I am MLGSCA: Rikke Ogawa
Posted on April 7, 2023 by Membership | 1 Comment
Name: Rikke Ogawa
Institution: UCI Libraries, Irvine, CA
Title: Assistant University Librarian for Public Services
Brief description of what you do/your responsibilities at your institution.
I oversee the Public Services Division at UCI Libraries which includes Access and Operations, Design Services, Education and Outreach, IT, Reference and Grunigen Medical Library.
Why is MLGSCA important to you?
MLGSCA is important to me because our community of local medical librarians lift each other up, providing a network of colleagues who take time to encourage each other, lend an ear or a hand where we can support each other’s careers, and cheer each other on as we venture into new areas.
Why did you become a librarian?
I became a librarian because I thought that the internet would change the way we did health care and librarians, together with their clinician partners, were going to be on the front lines of shaping that new world.
What is your advice to someone new to medical librarianship?
Find joy in what you do and find a mentor who helps you see that joy. Leadership and learning opportunities will come. If you invest in building your network and finding a good mentor, those things come easier, and the joy grows even more. And psst, a little (non-)secret … that library joy shouldn’t define your whole life, but it definitely makes the working and non-working hours of the day much better.
What is something you have on your bucket list?
Visiting all 7 continents – so far, I’ve only made it to three.
What is the best thing you have read/watched/listened to recently?
The Brother Karamazov by Dostoevsky and The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren. I need to fill in some of the blank spots in my reading repertoire (hence Dostoevsky) but I can’t take seriousness all the time (hence the romance title).
Is there anything about you that others would be surprised to know?
I played three musical instruments (piano, violin, and string bass) and can learned four languages (French barely, Japanese, Danish, and English). I still want to learn to play the cello and speak Spanish. More life goals!
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the times I have been a good friend, colleague, or parent. I’m not perfect none of us are. The times I have failed in all those areas usually come most quickly to mind. But the times I’ve been there to support, love, forgive, encourage, and stand up for others fill my heart with a sense of purpose and gratitude.
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April 13th, 2023 @ 10:48 am
Lovely to know you better Rikke!