Librarians -- 

on the cutting edge of the information age.

(the round-about story of the “Gun-Carrying” Librarian,

Officer Tom Rink, Tulsa Police Department, MLIS)  

The First Career

          My career as a police officer began in February of 1982.  I had graduated from college (Michigan State University) the previous December with my Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology (a double major) and had been offered employment by the City of Tulsa (Oklahoma).  I was ready to save the world.  After sixteen weeks of academy training followed by an addition four weeks of field training I was patrolling the streets of Tulsa on the evening shift and having the time of my life.  I couldn’t wait to get to work each day.  What a great job!  Granted, there were more than the occasional moments of boredom and routine patrol when nothing exciting was happening, but there were also the heightened moments of pure adrenaline rush as pursuits were initiated or crimes in progress were interrupted/thwarted.  I felt as though I was really making a difference.

 

Burnout

 

          Somewhere between the sixth and seventh year of my law enforcement career, the job began to seem less rewarding.  I had worked every conceivable shift and had had steady and continuous exposure to the sordid/seamy side of life/people.  The honeymoon was finally over and I was experiencing the early stages of burnout.  Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed my work, but I was also feeling as though there were more to life – more options to explore.  And explore I did.  Was it time to prepare myself for a new career or future?  Should I go back to school?  What else would I enjoy doing?  After several months of soul-searching I finally signed up for and completed a “career exploration” class at the local junior college.  This self-paced, computerized course led you through a variety of tests and assessments (skills, interests, personality, aptitude, etc.) and when all was said and done, printed out a list of possible careers suited to your responses.  Lo and behold, “librarian” was at the top of my list!

 

          My first reaction to this revelation was to chuckle.  Sure, I had worked in the library as a student assistant during college (and had really enjoyed the experience).  Yes, I loved to research, read, and expand my knowledge.  But even more interestingly, were not both of my parents librarians as well?  (My father was the library director at Northwestern Michigan College and my mother had been the children’s librarian at the local public library prior to meeting and marrying my father.)  How could I have not considered this career choice sooner?  And, now that I was considering the pursuit of this new occupation, what would it take to accomplish this feat?

 

Back to School

 

          I began researching the availability of degree programs and requirements.  Since I would have to continue working while I pursued an advanced degree, I would need to find a degree program that was affordable, part-time, and close to Tulsa.  Luckily, I did not have far to look.  The University of Oklahoma just happened to have a Master’s in Library and Information Studies program, and, I’d be able to complete all of the coursework without having to leave Tulsa!  So, I applied to the program, was granted conditional status (contingent upon my GRE scores), and signed up for my first class.  Even though I was taking just one class per semester, I still managed to complete all of my degree requirements (including passing my written comprehensives) in under five years.  I was now a “degreed” librarian and was anxious to test the job market and pursue my new career.

 

          My initial plan had been to obtain my degree just as I became “vested” in the State’s Police Pension plan.  I could then “retire” from law enforcement (and receive a partial pension upon reaching age 50) and transition smoothly into the new career.  (I really never dreamt that I’d be able to utilize my library degree while at the police department.) 

 

The Job Hunt?

 

          The summer after completing my degree I used some vacation time to attend the ALA Annual Conference.  My goal was to land a job!  I posted my resume at the career center, checked for messages religiously, asked for interviews, read job announcements and requirements, and worked busily the entire week.  I even had my resume critiqued.  The end result: only one interview (in the last minutes of the conference).  And, during the course of the week, I noticed that the salaries were considerably lower than I was hoping for (even for the entry-level positions).  I left the conference a bit disappointed and decided that I was unwilling to give up my police salary to take the kind of cut in pay that a library job would require.

 

Staying Current

 

          So, I revamped my goals a bit and decided that the salary issue would be less important at the end of my law enforcement career (after securing a more substantial pension) and that I would delay my entry into the world of librarianship.  The problem then became: what can I do now to keep my degree and skills current so that I’m employable a few years down the road?  (Again, I still had not considered the possibility of using my degree while at he police department.)  The solution to this dilemma (at least in my mind) was to maintain my memberships in a couple of professional associations  and to keep reading the professional literature.  Networking with other library professionals (former students, professors, etc.) also helped me to keep my finger on the pulse of the profession.

 

          Fifteen months following the completion of my library degree (while working the graveyard shift and desperately in need of a change), I was approached by the Sergeant over the Planning and Research Unit (part of our Training Division) about coming to work for him.  Truth be known, the Major over the division was really wanting to take advantage of my M.L.I.S. degree by having me “build” a library for the police department.  The only catch: there was not a “library” or a “librarian” position.  The vacant (newly created) position was going to be that of a policy writer. To justify the position though, the job description was going to include some grant writing, researching, and planning; I’d be the proverbial “Jack of all trades.”  And, in my spare time, I’d be tasked with organizing/cataloging our materials and building a library/collection.  I agreed without a moment’s hesitation.  Wow, I was actually going to be able to use my degree while at the police department!  What a great opportunity!

