Member Spotlight - Kathy Parker
November 11, 2024
-
This week's spotlight is on Kathy Parker. Kathy is a retired library director who owns and operates a consulting company, Kathy Parker Consulting. She is a member of the ILA Serving Our Public Committee and has previously served on the 2017 ILA Conference Program Committee and the ILA Public Policy Committee.
We asked Kathy to answer a few professional and amusing questions. Continue reading to find out more about Kathy.
A little background on Kathy:
Kathy is a retired director, turned library consultant. She has experience in public and law firm libraries with over 40 years in the field. She has served on numerous committees and boards through the years, including the RAILS board serving as treasurer and president. In 2016 she received the ALA Trustee Citation for her work on the RAILS board. Kathy is the co-founder of Directors University and co-author of The Public Library Director’s Toolkit and The Public Library Director’s HR Toolkit.
How did you get your start in libraries?
Working in libraries was not a conscious decision - its just something I've always done. One of my earliest memories was of me around 6-years old asking the librarian at the Tinley Park Library how old I had to be to get a job there. She said to come back when I turned 16. I told her I would be back. When I was in second grade, I started helping the room mother of my class in the library during our weekly library time by putting books away. I continued helping out the room moms in the library during my recesses and study breaks through eighth grade.
When I was a sophomore, I started working in my high school during the summers through the CEDA program and continued for the next three summers. I applied at Tinley Park Library after turning 16 and started working there as a shelver in September 1980. During my 20s and 30s, I worked second and third jobs to support myself while I was working towards my undergrad and graduate degree, but I have never NOT worked in a library. It is who I am.
Best advice you've received since starting your career in libraries?
Don’t let it get personal – keep it about the work.
Any advice to newcomers working in libraries?
Don’t be afraid to fail – it is going to happen. How you pick yourself up and learn from the failure shows your true mettle.
When and why did you become a member of ILA?
I’m not sure of the exact year – I’ve been a member for decades. After I earned my MLS and started as a full-time reference librarian at Tinley Park Library, I decided that I needed to be part of my local professional organization.
I had worked in law firms in my 20s and admired how connected the attorneys were to the work of the American Bar Association, participating in committees and attending conferences. Their professional association was an extension of themselves. I wanted to be involved in my profession in that manner as well.
How has being a member of ILA helped you professionally?
People who know me would likely not agree, but I am a bit of an introvert and not much of a joiner. However, I think it is important to push outside of your comfort zone, so I volunteered for my first ILA committee - Best Practices. After that I found it easier each time to volunteer for other committees.
I discovered that I love to collaborate and feel I do my best work in a collaborative environment. Because of this I have been able to be a part of so many great committees over the decades and have (hopefully) had a small impact on the library world.
What is your proudest professional achievement to date?
This is a hard one to answer. I’ve had a pretty good run and am proud of a lot I have accomplished over the years. I’m very proud of Directors University and my continued work on the committee. I always wanted to write a book and now I have co-authored two. But I think at this juncture, I am most proud of the work I have been doing as an interim director. The last two libraries I’ve worked with had some very messy situations. Both libraries had dire finances, limited hours because of limited staff, and library patrons barely coming to the library.
I was able to work with the very committed boards and dedicated staff, as we slowly turned things around. I am proud to report that both libraries are now financially solvent, have adequate staff to provide services to the communities, and patrons are rediscovering their local library again. That’s a good feeling.
Hardcover, paperback, e-reader, audiobook, or all?
Favorite authors?
Rick Steves – I love to travel to Europe and own so many of his books
If you were stuck on a deserted island, what five books would you want with you to pass the time until being rescued?
- Atlas Obscura
- Handmaids Tale and The Testaments by Margaret Atwood – the only fiction books I have read more than once.
- Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi
- Woodchipper Murder by Arthur Herzog III
Cat or Dog?
I have neither since they need a lot of care and I’m not home on a consistent basis. I find cats a little creepy but have grown up with dogs, so dogs.
Favorite film, podcast, or television show?
I love any true crime documentary and podcast (364’s rock!). A few TV shows I can and do watch all the time are Law & Order: SVU, Sports Night, and In Plain Sight. I don’t really have a favorite movie because I there are so many great ones out there - but there are a few that I watch on the regular: Reservoir Dogs, American History X, The Duff, and Joe Dirt (and I make no excuses for my questionable taste).
One person you would like to meet, dead or alive why?
I’m going to go against the grain and not name any particular person, but a person in a particular field. I would love to meet a highway engineer and ask all about how roads and highways are planned and constructed. I travel a lot and am amazed at how efficiently millions of vehicles move from point A to point B.
I am constantly looking at roadway worksites to see how they are constructing ramps, allowing for water runoff etc. I think it would be a fascinating discussion and I would love to weigh in with some of my own suggestions.
iREAD Summer Reading Programs
Latest Library JobLine Listings
