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<div>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, learning the ropes, 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. </div>
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<div>Susan Bacina</div>
<div>Past-Chair, OLA/SSD</div>
<div> </div>
<div>From Sean Park, current SSD Chair : </div>
<div> </div>
<div>SSD is a wonderfully diverse group of library professionals, ranging </div>
<div>from supervisors and shelvers to IT and children's librarians, and </div>
<div>countless other areas of expertise across the spectrum of libraries in Oregon, from large to small.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I entered my term as SSD Board Chair with a sense of wonder and </div>
<div>excitement (and a bit of bewilderment), as I previously did not have </div>
<div>much exposure to SSD and almost no exposure to OLA. The SSD past-chairs </div>
<div>were my lifeline (one serves on the Board and is an invaluable asset to </div>
<div>the Chair), and helped me feel welcome while answering all questions I </div>
<div>had along the way. My first event was the OLA Executive Board retreat in </div>
<div>Silver Falls, which was a great experience that was made even better as </div>
<div>the past-chair was at my side, keeping me apprised of procedure while </div>
<div>providing valuable background on the topics at hand. Working with the </div>
<div>OLA Board has opened my eyes to the great things OLA does, and the group </div>
<div>is composed of a wide range of librarians, every one of them friendly, </div>
<div>helpful, and very devoted to the OLA mission. It has been a great </div>
<div>pleasure getting to know them and working alongside them, and you will </div>
<div>feel very welcome very quickly with this group.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>This past year has seen some exciting changes for SSD. Scholarship </div>
<div>awards for OLA membership and attendance at the annual SSD conference </div>
<div>have been increased, and SSD membership is also going up. </div>
<div>Videoconferencing has opened up involvement in SSD for people who </div>
<div>otherwise couldn't participate due to distance. SSD is looking to expand </div>
<div>training offerings across the state with book mending and technology </div>
<div>workshops, while looking ahead at different training approaches </div>
<div>(including increased exposure to the LSSC program) to help support staff </div>
<div>increase services amidst shrinking budgets.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Time commitment:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Chair the monthly SSD board meetings, which can be attended in person or </div>
<div>remotely via phone or videoconferencing (4 hours per month, depending </div>
<div>upon travel)</div>
<div>Compose the monthly SSD board meeting agenda (1 hour per month)</div>
<div>Attend the monthly OLA Executive Board meetings (in person or remotely, </div>
<div>5 hours per month)</div>
<div>Attend the annual OLA Board retreat in Silver Falls in person (2 days </div>
<div>per year)</div>
<div>Attend the annual SSD conference (1 day per year)</div>
<div>Liaise with OLA to assist members representing SSD at the OLA Conference </div>
<div>(1 hour per month)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>My term as SSD Board Chair has been extremely rewarding. The exposure to </div>
<div>library staff from all corners of the state, and the friendships I've </div>
<div>made, have been personally and professionally enriching. I would not </div>
<div>hesitate to do it again, and strongly encourage those who are seeking </div>
<div>more involvement in OLA & SSD to consider running for SSD Board Chair.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Sean, SSD Board Chair</div>
<div> </div>
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