We often think of libraries as bastions of knowledge, scholarly research, and innovation. Growing up, my love for facts and trivia about a lot of subjects got me hooked on books, particularly non-fiction. When I began my career here at Chattanooga State Community College’s Augusta R. Kolwyck Library, I knew immediately this was where I wanted to be.
Going to college 12 years after high school was out of the need to make myself more employable. I did not have any one to come along side and mentor me during those 12 years. Drifting from low-paying job to low-paying job during that time caused me to realize, after talking to an employment counselor, the importance of getting more education. I only had less than a year of vocational training at that time. So I started here at Chattanooga State in 1980, full-time for the first few semesters, during a period of unemployment. I knew I could not stay unemployed for long while supporting a family, so I had to find work while attending school. But, while working I had to scale back my hours. This posed a dilemma. How do I work while continuing my education? Should I work full time and school part-time or school full-time and work part-time?
It was in November, 1985 that I started working as a Student Assistant in the library’s circulation department. A year and two months later in January, 1987, I was offered the position of Library Assistant or administrative assistant to the Library Director. Then I really knew this was where I wanted to spend the rest of my working career. I brought to the library at that time a skill set that included administrative and customer service; the ability to brainstorm ideas, ideas for inventions; tinkering with gadgets including mechanical and electronics; computer maintenance and electronics background; door-to-door selling; later as an entrepreneur.
My being reclassified in 1997 as a full-time computer laboratory technician provided further opportunities for training, innovation and service. 30 years at Chattanooga State opened doors for me to serve the College and its students in ways I never got to imagine and for which I am humbly grateful.
Bill’s accomplishments:
Member, Support Staff Council.
Member, Sick Leave Bank Committee.
Amazon Marketplace Seller of used books, 2001-2010.
Served on over a dozen interview committees in various departments.
Technology Advisory Committee for two 3-year terms.
TAC Subcommittee, Co-author, the College’s Five Year Plan to Update End-User Support Compensation.
TAC Subcommittee, Co-chair, Feasibility Study/Implementation of a campus-wide print management system.
Advised the College’s IT Department to purchase anti-tampering software, Drive Shield and DeepFreeze.
Advised the College’s IT Department to purchase LanSchool.
No comments:
Post a Comment