboration, leadership, and technical skills. I enjoy being challenged and experiencing so many roles; it energizes me! Working at a technical college also provides the opportunity to network with many like-minded individuals and organizations who support both libraries and education. The most important motivation for my career is making a difference in peoples’ lives. Supporting students in their educational goals is a rewarding endeavor that improves lives, as hopes and dreams become reality.
What is unique about the culture of your library? How do you influence it?
Northcentral Technical College (NTC) is a very positive workplace. We are always keeping in-step with learner needs and are continually adapting to meet those needs in amazing ways. Our core values include a focus on learners, continuous improvement, ingenuity, access, service to community, diversity, a culture of professionalism, and advocacy. These values are reflected in the welcoming environment our staff creates in the library for students and in the mission of our day-to-day work.
The atmosphere of our library is greatly enhanced by our design. The first floor has an open, welcoming concept with a single front service desk. Collaborative study rooms, sunny windows, and circular computer stations add to this effect. Our second floor includes quiet study spaces, print resources, and the Faculty Innovation Center, a room designed for faculty to collaborate together, attend trainings, or record videos. The natural traffic of instructors within the library has been advantageous on both sides.
Our library team works well together and are able to interact daily. We share a workroom that is designed with half-wall cubicles and a glass window view of the first floor. The open nature of our workroom facilitates team collaboration, problem-solving, and idea sharing. Having all of our regular staff in the same room has been greatly beneficial in building & coordinating teamwork between functions – technical services, acquisitions, social media marketing, website, etc. Everyone on my team works hard to create a positive, future-thinking work environment. Our manager is highly supportive, provides great direction and leadership, and enables us to think big and accomplish goals together.
What do you think is important to know about the patrons or community you work with? What helps you understand those needs?
In the fast-paced, technologically advanced age we live in, sometimes the luxuries of the internet, education, access to information, and sincere friendly assistance are overlooked. The people that we serve at our library frequently express heartfelt gratitude for these services. We support a wide variety of individuals, including veterans, non-traditional students, international students, mothers/fathers, virtual college students, low-income families, incarcerated students, and high school graduates. Many of our students have life demands outside of college. Some can’t afford internet access at home. Others might be trying to improve their English language skills. High school graduates might be looking for connections and experience beyond the classroom.
At NTC, we’ve started to become known as “the college that cares.” Skill, income, family, transportation, disability, and other life situations can seriously affect a student’s ability to get a degree. We provide a great support system for students to encourage and assist them through their education. And at the end of the day, NTC staff really regard people as individuals, not by labels.
The library is a good reflection of this institutional approach. We serve a crucial role in supporting students that goes beyond the important functions of providing access, information, and research assistance. We are so much more than a computer lab or a set of shelves. We are a safe place for questions. We are a friendly face, a listening ear. The library is a quiet retreat for students. We are a one-stop desk that will find an answer or direct you to the right place. We provide programs and instructors with resources beneficial to teaching and learning, and we provide a network of resources for the struggling student or the hungry learner, along with research expertise. We guide new students in using our LMS, assist the less technology-savvy patrons with computers, offer study spaces to eliminate distractions, and provide access to technology for those who can’t afford it at home. We help the uncertain, the disadvantaged, and those in need of assistance. We are a huge part of student success, especially for the quiet voices. We are the unsung heroes of old.
Embracing diversity is very important to NTC. People have unique backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, family situations, struggles, and goals. Our college’s Diversity Steering Committee looks for opportunities to support all types of diversity through awareness and represents various areas of the college through its membership. I thoroughly enjoy both participating in this initiative and leading our library team in opportunities to engage with our college through resources and promotion.
For me, personally, I believe respect is a key aspect in creating a successful community. My upbringing fostered within me the desire to treat every individual with the same level of importance, kindness, and consideration. I once saw all the hardness visibly melt off of an inmate’s face at the library because he was treated with the same friendliness and respect that a dignitary might be given. Diversity allows you to meet other people who are very different without judgment or expectations. This openness, I believe, is what makes a library so safe and attractive to individuals. The worldwide motto of libraries could be: “We won’t judge how you look or what you know. We’re glad to meet you – and we’re happy to help in whatever way we can!”
What big ideas are being worked on at your library? What problems are being solved?
Diversity awareness has been a huge focus for us this year. I have been coordinating our library efforts with NTC’s Diversity Steering Committee and Student Life to create a partnership in events throughout the campus. This past February, our library created a trivia challenge based on our African American resources in conjunction with the Student Leadership Center, and we compiled streaming video playlists with public performance rights from our collection for Student Life. At our Spring Staff Inservice, we promoted our online diversity research guides. These topical handouts were tailored to support various breakout sessions taught by many of the committee members.
Our library is also creating an interactive copyright module, complete with scenarios and other resources, as a support and/or training tool for faculty and staff. Currently in Phase 2 of its creation, we are very excited to see this concept come to life.
In addition, our library team has been hard at work envisioning new ways to reach our online & Virtual College students. We’ve invested in several video creation tools, such as PowToons and Articulate Storyline to bring awareness of our library services & resources, as well as to transfer some of our information literacy instruction into bite-size online segments.
Licensing streaming videos and obtaining copyright permissions has become a common service request at our library. Our college made the move to eliminate VCR technology a while back, and we are now shifting away from DVD towards streaming video formats to support our online course offerings, as well as off-site locations, such as dual credit classes. Our library has a crucial role in supporting copyright permission requests and providing programs with access to streaming video collections.
And of course, we just changed to a new ILS and discovery service! So, needless to say, we never are bored! Our library is always on the move, future-thinking, improving, and creating amazing ideas!
Do you have anything else you’d like to share here?
To all my library colleagues at other institutions, I would like to share a few words of encouragement. Truthfully, libraries are often overlooked. But recognition does not equate importance. Often, the quiet heroes are the ones who are making a big impact in the daily lives of others. You serve alongside colleagues worldwide to accomplish a very important purpose! Together we make resources accessible to individuals who couldn’t otherwise afford them. We encourage critical thinking and literacy. We are a friendly haven to all – those who are lost in their research, who need a friendly face or a quiet corner, who can’t afford basic technology at home, or who want reading materials to further their education. We provide connections, information, assistance, technologies, resources, and space to support an immense mixture of community needs. Keep making a difference! You rock!
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These interviews are part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners. Your feedback is appreciated. If you have any to offer on this article, or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at acoffin@wils.org.