I started at the U in 2001 as a Library Assistant 2 in MInitex, which is still my current position. I work with retrieving interlibrary loan requests from the East Bank Libraries part of the day, with a lot of help from my student employees. The other part of my day is spent requesting materials for interlibrary loan from our Minnesota public library partners.

I joined Local 3937 as soon as I heard about it at New Employee Orientation. I didn’t even think twice since my parents were in teachers’ unions, and I already knew some of the benefits of union membership, like job security and a decent pension. It also seems to me that unions are much like libraries; we can do more when we share and work collectively rather than as individuals.

I stepped into an executive board representative position when asked some years ago. I then agreed to take on the Secretary position when there was a vacancy in 2012. I did this not because I am especially good at taking notes, but to continue to have time to stay involved in union activism. Our officer allowances are small, but add just enough that I can get by without a second job now. However, managing our social media comes far more naturally to me; I was already immersed in it thanks to one of my other passions, following my favorite rock band, Muse. Likewise, I accepted the presidency because we needed someone to take the office after the passing of Mary Austin. 

At home, I am owned by 2 cats. I consider myself a foodie, and I cook mostly organic whole foods from scratch. I listen to music almost constantly, everything from classical to death metal, but more Muse than anything else. However, Muse are even better live, so I occasionally travel to be able to see them more often. Being a Muse fan fits well with activism given their inspiring songs like Uprising, Resistance, Invincible and Will of the People. One of my other favorite activities is protest marches, and I have often carried signs with Muse lyrics.