Sample Candidate Statements*
*Taken from various past elections
President/ALA Liaison
As a student at SIRLS for three semesters and the president of
LSO for one semester, I have come to understand the issues and
problems that confront new studnets, continuing library students,
and distance students in this program. I have also worked as webmsater
for SLA and worked in conjunction with officers in LSO as a member-at-large.
I have been involved in the Internship programs, tours, and other
activities that SLA and LSO offer. I have worked and built a relationshpi
with the SIRLS faculty and staff. I believe that LSO and SLA as
student organizations can have a major effect on enhancing your
understanding as a student and make it more enjoyable. LSO will
help make program changes, help educational oportunities, and
social activities that will expand the student personal experience
here and help students be more effective in this program. I look
forward to working with all of you and the faculty and staff.
I believe my background as a student, LSO president, SLA webmaster,
my previous experience as an attorney, and as a human resources
manager will help me to continue to work with everyone, faculty,
students, outside organizations, and community resources, to get
the best environment for everyone at SIRLS.
...
This semester, I have had the distinct pleasure of observing the current LSO executive committee in action, and have been a part of sub-committee planning and execution for the Alumni breakfast. Under the laudable guidance of Georgie Donovan, this council has created a new direction for the LSO that, I believe, has and will continue to make a difference to students in our program. If elected president, I hope do my best to continue this forward momentum and will do what I can to ensure that we continue to have networking opportunities, forums for professional development, social and peer-networking programs and that we are a strong, but eloquent voice in our school and community.
...
As I enter my second year at SIRLS, I have gained some perspective on what LSO does, as well as what it *could* do. If elected president, I will engage with the faculty, staff, director, and students to help us fulfill our potential as an organization. I am an excellent communicator, and this semester on the LSO board has taught me that the president is not the person who is in charge; rather, she is the person who must harness the power of the people around her to affect positive change.
Specific items I would address are rekindling the alumni mentoring program and holding more networking events. I truly believe that it is the connections in our world that can help us get to where we want to go, and that building relationships now will help us all in our professional futures. The LSO mission statement says that we are an organization devoted to promoting professional awareness and interaction in the SIRLS community. I hope to help us achieve those goals more fully.
...
I'm excited to be running for LSO President for the 2005 summer and fall semesters. Last semester I held the position of Faculty/Student Liaison and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to speak on behalf of SIRLS students and pass along the information I gathered at faculty meetings.
This is essentially what I would like to continue to do as LSO President: advocate for students and ensure information continues to be shared with everyone associated with the SIRLS program, including full and part-time students, campus-based students, and distance students. During the LSO meetings this past semester quite a few good ideas were floated around and I would like to make sure those ideas are not lost. Having completed my third semester at SIRLS, I think I am familiar with both the program and the issues concerning students to accomplish these goals. I hope you consider voting for me.
Vice President/Treasurer
I am currently an officer in LSO and have enjoyed the
challenges, camaraderie and great people in our library student
group. I am running for Vice President because I believe in the
value of LSO, and that we are a reflection of the larger program.
In LSO, we are able to to work for students in the program by
planning training, events, networking that allows all of us to
further our careers, as well as being a voice for all students.
I have five years work experience outside of school, technology
expertise and have learned so much about library science in my
time at SIRLS. I would strive to do my best for LSO and the students
of SIRLS if I was elected Vice President. The SIRLS program is
unparalleled because we all are approaching from so many different
directions and backgrounds. While the program may seem transient
by its somewhat short and sometimes virtual nature, we can make
the most of things by sharing and learning from each other and
also through staff, faculty, alumni, course materials, internships
& jobs, organizations like LSO and overlapping life itself.
At the end of 36 units, we will head out and be library/information
leaders--with responsibilities and some influence on the world.
The LSO leaders-officers who are now graduating have made an impact
on me and I would like to continue some of their projects (e.g.,
the mentoring program), plans and maybe play some miniature golf
together on a nice spring day. Lastly, I would appreciate the
opportunity to work with the incoming officers as Vice President/Treasurer
for activities, conditions and a climate which benefit current
students--who very soon will be future leaders in this interconnected
field.
Secretary
Before I had my children, I owned and operated my own court
reporting firm for almost five years. This entailed taking verbatim
notes of legal testimony, et cetera. I am currently the secretary
for my children's PTO, so am used to taking notes in a variety
of mediums. Besides being efficient and dependable, I am responsible
and serious about the commitments I undertake.
...
I accept the nomination secretary and editor of BiblioTech. I would be a good secretary because I almost always attend the LSO meetings and I promise to take extensive and accurate notes. I also would be a good editor for BiblioTech because I am the current editor and have already started working on the next issue. Thank you.
Faculty/Student Liaison
It was really a big surprise to me when I heard that I was
nominated by a classmate for the faculty/student liaison position.
