[Libs-Or] Why be an ACRL-Oregon Leader? Let me tell you why.

[Candise Branum]

ACRL-Oregon is seeking additional candidates
<https://acrloregon.org/2020/04/23/deadline-extended-acrl-board-nominations/>
for the Vice President / President Elect position. As someone who had not
really been involved in OLA but still somehow found herself in a leadership
position, I wanted to share a bit of my own personal experience.


Up until I was elected two years ago, I would have scoffed if someone would
have told me that I would become the leader of our local professional
organization. I’m generally on the “I” end of the Meyers-Briggs, and am not
someone who generally puts myself out there professionally. I am
comfortable leading when necessary, but really I’d rather just listen to
what others have to say and then direct the traffic. TBH, being the
President of ACRL-OR was not on my bucket list. But I’ll tell you what -- I
am so incredibly grateful that former board member Janet Tapper
sweet-talked me into running, because this has been such an incredibly
rewarding experience. So in order to hopefully sweet-talk some of y’all
into running for the Vice President position, I wanted to share two
important lessons I’ve learned during my time on the ACRL-Oregon Board:

(1) You do not need Board experience to be a leader. You just need to be
willing to learn from others. Luckily, the ACRL-Oregon Vice President /
President Elect position is a role that unfolds incrementally, allowing you
to first learn from our colleagues as the Vice President, take over
(sometimes still fumbling, but learning as you go) as the President, then
share your knowledge as the wizened Outgoing President. The Board is
collaborative, and others will have your back along the way. I had barely
interacted with ACRL-Oregon before becoming the VP, and others held my hand
through the learning curve. I can hold your hand, too.

(2) The relationships I’ve built with Board members is one of the most
valuable assets I’ve gained in this position. I barely knew Meredith before
taking on this position, but now I consider her not only a colleague, but a
friend. I had never met some of our Board members, while others I actively
helped recruit specifically because I wanted the opportunity to work with
them. If I want to present at a conference or write a paper in the future,
these are my potential collaborators.

So what I'm saying here, is that if I can do this, you can absolutely do
this. Nominations are due tomorrow (May 5th), and I encourage you to
consider running for Vice President / President Elect. You’ll get to work
with a committee of dedicated library activists, and if this is your first
time in this position, you’ll have Rachel Bridgewater (current Vice
President / President Elect) and I to help you along the way. More
information about the position and how to nominate yourself can be found at
https://acrloregon.org/2020/04/23/deadline-extended-acrl-board-nominations/.
If you have questions about the Vice President / President Elect position,
feel free to contact me directly.

Oh, and to further sweeten the sweet-talking, here is a quote from Meredith
about her experience as ACRL-Oregon President:

"Being ACRL-OR President was one of the best professional experiences of my
career. It was an opportunity to  really create change and make things
happen that are consistent with the professional values I hold most dear. I
had the opportunity to increase ACRL-OR's reach by developing programs like
our webinar series and to change our scholarship criteria in an effort to
diversify our recipients. I also was able to advocate for things I cared
deeply about from a place of authority. Being on the ACRL-OR Board means
getting to know and collaborate with some fantastic library workers across
the state who share my commitment to strengthening Oregon academic
libraries. If there are issues you are passionate about or you're looking
to connect with other academic librarians across the state, there is no
better opportunity than being on the ACRL-OR Board."

*Candise Branum*
Director of Library Services
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM)
503-253-3443 x134 <(503)%20253-3443>   |   75 NW Couch Street, Portland, OR
97209
<https://maps.google.com/?q=75+NW+Couch+Street,+Portland,+OR+97209&entry=gmail&source=g>
|   library.ocom.edu

*Pronouns: She, her, hers**Want to donate? Check out our book wishlist
<http://a.co/7TjGlRX>*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/libs-or/attachments/20200504/aec051df/attachment.html>