WEST PLAINS, Mo. –Continuing to build the resources of the Garnett Library at Missouri State University-West Plains and expanding outreach efforts to the campus and community are just some of the goals Rebekah McKinney has in mind as the new director of library services.
McKinney began her new duties March 24 after spending more than eight years on staff at Jung-Kellogg Learning Center on the campus of Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis.
She held several positions at the center during those years, including acquisitions personnel, cataloging specialist, acting director of library services and director of library services.
Prior to joining the staff at Missouri Baptist, the Ellsinore native worked as a paraprofessional in the City of St. Charles School District in St. Charles and at O’Neal Elementary in Poplar Bluff.
McKinney said she was drawn to the Missouri State-West Plains position because of the opportunities it afforded to use the skills she had acquired and to be closer to her hometown.
“When I saw the job posted for this position, I knew that I met the criteria Missouri State-West Plains was looking for, and that this job would allow me to be part of not only a wonderful academic institution, but also part of a vibrant and welcoming community,” she said.
“The appealing aspect was knowing that I could use the skills I already had while learning new ones along the way and helping those around me,” McKinney added. “It also would allow me to serve not only students, faculty and staff, but also the surrounding community through outreach opportunities and partnership with the Friends of the Garnett Library.
“Also, family is very important to me and my husband, and by accepting the job here at Missouri State-West Plains, we were able to move closer to aging parents and be in closer proximity to both our families,” she said.
McKinney and her husband, Fred, have a 9-year-old fur baby, Piper.
As she learns more about the people served by the Garnett Library, McKinney hopes to improve and expand the resources and services already offered.
“Creating an updated and welcoming space where students, faculty, staff and community patrons can gather to collaborate on projects or work on their own individual projects is something that I would like to see in the future,” she said.
“I see the library providing greater outreach opportunities and partnering with the campus and community to make sure everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, has access to resources and services that allow them to better themselves and become an integral part of the community,” she added.
“I also see the library being a beacon to draw people in and providing a warm and welcoming place that offers everyone a space to be productive,” she said.
The Friends of the Garnett Library will play a central role in these endeavors, McKinney stressed.
“The Friends of the Garnett Library is an essential partner in helping us reach everyone in the community and outside of town,” she explained. “Increased collaboration with this group will allow us to provide even more people with our services and resources.
“Through the wonderful gifts and donations the Friends have given and continue to provide to the Garnett Library, we can make the space we have even more useful and valuable to the campus and community patrons we serve,” McKinney added.
Formed in 1992 shortly after the opening of the Garnett Library, the Friends organization serves as a valuable link between the community and the university. Through the organization’s fund-raising activities, members help raise awareness of the services offered by the library and its needs. They work diligently to ensure shelves are filled with current publications and keep computerized instructional equipment updated to assist students with learning and faculty with teaching.
Although the current COVID-19 pandemic is putting a hold on future plans for the library, McKinney said she and her staff continue to serve the campus and community remotely.
“The staff and I are serving the campus community by continuing to provide service through email and phone communications,” she explained. “We have a large number of electronic resources that are available 24/7 from anywhere there is an internet connection to all of our registered users.”
McKinney said she is excited to join the Missouri State-West Plains campus and the greater West Plains community.
“I look forward to living and working in West Plains and being part of this vibrant and welcoming community,” she said.