Before the nomination, I was seldom involved in LSO activities
except getting email through the listserv almost everyday. In
my first fall semester, I've got too many things to do. Now I'm
getting used to effectively arrange my time and schedule everything.
It's kind of a coincidence that I was always in the position of
student representative or coordinator in my previous experiences.
Thus the faculty/student liaison position comes very naturally.
I hope I can do something for SIRLS students to get connected
with professors, staff and the director. It will be a very challenging
but meaningful experience!
...
Want to be in the loop about student concerns brought to faculty and staff? Want to hear about important issues and know where to find information about them? No, this isn't a subscription to the SIRLS Times. I'm running for Faculty/Student Liaison to ensure student concerns aren't lost in the system and students are informed about issues affecting the program. For many of us, our stay at SIRLS will span a few years and everyone should have an opportunity to have a say in what that stay will be like, confident their voice will be heard. Hope to be hearing from you!
Social Coordinator
Relationships are what this world is all about, and building those
relationships while we are at SIRLS will pave our way to a successful
future in the library and information professions. If elected
to the position of Social Coordinator, I will work with the students,
faculty, and staff of SIRLS to plan at least three events during
the semester to facilitate networking, both social and professional.
We have a chance while we are at SIRLS to build a foundation that
will help us for years to come, by getting to know each other.
Social
events build community, help us create support systems for our
time here, and last—but not least—help us relax during
the busy school year. Let's make an effort this semester to make
things happen. I want to be the person to make this happen by
connecting people with each other and creating fun experiences
for us to share.
...
I accepted the nomination for LSO Social Coordinator for a number of reasons, the most important being that active participation in society is necessary in order to make a difference. I feel that I bring a number of qualifications with me that would be an asset to LSO: I have been having a sincere love affair with the library profession for 19 years, not counting the volunteer hours I did in junior high school, and I am not ashamed to admit it; I have been a member of ALA, CLA (California), SLA and SALIS (Substance Abuse Librarians) for over five years, and have attended conferences in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C. and Toronto as both a member, and as a Board member, having been Hospitality Chair for the Sierra Nevada Chapter of SLA in Northern California (2001-2002), and the Chair of SALIS (2002-2003); and I have represented library services for the various agencies where I have been employed at conferences and as a speaker. While I am new to Tucson, U of A and Arizona, I would throw my considerable energy behind growing connections in the SIRLS community, showing by example that librarianship can be a dynamic profession with unlimited potential to make a difference for others, and helping others form networks that will serve them well into the future.
Job Coordinator
After acting as job opportunities coordinator this past semester,
I would like to continue to serve SIRLS, the student body, and
the LSO by continuing in this capacity. The main job function
of the coordinator is to post job opportunities to the jobsops
listserv, which I would like to continue to do. However, as an
LSO officer I have served on the professional development committee,
and would like to continue in that capacity as well--perhaps even
helping to stand in until a new professional development coordinator
is elected in the Spring. Thank you for your consideration.
...
I am running for Job Coordinator because I strongly believe that I can assist in facilitating opportunities for our graduate students to achieve fantastic jobs in their specialization of choice by the time they graduate, if not before. I held the position of Job Coordinator for the Spring 2005 semester and I would like to continue working towards the goal of making job openings in librarianship easily accessible to SIRLS JOBOPS listserv members and SIRLS graduate students. Thank you for your consideration.
Webmaster/Listserv Manager
In keeping with the LSO mission of promoting communication
and interaction among students, faculty and staff, we have teamed
up to ensure that our LSO website provides the most up-to-date
information possible and serves both local and distance students
equally. We hope to make the website a place that will attract
more usage by the current SIRLS community and serve as an inviting
representation of our student body to prospective students. We
look forward to working for you and welcome any suggestions for
continued improvement.
Fundraising Coordinator
I have some experience assisting the organization of
group fundraisers, largely due to my adolescent involvement in
dance and choir groups, and I feel I have a strong grasp on what
it takes to have successful involvement in a fundraising project.
I am enthusiastic and organized, and capable of working well in
groups. I am also confident of the positive impact that a successful
fundraising project put on LSO can have on the SIRLS community
(i.e., increasing LSO's ability to subsidize conference fees);
I am excited to be part of this potential for positive impact.
I have been in the SIRLS program for one year and have actively participated in LSO for the past semester. I am running for this position for the following reasons: 1. As current Co-Webmaster, I am familiar with the job duties and can provide a sense of continuation to the position. 2. I enjoy managing websites and have experience as webmaster of other sites. 3. I look forward to learning from the outgoing webmaster and then being able to impart my knowledge to others. 4. I can also contribute to other LSO activities and help out where needed. I thank you for taking the time to consider me for LSO Webmaster/Listserv Manager!
Distance Student Liaison
I am thrilled to be nominated
for Distance Student Liason for the LSO at the University of Arizona.
