Dr. Sarah Clark, the Associate Library Director at Rogers State University, has become the first RSU librarian to earn a doctoral degree.
Clark earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, option in Higher Education, from Oklahoma State University in May 2016. Her dissertation focused on how non-traditional students experience the research process both inside and outside the library.
“For my dissertation, I wanted to gain a better understanding of the information seeking activities that take place outside the library, which is where college students spend most of their time,” Clark said. “By learning what they do in other areas of the campus as well as in the rest of their lives, we can provide services and support that make access to information resources as seamless as possible, and teach them information literacy and critical thinking skills that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.”
Clark hopes that her expertise will help RSU Libraries provide more and better spaces for collaborative learning among peers.
“The library is still the heart of the university, but as our students’ lives and needs change, RSU and the RSU Libraries must continue to change with them,” she said. “I believe that my degree and my research will help us meet the challenge of the future.”
Clark was hired as a Library Assistant in February 2005, and the following May, she became RSU’s first Access Services and Distance Learning Librarian. In July 2012, she became the Associate Library Director. During her doctoral work, she maintained a 4.0 grade point average.
“We’re very proud of Sarah’s accomplishment,” said Library Director Alan Lawless. “Dr. Clark is the first RSU librarian in 100 years to hold a doctoral degree, and her expertise will be an asset both to the library and to the RSU community.”
To learn more about the RSU Libraries, visit www.rsu.edu/library.