Drexel Graduate Student, Carol Boles, Lands "Dream Job" in the City of Roseville Library

PHILADELPHIA, PA (02/07/2011)(readMedia)-- One of the first students to enter Drexel University's Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento, Carol Boles has already landed her dream job. Boles, who expects to complete the degree requirements for her Master of Science in Library and Information Services, recently started her post as a librarian at the Roseville Public library.

Boles' decision to go back to school, after many years of raising her children, was a feature story in the July 30, 2009 edition of the Placer Herald. At that time, she knew that a graduate degree was the way she could get herself back into the workforce.

"Carol is exceedingly professional, knowledgeable and flexible," said Joan Goff, library supervisor at the Martha Riley Community Library in the city of Roseville. "She was definitely prepared for the work we were asking her to do."

At her new position, Boles will be staffing the information desk and helping patrons with reference questions. Boles is also looking to develop the Roseville public library's children and teen programs.

"This particular position was very attractive to me because the city of Roseville and its public libraries are so progressive and forward looking," Boles said. "They're keeping up with technologies and what citizens want and need from the library. Not all libraries have the vision or the financial ability to do that."

"Libraries are no longer just a place," said Drexel Senior Vice President and Dean Carl (Tobey) Oxholm III, "they are an access point to information; and 'librarians' today are as much electronic sleuths and information managers as they are custodians of books and records. Thanks to the Internet, information is just a few clicks away. What Carol is earning in her master's program is the knowledge and skill to find data that are accurate and credible, collect and store it, and make it retrievable – often in ways that protect confidentiality, privacy, and proprietary secrets. It's a function that virtually every business is going to need to have."

One program that Boles believes will serve the needs of the Roseville community matches teens with senior citizens. Teens would serve as technology tutors for everything from computers and the Internet to cell phones and iPod devices. "If you are a Boomer or a senior, you're just a visitor to the e-world. For our children and their children, it's their world, and it's one way that they can teach us."

"I learned very quickly at Drexel that the Master's degree covers a huge field and all sorts of job and career possibilities that I had no idea existed," said Boles, a "Boomer" who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo about 30 years ago with her undergrad degree. "The bottom line is that the public library is my passion and children services are a particular love of mine. This is a dream job for me."

Boles will be joined by her family on June 11, when she flies to Philadelphia to participate in Drexel's 124th Commencement, in which almost 100 Sacramento-area students are expected to be eligible to participate.

Since opening in January 2009, Drexel has enrolled more than 350 students in its doctorate and master's degree programs in Sacramento. The Center for Graduate Studies is known as one of Northern California's most high-tech conference and educational facilities. In its state-of-the-art classrooms, Drexel – a top-ranked national comprehensive university – teaches six master's, one doctorate, and one post-baccalaureate program that are designed for working professionals. It is currently enrolling students for the programs that will start again in March, three of which will be offered in an "executive" format, meeting three Friday/Saturdays a quarter with significant online learning in-between the classroom work.

All eight programs are focused on the heart of Greater Sacramento's growth and economic development initiatives – entrepreneurial business, human resource development, higher education, public health, knowledge management and information science. Classes "fit" with the students' business responsibilities, and are a blend of in-class and online pedagogies. All classes are held in the evenings or on occasional weekends.

Information for Drexel's graduate programs in California can be found at www.drexel.edu/sacramento or by calling 916-325-4600.

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