Hello! My name is Becca Slick and I am currently the full-time Library Assistant at Southwestern Community College. Starting July 1st, however, I will be taking over the Library Director position here and starting a new chapter in my library journey. I have been with this library since 2019 and have loved every minute of it. Working with students, faculty, staff, and public patrons and guests has afforded me the pleasure of getting to know and working with a wide diverse set of individuals. In addition to working full-time at the library, I also adjunct teach for the college in the areas of history and college experience.
Through this MLIS journey I have learned so many new and valuable skills and information that I try to use in my everyday. I have been able to better assist with library functions as well as explore new and exciting topics and skills such as AI that allows me to provide additional skills and know-how to improve displays, promotional materials, literacy information, etc. I hope to learn a lot from the hyperlink library course this summer and try my hand at more blogging, which I hate to say, I am still a novice at.
I was interested in taking this course because the role of the library is constantly changing and finding ways to keep the library relevant with emerging technologies all the while still promoting the standard library resources. Being able to learn about what it means to be a hyperlinked library and how I can apply it to my own library. I watched instructional videos of the instructor in one of my other classes and I was struck by how comfortable he was talking about library information in a way that I could easily understand and showed his passion for the subject. I am trying to soak up as much LIS information as possible as I start my director role and I want to be able to provide the type of service that will keep students, faculty, staff, and the public coming back whether its in person or online.
As you can probably gather from my babbling, that my passion and interest lays with academic libraries. I have worked in higher education for almost 20 years in various capacities: Student Records/Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, Adjunct teaching, and the library. You could say the academic world has become a special place for me.
I look forward to learning from all of my fellow classmates and how to stay connected and help bring my library into the next level of service. Come with me on my new director journey!
Congratulations, Becca! What an exciting transition for you.
Thanks! I am excited and nervous at the same time. I have many that are cheerleading me on, so that makes it easier. I love the library I work in, and hope I can do it justice as the new director.
What an exciting opportunity to be a library director! I have had thoughts that maybe I’d like to pursue a leadership role in libraries at some point- but I know that a director role is no easy role to fill! How do you like the community college library environment? I’ve worked in a public library, and currently work at an academic library at a law school- I’ll admit I have been curious recently about community colleges and seeing what that kind of environment is like. Pleasure to meet you!
Thanks Staci! I actually enjoy working at my community college library. It’s part of a small community college, but I get to be personable and know the students. I think it really does depend on the size of the academic library and the need to be specialized that can either make or break an experience. I like being able to work on multiple projects and being part of the college community.