MLIS Library Information Science Employment Application Statement

Library director candidate presents her vision for the 21st-century library, emphasizing community innovation, universal digital access, and flexible learning spaces to an engaged audience.

My philosophy is that a great library director should be someone who knows their community well and is very active in their community. Library directors also need to be great managers of people. The library director should be someone who is dedicated to lifelong education and has demonstrated his or her own lifelong passion for education. And she should be someone who loves and treasures her community, since she serves as a role model, an advocate, a big brother or big sister, a friend; especially in a small town like XXXX, NV. I feel strongly that I am a good fit for the library because I am a lifetime resident of the community and I have been working for local government for almost 20 years. I am already familiar with most of the financial aspects of the library and this will help me to excel as Director, exploring opportunities for new programs and additions that fit within our budget. Since I wrote the Human Resources Policy Manual for XXXX County and currently handle all internal investigation of personnel; my extensive experience in human resources will enable me to excel at the management of library employees. In fact, the management and training of employees represents the majority of what the Library Director does each day.

At 46 years old, I feel like I am at my optimal moment to give my all as library director, with the experience and education that will empower me to excellence. Someone who thrives on solving problems, I have spent the past 25 years working in XXXX County in a variety of different settings, government, mining, volunteer and emergency services. I have never met a problem I couldn’t’ work through.  Anyone who has worked with me would tell you that I am highly organized and known for my attention to detail and in these times of great economic challenges and funding shortfalls this is indispensable.

Library Director candidate Elena García presents her strategic vision for future community engagement and digital expansion at the 2025 Strategy Planning Meeting.

The issue that I probably feel strongest about and would address throughout my tenure as Library Director if selected is the way in which poverty is concentrated among female-headed households with children in XXXX County. Single mothers and their children represent the most vulnerable members of our community and it would be a special honor for me as Library Director to work incessantly to assure that we are doing all that we can to assist and support the single mothers of our community and their children. A member of two community book clubs, I teach catechism at my church and volunteer at the soup kitchen. I am also a paramedic and I help out with XXXX General Hospital’s EMS Rescue in addition to teaching EMS and rescue courses through XXXX College. I also look forward to better connecting our local library to arts and entertainment and museum resources.

My experience as Director of the XXXX Children's Theater Program will help me to come up with creative ideas that are rooted in our local community and our human resources. For about four months in 2008, I also shadowed the Library Director as part of my succession plan. If selected, I will establish and maintain very positive working relationships with all stakeholders, commissioners, elected officials, employees, and patrons of the library. I did not get to know my father until I was already in the 8^th grade. My mother raised me as a single mom, one block away from the library. I probably spent more time there than any of my friends which I see as the primary reason why I am now qualified to serve as Library Director. I am a very calm person, always in search of collaboration and teamwork, resolving conflicts, an active and effective listener and I am ready to begin as Library Director tomorrow. I hope to work in partnership with elected officials to develop sound approaches to community challenges. I thank you for considering my application. 

MLIS Library Information Science