Candidate for President-Elect – Rink

Tom Rink

Tom Rink
Northeastern State University
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Twitter: @coplibrarian
LinkedIn

Question 1: When did you first join SLA? What made you decide to join then, and why do you still belong today?

Question 2: What changes, if any, do we need to make to keep annual conference as a vibrant, well attended event?

Question 3: How has involvement with SLA over the years helped you grow professionally and personally?

Question 4: SLA is an international organization. How can SLA involve and reach out more to members outside North America?

Candidate Webinar Recording

 

Tom has been providing reference and information and knowledge services in both the municipal government and higher education arenas for nearly twenty years.  From his start in 1994 as a Solo Librarian (and Police Officer) with the Tulsa Police Department, to his current position as an Academic Librarian at a Regional University, Tom has performed numerous roles covering every facet of professional librarianship to include: space planning analysis, budgeting, instruction, research, reference, technical services, and library management.  Tom passionately exhibits and models the core values of his current (and past) employer on a daily basis (integrity, excellence, creativity, leadership, and collaboration) as he strives to promote the success and information literacy skills of the entire University community through his philosophy and commitment to provide exceptional service.

Tom is very active and has been saying “yes” to the Special Libraries Association (SLA) at every level (Chapter, Division, and Association) for more than seventeen years.  For the Oklahoma Chapter, he has served as Treasurer (1997-2003), President (2006), Alignment Ambassador (2009-2012), and Secretary (2012-2013).  At the Division level, he has served as Treasurer (Solo Librarians, 1999-2003; Advertising & Marketing, 2010-2012) and was a member of the Annual Conference Program Planning Committee (Solo Librarians, 2006-2008).   He currently serves as the Membership Chair for both the Oklahoma Chapter (since 2008) as well as the Leadership & Management Division (since 2012), is a member of the Annual Conference Program Planning Team for the Leadership & Management Division (2013-2014), and is a member of every division and numerous chapters of SLA.

At the Association level, Tom has served on the Membership Task Force twice (as a member in 2003, and as Chair in 2004 and 2012), the Recognition Task Force (as Chair in 2005-2006), the Professional Development Advisory Council (2005-2007), the Board of Directors (as Division Cabinet Chair in 2008-2010), and the Division Structure Task Force (as Chair in 2009-2010). He currently serves as a member of the Finance Committee (2013-2014).  Additionally, Tom has been a member of the SLA Loyalty Club at the Platinum level since its inception.

In his current role (since November 2007), Tom serves as an Instructor for Library Services at Northeastern State University (NSU) in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  He is the Resource Coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts, as well as for the College of Science and Health Professions on the Broken Arrow Campus where he provides reference services and information literacy instruction. He also serves as the Reserves Coordinator for the Broken Arrow campus and performs “other duties, as assigned.”  He recently was assigned to the NSU-Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Assurance and Documentation Committee whose goal is to generate awareness regarding HLC and to identify evidence (documentation) that reflects the accomplishments of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members.

Prior to academia, Tom worked as a police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he “booked” offenders on a regular basis.  Ever the lifelong learner and feeling ready for a change, Tom went back to school to obtain his Master’s degree while he continued to work the beat full-time.  He never really expected to utilize this degree while still employed at the police department (he was thinking about a “career change” all the way), but he was wonderfully surprised to be offered the opportunity to exercise his new degree to establish a library from scratch for the department in 1994.  A specialized solo librarian was born.  SLA and the Solo Librarians Division were invaluable resources for Tom as he tackled this challenge straight out of library school.  The novelty of his “gun-carrying’ librarian” persona/role created additional opportunities to speak/present at conferences and to be appointed to, and serve on, Advisory Boards/Committees for organizations seeking the specialized librarian perspective within the state.  He retired from his 25-year law enforcement career in April of 2007.

Tom’s work and volunteer activities have resulted in his receipt of numerous honors and awards.  During his career with the Tulsa Police Department, he was nominated twice for the Officer of the Year Award from the Optimist Club of Tulsa in 1985 & 1986, he received two Department Commendations in 1986 & 2005, and he received three Chief’s Awards in 2000, 2001, & 2007.  During his time in library school, he was nominated for the University of Oklahoma, School of Library and Information Studies’ Irma R. Tomberlin Award in 1992 and was inducted into Beta Phi Mu, Lambda Chapter (the International Library Science Honor Society), also in 1992.  So far, in his short tenure as an academic librarian, he has been inducted into Phi Alpha (the Social Work Honor Society) in 2008 and has been nominated for the Circle of Excellence Award (Northeastern State University) in 2009 & 2010.  As an information professional, he received the SLA President’s Award in 2002, was named a Fellow of SLA in 2005, and was named one of Library Journal’s Movers & Shakers in 2005.

Tom earned his BA in Criminal Justice/Psychology (double major) from Michigan State University, his Basic and Advanced Peace Officer Certifications through the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) for the State of Oklahoma, and his MLIS from the University of Oklahoma. In his free time, Tom is an avid art collector who enjoys running, cooking/baking (especially cheesecakes), playing the piano, traveling, and going to movies.

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