I am currently a full time law librarian for a medium size firm
in Albuquerque, NM. I am a distance learner, not necessarily by
choice, but out of necessity. I understand the value of an on
campus education as well as the challenges presented by a distance
learning environment. It is
crucial to the success of the distance learning program to involve
the students outside of Tucson and find ways to engage them and
make them feel part of the program. There are ways to do this
via listservs, group chats, connection of students through a distance
contact roster and creation of smaller groups. I would love the
opportunity to develop some of these plans. Thank you for your
consideration.
...
I feel that I am the ideal candidate for Distance Student Liaison for several reasons: by the end of this semester I will have completed four classes in WebCT and one in d2l, two hybrid classes and one on-campus intensive class. I have gotten to know many people in the SIRLS community online and on campus, and I would feel comfortable voicing the concerns of the distance students as well as being receptive to their issues. Like many distance students, I live in Phoenix, which means that Tucson is fairly accessible when necessary, yet I also understand the frustrations of being away from campus when a problem would be solved more easily in person, or when you begin to feel isolated from the SIRLS community. As a member of ALA and a supporting member of the LSO, I have the best interests of all SIRLS students at heart.
I gladly accept the nomination for the position
of Distance Student Liaison for the Library Student Organization.
I would enjoy facilitating, planning, or helping with any activities,
workshops, or other needs for the distance students. I think it
is important for distance students to stay connected to SIRLS
information and activites as well as to stay connected with each
other.
As a distance student at SIRLS, I am aware to some degree of the challenges faced by students living outside of the Tucson area. I would like to support those students in feeling like they belong to a unique SIRLS community positioned outside of Tucson. If elected, I would like to accomplish three goals. I would work as an advocate for distance students on the issues which directly affect their educational experiences at SIRLS. Secondly, I would encourage SIRLS students to become more active and vocal in their communities. Lastly, I would like to foster a sense of community amongst distance students through social events and gatherings. Thank you for your consideration.
...
I have been a distance student for the last two semesters and have experience with the WebCT classes and on campus classes. Last semester I served as co-distant student liason and I have really enjoyed the position. During that time I worked on organizing study groups for the valley area distance students and organized a social event. During my next term it is my intention to organize more such gatherings for valley area distance students. It is also my intention to work on the LSO chat and help develop it to a point where any of the SIRLS students can gather together for some organized chat time.
BiblioTech Editor
I am thrilled that the position of BiblioTech Editor
has been opened up for LSO elections. As a first-year SIRLS student,
I would bring to the office of Editor a fresh perspective. Many
SIRLS students I have met credit their love of reading for leading
them to our field. I share that deep, abiding love of books, and
I possess a strong background in writing. I was raised by a grammarphile
and a professional writer, so editing other people's work for
clarity and soliciting stories would come naturally to me. Now
that I am entering my second semester and doing well in my classes,
I am eager to become more involved in the SIRLS community. I am
an office manager at an interior design company as well as a student;
one goal for my tenure as BiblioTech editor will be to address
issues faced by working and distance students, thus helping those
people engage further in our department. I am a team player who
loves collaborative projects, so I will welcome the opportunity
to share this position with an enthusiastic colleague.Thank you
for your consideration.
...
Omani young men clad in flowing white robes wait their turn in line at McDonald’s for a McArabia, women in colorful rural dress herd goats by the super-modern Sultan Center shopping complex, guest workers in blue jumpsuits sweep the pristine modern freeway from morning to dusk with palm fronds…this is the milieu of extreme contrasts from which I write you this plea for your vote on election day for the position of Co-Editor of our student webzine, BiblioTech.
As an American distance student in the tiny nation of Oman, on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, I hope to share with you a unique perspective of our understanding of information and library science. As a first semester SIRLS degree-seeking student, I’ve already begun to see the power and the potential of what it is that we are doing; of how libraries and the search for, and discovery of information can transform lives, especially here in Oman.
My hope is that BiblioTech will become the true
voice of the Library Student Organization through 1) a timely
publication of information student ideas, innovations, frustrations,
hopes, professional activity, and scholarly work, 2) a webzine
produced at regular, predictable intervals, and 3) a professionally
written and presented webzine directly targeted at our
dynamic and diverse IRLS student family. Our time together is
short. Let us try to truly learn from one another.
Alumni Liaison
I am running for Alumni Liaison because I would like to facilitate
building stronger relationships between SIRLS Alumni and current
graduate students. In this role, I would work towards creating
speaking events for Alumni who have achieved jobs in librarianship
to share their experiences and feelings about their positions
and specializations. I feel this will be beneficial to Alumni
who have the opportunity to act as mentors and share their wisdom,
and to students who can gain valuable
knowledge about real-life working experiences and environments.
Please consider me for this position to support our students,
Alumni, and school. Thank you.