OLC Member Spotlight
Meet Kaya Burgin, Loveland Branch Manager at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library. An Ohio Library Council member for more than 10 years, Burgin currently serves on the OLC’s Management and Administration Division Action Council. She has enjoyed serving on other OLC committees previously and has attended, helped plan, and even presented at various conferences over the years.
She has made the most of her OLC membership through active and meaningful participation, which has contributed to Burgin’s professional development and connections, along with her career advancement. Read what Burgin has to say about her OLC experience here and how you can find opportunities to become more involved with OLC!
Why did you become involved with OLC?
My involvement started as soon as I became a librarian at Westerville Public Library in 2012. I’ve always been involved in library associations; I was the student chapter president of the American Library Association (ALA) at the University of Pittsburgh. Starting my first official librarian position, I wanted to continue contributing to the state association.
What was the first OLC event you attended?
At the time, OLC had chapter conferences in multiple regions across the state. I attended the Central Chapter Conference and knew I wanted to serve in OLC. When it came time to renew my membership, I checked off interest in joining a committee.
And your first OLC committee experience?
I was selected for the Intellectual Freedom (IF) Committee. Being on the committee allowed me to collaborate and network with some fantastic people around the state. I gained the confidence to present not only as an individual, but as a representative of the IF Committee, eventually taking on a leadership role within the committee. I served first as the vice-chair and then chair. When OLC switched to having a more topic-based style of conferences instead of chapter conferences, I was selected to be on the planning committee of the very first conference, the Adult Services Conference in 2018.
Besides attending conferences and serving on committees, how else have you participated in OLC?
I’ve enjoyed being a presenter at OLC events. One of the first session proposals I submitted was focused on Paint Night, a program I was doing at the time. That proposal was accepted, and I did a tour of the State of Ohio with OLC chapter conferences along with a colleague, who was the artist for Paint Night.
How has OLC membership and participation contributed to your professional development and career success?
There are so many opportunities for an individual within OLC. For me, being a part of OLC has led to self-discovery—learning that I enjoy presenting and collaborating with others. To be able to present, first at the local state level, has made the leap to presenting nationally and for other organizations easier. I wanted to continue to serve a wonderful organization like OLC and put my hat in for the Management & Administration Division.
Any advice for current or potential new OLC members?
Overall, your experience with OLC is what you make of it. I hope you make it a great one!
Interested in learning more about serving on an OLC committee or division?
Check the OLC website. There you will find information about how to get more involved with OLC. Do you know someone who might like to become an OLC Individual member? Please share this article with them or contact Jeanine D’Andrea, Director of Membership Services, at jdandrea@olc.org.
by Maria Sferra, member of the OLC’s Membership Committee
If you are interested in being featured by the OLC’s Membership Committee, please complete the Member Spotlight questionnaire on the OLC website. While we can’t guarantee that everyone will be spotlighted, we will endeavor to spotlight as many as possible over time.
