SLA: I came, I saw, I learned, I stayed – Jill Strand, Candidate for President-Elect

“I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now…Come further up, come further in!”

                                                                                – C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

While in college I envied people who knew exactly what they wanted to be when they grew up. What seemed so easy for others felt so challenging.  My path to librarianship was less of a prescribed plan than an unfolding journey that gradually led me to hone in on that magic word – Librarian!

My enthusiasm for SLA began as an MLIS student at St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Although excited about a new career, it was all still somewhat mysterious and slightly intimidating.  Not quite sure where I might best fit, I reached out to a variety of librarians and asked to visit them at work and learn more about their day-to-day responsibilities.   Everyone was so open and welcoming and several people suggested that I join SLA to broaden my network.

These early informational interviews helped me determine that special libraries would be the best fit for my skills and experience.  Chatting with one member about her work led me to my first job building a library for Target Corporation’s architects and engineers.  As an SLA member I was able to turn to solo and architect librarians for guidance in all the things I hadn’t learned in the classroom: what key resources did I need, how should I catalog building codes and what web-based library automation systems were available?  Even as a solo librarian in a newly created position, SLA expanded my peer group exponentially.

Soon I was volunteering as solo committee co-chair and then later secretary for the Minnesota Chapter.  At the 2004 conference I had a chance to discuss ideas with librarians Penny Sympson and Dennis Hamilton and help draft early documents to start an architecture, building engineering, construction and design caucus (now the ABCD Caucus.)  Running for Solo Division Treasurer gave me a chance to get to know outgoing treasurer Tom Rink.  He is just one of many who has become both a friend and mentor within SLA over the years.

Even the simplest encounters in SLA can lead to some surprising opportunities.  After hearing Dr. James Matarazzo speak about his research on the value of special libraries, I wanted to help support this message so I interviewed him for an Information Outlook article on “branding” our profession.  He later invited me to speak about my journey to librarianship with his special libraries classes, an experience that allowed me to give back some of what I had received from SLA.

Developing this diversity of professional relationships and friendships has fueled my passion for libraries and a greater appreciation for SLA.   Every person with an inspirational idea worth trying and each volunteer opportunity that pushed me outside my comfort zone gave me the confidence to grow professionally and take on new challenges.  None of this would have been possible without the Association.   As a candidate for President-Elect I hope to encourage librarians at any point in their career to discover for themselves how much SLA can offer them!

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