 

The Birth of a Resource Center

 

          Little did I realize the political arena into which I’d been thrust.  I am a true believer of the phrase “ignorance is bliss.”  The fact that I just barely had a clue about what I was doing probably helped insulate me tremendously from despair. 

 

          When I began this new assignment, my office was equipped with a desk, a chair, and a telephone; nothing else, not even a computer!  (I did receive a “hand-me-down” computer within the first couple of weeks.)  In an adjacent room were several boxes of materials (books, reports, videos, magazines, file folders, etc.) stacked against the wall.  My work really was cut out for me, and I undauntedly forged ahead.  A couple of the first tasks that I tackled were a space planning analysis as well as a needs assessment for the three rooms that were to become the Resource Center.  These were to become the foundation for my minimum budget request to get the Resource Center up and running.  Unfortunately, I had missed the budget cycle and there was no money in the current fiscal year’s budget for this project.  I was told to re-submit my budget proposal during the next budget cycle, which I did. 

 

While waiting for my budget request to be approved (how naïve), I inventoried every item from every box within my control and made “lists” galore.  Our department was just getting started with personal computers and did not yet have networked terminals or advanced integrated systems.  I basically had access to word processing software only (we had three different computer systems within the first four years).  My original “lists” (author, title, and subject) were done in WordPerfect before having to be migrated into Microsoft Word (eventually).  But at least I had these rudimentary lists (with minimal searching capabilities); it was a start, and I was making it work.  Needless to say, my budget request was again denied.  The stated reason was that this project was considered expansion and we were in a cut-back phase.  At this point I began to wonder if I’d be spinning my wheels forever on this project with no hope of financial support.  All in all, I’d only been in the assignment for nine months up to this point (which is really not that long – perhaps it just seemed longer).  What did I expect?  Instant success and/or results?  (Yes, of course I did!)  It was time to schedule a meeting with my boss (the Major of the division).  During this meeting I expressed my frustration over the lack of support (financial) to get this project off the ground.  I was told to be patient and that things would work out eventually. 

 

This did not sound overly optimistic to me, but I really did enjoy the work I was doing and the hope of improvement was enough to keep me going.  The improvement turned out to be just around the corner, and it appeared in the form of an article in the newspaper.  Apparently the Department had received/been awarded a sizeable sum in drug forfeiture funds and the Chief was quoted as having said “I don’t know how we’ll spend the money yet.”  In no time at all I had drafted an interoffice memorandum to my Major providing a possible solution to the Chief’s dilemma.  Voilà!  Funding was approved and the Resource Center was officially born.

 

Hindsight?

 

          Boy, did I make some mistakes!  But I also learned a lot.  In my desire to make my request seem reasonable, I only asked for the amount of funding that was required to get up and running.  I should’ve asked for more!  Once this initial funding ran out, there I was again, without a budget.  (Even to this day I do not have an independent budget and have no control over operational monies; my budgetary items are included in the larger Planning and Research budget.  Money is available, but not within my direct control or planning.)  The whole City “budget” process was confusing and “alien” to my way of thinking and acting – and, there seemed to be roadblocks at every turn along the way.  Some were merely bureaucratic red tape, others were simply my lack of understanding.  I also failed to communicate well with our IT department who would not support the cataloging software that I had selected (an error that has yet to be corrected – again, getting funding approved is very sporadic at best).  So, I’m managing to make do with the Microsoft Office suite of products (I’ve even constructed and utilize a Microsoft Access database as my catalog).  One of the biggest surprises though, was when the shelving came with “some assembly required.”  Whew!  What a project that was! 

 

However, despite all of the problems and setbacks I encountered, they were faced “head-on,” and the project continued forward – measured often as only “creeping incrementalism” (to steal a phrase from a former Special Libraries Association President, Donna Scheeder of the Library of Congress’ Congressional Research Service).  The main keys to this success: planning/preparation, patience, persistence, productivity (especially as it relates to customer service), professionalism, and problem-solving (i.e., finding a way to “yes”).

 

The Rest of the Story

 

          So, why don’t I feel like a librarian?  I house an organized and growing collection of highly specialized materials/subject matter in a variety of formats. I classify and catalog these materials.  I loan materials.  I help find information/materials for my customers. I make referrals as needed.  And more.  Could it be the institutional culture of my organization?  Could it be my “less than cutting edge” Resource Center (no integrated library system, no database searching capabilities, no Dewey or LC cataloging, no LCSH, no MARC records, etc.)?  Could it be my “solo” status (i.e., no peers within my organization)?  Could it be my lack of professional development? 

Could it be my lack of involvement within my professional associations?  Could I be in the wrong professional associations?  Could it be a lack of understanding on the part of my boss?  Could it be all of the above?  (Let’s just leave these as rhetorical questions.  Okay?)

