I have lived in Rhode Island all of my life. I am married and have a wonderful husband, 4 beautiful children and 2 beautiful grandchildren. I have been involved in the library services field for over 20 years and have always wanted to work to provide direct services to the under-served.
In 1987 I began working for the RI Department of State Library Services, currently known as the Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS). As a Library Technician in the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Talking Books Plus (TBP), I provided documents in alternate formats to patrons who would otherwise not be able to enjoy reading or find answers to their questions. I also assisted in inputting data into the new computer system to make the TBP collection available online for the first time in the 1980's by bar-coding and creating MARC records for cataloging the collection. I had also worked in OLIS' Interlibrary Loan Clearing House, receiving requests from patrons throughout the state and acquired skills in using OCLC's WorldCat database and FirstSearch to fill these requests.
In the early 1990's as the World Wide Web evolved, I attended classes to develop my web publishing abilities and became a member of the OLIS Web Team. I continued to take classes at various colleges, training centers and NELINET, to keep up with the ever-changing World Wide Web. I currently maintain the OLIS "Calendar of Events" for the RI library community as well as the "Rhode Island Library Directories" and "Summer Reading Program" on our agency web site, www.olis.ri.gov. I have designed web pages and electronic forms for various applications using Microsoft Frontpage, and more recently Dreamweaver. In order to promote OLIS programs and services, I have created numerous brochures and flyers.
I've been involved with components of the RI Public Library Annual Report and have assisted with publication of the Minimum Standards for Rhode Island Public Libraries, which was adopted by the Library Board of Rhode Island on September 18, 2000.
As the liaison and coordinator for the Statewide Interlibrary Delivery System for resource sharing, I work to resolve any complaints and add or remove library deliveries, or adjust schedules as needed to assure that the delivery system runs efficiently. I monitor service functioning, provide statistical information and prepare the invoices for payment of services.
I have worked as a graduate student intern in the East Providence Public Library, where I gained knowledge and skills for public library services and programs. I was involved in the English as a Second Language Program and had the pleasure of working with adult students to prepare them for the U.S. Citizenship Exam. Two of my previous students passed their exam and are now U.S. citizens!
I am currently interning at the Pawtucket Public Library working in Community Outreach to provide services to an ethnically diverse population and becoming familiar with the needs of English as a Second Language learners.
Over the past 20 years, I have attended many meetings and conferences and have become a familiar face to much of the library community throughout the state. I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue the Masters in Library and Information Studies to learn more about the principles and practices of library science and to enhance the skills I have acquired thus far, with the goal of helping people from diverse backgrounds find, access, and use information to improve the quality of their lives. I feel this is a meaningful and rewarding pursuit.
Created by Alicia Waters May 2007 aliciawaters4@msn.com