We Want You!

When I took over as archivist almost three years ago I still felt like a newbie to the Support Staff Division.  I wondered how I could step into the previous archivist's shoes in being a steward of the archives and I wondered if I would fit in with the group. I soon learned that acceptance in SSD was automatic when I volunteered to be a part of it; that I had a home among my peers.  Serving on two conference committees and chairing a third was a wonderful introduction to SSD and I encourage anyone new to the organization to give it a try.

Beginning as the Library Support Staff Round Table in 1992, the support staff division is an active, dedicated group of library workers.  Naturally in the past couple of years we have said goodbye to some of our long-time members as they retired, to others who stepped back for a well-deserved rest from active board roles but they continue as members of SSD;  making room for new members to take on those active roles.  This keeps the organization vibrant, vital, alive - we all get excited to have new members join and become active to whatever degree they want.  But, you know, I miss the past members and their memories that go back to the early days.  I want to hear those stories, pick their brains, make sure I'm not missing some important piece of knowledge.  Maybe I just miss something I never really knew personally, that exciting wonderful newness when SSD was born and began to grow.  Because naturally it has evolved and changed these twenty years as have the world and the world of libraries.

As I get ready to step into the role of Chair I am leaving the Archivist position.  We need YOU to jump in and continue the "keeping of the history" for the Support Staff Division!  The Archivist attends the board meetings, either in person or virtually, about 6 times a year (we have a netbook with the setup in place, camera, and mic for this purpose, or you can call in for audio only.)  We offer scholarships for first time membership in the Oregon Library Association if you need financial assistance to meet this requirement.  As a board member you have voting rights and can participate in exciting collaboration with your peers to keep SSD vital and dynamic. 
If you want more information please contact me here margaret.harmonmyers@ci.eugene.or.us

SSD seeking new Chair

The Support Staff Division of the Oregon Library Association is seeking candidates for Vice-chair/Chair-elect. This is a three year commitment -- serving one year as vice-chair, one year as chair, and one year as past-chair. This is an excellent opportunity for professional and personal development. Although it is a lot of work, it is also very rewarding, and you make a lot of great friends and contacts along the way. The thing to remember if the prospect seems daunting is that you're never alone in any aspect of the "job" -- the rest of the board and the past chairs are always there with you. - Susan Bacina Past-Chair, OLA/SSD

From Sean Park, current SSD Chair :

SSD is a wonderfully diverse group of library professionals, ranging from supervisors and shelvers to IT and children's librarians, and countless other areas of expertise across the spectrum of libraries in Oregon, from large to small.

I entered my term as SSD Board Chair with a sense of wonder and excitement (and a bit of bewilderment), as I previously did not have much exposure to SSD and almost no exposure to OLA. The SSD past-chairs were my lifeline (one serves on the Board and is an invaluable asset to the Chair), and helped me feel welcome while answering all questions I had along the way. My first event was the OLA Executive Board retreat in Silver Falls, which was a great experience that was made even better as the past-chair was at my side, keeping me apprised of procedure while providing valuable background on the topics at hand.

Working with the OLA Board has opened my eyes to the great things OLA does, and the group is composed of a wide range of librarians, every one of them friendly, helpful, and very devoted to the OLA mission. It has been a great pleasure getting to know them and working alongside them, and you will feel very welcome very quickly with this group.

This past year has seen some exciting changes for SSD. Scholarship awards for OLA membership and attendance at the annual SSD conference have been increased, and SSD membership is also going up. Videoconferencing has opened up involvement in SSD for people who otherwise couldn't participate due to distance. SSD is looking to expand training offerings across the state with book mending and technology workshops, while looking ahead at different training approaches (including increased exposure to the LSSC program) to help support staff increase services amidst shrinking budgets.

Time commitment:

• Chair the monthly SSD board meetings, which can be attended in person or remotely via phone or videoconferencing (4 hours per month, depending upon travel)
• Compose the monthly SSD board meeting agenda (1 hour per month)
• Attend the monthly OLA Executive Board meetings (in person or remotely, 5 hours per month)
• Attend the annual OLA Board retreat in Silver Falls in person (2 days per year)
• Attend the annual SSD conference (1 day per year)
• Liaise with OLA to assist members representing SSD at the OLA Conference (1 hour per month)

My term as SSD Board Chair has been extremely rewarding. The exposure to library staff from all corners of the state, and the friendships I've made, have been personally and professionally enriching. I would not hesitate to do it again, and strongly encourage those who are seeking more involvement in OLA/SSD to consider running for SSD Board Chair.  - Sean, SSD Board Chair

How to apply:

This is a nominated position, and you can definitely nominate yourself.  If you are interested, please contact us at olassd@gmail.com or you can contact any one of our board members.

OLA SSD Officers for 2011-12

We now have a new slate of elected officers for 2011-12 :

Chair : Sean Park (Coos County Library Service District)

Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect : Margaret Harmon-Myers (Eugene Public Library)

Past-Chair : Susan Bacina (Valley Library, Oregon State University)

Treasurer : Rea Andrew (Newberg Public Library)

Recorder : Eugene Newbill (Oregon State Library, Salem)
Archivist : Margaret Harmon-Myers (Eugene Public Library) -- Yes, Margaret now holds two posts. She wanted to and there is nothing in the SSD by-laws saying someone can't do so. So thank you doubly, Margaret, for your double duties!

The SSD Board also consists of the following unelected but no less important members :

Member-at-large : Elaine Bortles (Pacific University)
Member-at-large : Sylvia Bowers (Baker County Library)

IT Team :
SSD Website : Sean Park (Coos County Library Service District)
SSD Blog : Rebecca Roth (Multnomah County Library)
SSD Facebook : Kate Schwab (Multnomah County Library)

Continuing Education Committee Chair : Carrol Barton (Lane Community College -- semi-retired)
2012 Conference Committee Chair : Anybody interested??

If anyone is interested in becoming more involved with SSD, the Continuing Education Committee or the Conference Committee are good places to start.

Please consider becoming more active in SSD... It's a great professional development opportunity! We welcome all OLA/SSD members. Not a member? There are SSD scholarships for first time joiners!

Please contact me, Susan Bacina (Valley Library, OSU), if interested :
Email : susan.bacina@oregonstate.edu Phone : 541-737-7328

Newly elected SSD officers, etc.

Hello, All,

This is my first attempt at the blog, so please bear with me.

Here forthwith are the newly elected SSD officers :

Jay Cooper (Eugene Public Library) -- Chair-elect

Margaret Harmon-Myers (Eugene Public Library) -- Archivist

Rea Andrew (Newberg Public Library) -- Treasurer

Eugene Newbill (Oregon State Library) -- Recorder

These are the latest election results, but the SSD Executive Board is also made up of the following :

Susan Bacina (Oregon State University) -- Chair

Susan Gilmont (Oregon State University) -- Past Chair

Carrol Barton (Lane Community College) -- Continuing Education Committee Chair

Lauren Mathisen (Lake Oswego Public Library) -- 2011 Conference Committee Chair

IT Team :

Sean Park (Coos County Library District) -- Web Master

Becki Roth (Multnomah County Public Library) -- Blog Master

Kate Schwab (Multnomah County Public Library) -- Facebook Master

We also have two vacant Member-at-Large positions, so if anyone out there is interested in becoming a member of our group, or knows of anyone who might be interested, please let me know.

Susan Bacina
Support Staff Division Chair
susan.bacina@oregonstate.edu
(541)737-7328