 

          After my first year of functioning as a Resource Center I realized that there was a void in my professional development.  I certainly was not receiving any “library” development from the police department.  (All of my required in-service training revolved around law enforcement issues, tactics, etc., and while these are important for my law enforcement career, they do not necessarily assist me in the day-to-day operations of the Resource Center and the “library” problems encountered therein).  The professional organizations that I currently belonged to were unable to provide me with the type of “specialized” development that I was requiring.  Then I found the Special Libraries Association (SLA) and the rest, as they say, is history.  What a fit!  I had found a community of colleagues that share my challenges and could speak to the same issues and offer advice and/or a sympathetic ear.  In addition to belonging to the Solo Librarians Division, I was a member of the Oklahoma Chapter and it was here (at the local level) that I first tested the waters of becoming more active professionally.  

  

Professional Development a la Volunteerism

 

I began attending local Chapter meetings/programs just to get a feel for the support offered as well as for the topics of the programs.  Within the first year I was asked if I’d be interested in running for an elected-position within the Chapter.  I was honored to have been asked, and of course, I said “yes.”  So my name was on the next ballot for the position of Treasurer (I could balance my checkbook, how hard could it be to balance an organization’s?).  Besides, who knew me?  I probably wouldn’t get elected anyway, I’m just the new guy.  Well, think again.  (It took me quite a while to realize how most organizations are “starved” for fresh meat [i.e., new volunteers].)  Not only did I get elected, but also discovered that I had to hit the ground running.  I was required to complete and submit all of the mid-year financial reports that should have been completed by the outgoing Treasurer.  Talk about a sharp learning curve!  But, it really wasn’t that bad.  And, I was now in a position to see how meetings are run, how decisions are made, how programs are planned, etc.  The leadership and mentoring opportunities were tremendous.  And so it continued.

 

Then one day I saw a preliminary program/announcement for an upcoming SLA Annual Conference.  The continuing education courses and programming for this conference looked especially appealing; and there was even a workshop for Treasurers!  I knew then that this was a conference that I couldn’t miss.  And, since it would help me with my job I decided to ask the City for financial assistance to attend.  I wrote up my proposal (expecting a denial) and was prepared to use vacation time and my own money to attend.  Much to my surprise the City approved the travel and all of the related costs (airfare, hotel, registration fee, continuing education courses, and a per diem).   In this regard, the Department has always been very supportive of my library-related activities and involvement and for that I will be forever grateful.  The support cannot always be financial, but when money is not available, they provide me the time (leave with pay) and the opportunity to attend meetings and conferences (local or otherwise).  It was at this first conference that I learned the true value of networking.

 

Network, Network, Network

 

          From the first CE course that I attended (being taught by a former President of the Association), to the assorted programs, meetings, receptions, and open houses, I was meeting people and making connections; and the connections grew.  The whole conference experience was exhilarating (and definitely not for the faint of heart).  I distinctly (and fondly) remember attending one meeting and experiencing Olga Wise’s (then Chair-elect of the Solo Librarian Division) “kamikaze volunteerism.”  Again, being the “new guy” at the meeting, I was asked if I’d be willing to write some articles for the newsletter about a couple of the programs that I had attended. Of course I said “yes.” It seemed simple enough at the time.  Well the next thing you know, I’m being asked to run for Treasurer of the Solo Librarians Division.  Gee, I got elected once again!  By this time, having been the Treasurer of the Oklahoma Chapter, I knew the paper flow and really understood the reporting structure, so it was really easy (and a lot of fun) – and I was networking on a whole new level now. 

With these new responsibilities, I continued meeting people and started attending leadership development training.  Soon I’m being asked to serve on Association-level committees; then, to “chair” committees; then, run for an Association office . . . My leadership abilities were continually being strengthened, I was connected to the profession, I was really starting to feel like a librarian.  All of this came about because I was able (and willing) to say “yes” and to take control of my future.  I was not willing to just sit back and wait for the future to find me.  I’ve not slowed down or looked back since.  The hardest lesson that I’ve had to learn is how to realize when the plate is full and to not take on additional responsibilities unless you are able.  I’ve begun a yearly self-evaluative process where I examine all of my commitments (professionally as well as personally) and decide on whether to continue or not.  This helps to keep me grounded in the fact that there are a limited number of hours in a day and that I am but one person.

          While I may not be working in what most would consider a traditional or stereotypical library setting, I am a professional librarian nonetheless.  The functions and skills are the same (regardless of the setting); they are just being applied in my highly specialized setting utilizing the tools and resources that were available to me.  I’ve conquered numerous challenges along the way and have created my own destiny, and, from the feedback that I’ve received from others, have done so in a unique and interesting fashion.  And while my story may seem unique, it really is not.  There are entrepreneurial spirits everywhere just waiting to share their stories.  Projects like this just help these stories come to light.  We never really know what the future holds, but I’m confident now that I have a future, and that future is bright.