SWCS Staff Profile: Nancy Kutulas, Medical Librarian, Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center

Photo By Caroline Goins | Nancy Kutulas’s passion for guiding people through vast amounts of information has helped many students and academics during her 37 years as a librarian. For the last 10 years, she has helped the students and staff at SWCS find the materials they need to make the most of their assignments and prepare for their roles as special operators. Her enthusiasm for learning has helped her do more than locate articles for students; she strives to inspire students to consider their lives to be a continual learning process.  

FORT BRAGG, NC, UNITED STATES

03.23.2011

Story by Caroline Goins 

United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Nancy Kutulas’s passion for guiding people through vast amounts of information has helped many students and academics during her 37 years as a librarian. For the last 10 years, she has helped the students and staff at SWCS find the materials they need to make the most of their assignments and prepare for their roles as special operators. Her enthusiasm for learning has helped her do more than locate articles for students; she strives to inspire students to consider their lives to be a continual learning process.

On the main responsibilities of her job:

The main thing is making available whatever resources we might be able to access for the benefit of the students. It might be in aiding them in their military-related courses or in their plans to continue their education later; or for the staff and instructors that are also taking college courses. I’m there to help them with whatever they might need.

On the resources available to students and instructors:

That means the resources not only of SWCS library services but any libraries available through the databases, or interlibrary loans from libraries all over the U.S. We’re not limited just to the services here in one room; there are even resources available through Army Knowledge Online and other Army sites. Instructors and staff members are using resources to improve their courses’ curriculum, by finding the latest research and studies in the medical field.

On the little things that make her job rewarding:

I’m always learning something new; it keeps things fresh. I work directly with people and I get to help them. When I hear, “Thank you, I passed the course!” or, “I made an A on this research!” it gives me great satisfaction to know I’m helping.

On sharing the wealth (of information):

Anyone within USASOC can use our databases and resources. I consider it my mission to let them know all these resources are out there. Also, AKO has resources for the whole Family: children’s books, online books, and information on genealogy, hobbies, crafts and a wide range of subjects that many people don’t know about.

On her contribution to the special-operations world:

I’ll do whatever I can do to help our soldiers out, and I’m continuously trying to help students and instructors be aware of the services available. As part of that, when I see new information in the latest journals, I past it along.

I’m helping the students and helping my country. When I first started in the Army, Granada occurred and I can remember to this day Soldiers coming in and asking about travel books because they were getting ready to go. I feel like I’m making a contribution — it just makes life better. I’ve met a lot of interesting people from all over the world, and Fort Bragg is a very active place, so you feel like you’re making a difference.

• Date Taken: 03.23.2011
• Date Posted: 03.28.2011 10:19
• Story ID: 67861
• Location: FORT BRAGG, NC, US