Author Archives: cbecker53

Sometimes The Old-Fashioned Ways Work Too!

Posted on January 23, 2013 by cbecker53

Here’s a great post about word of mouth marketing. The author explains how, when ticket sales for a library event were nowhere near what they had hoped, she sat in the library lobby and talked to everyone who entered about … Continue reading →

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Plan, but Be Flexible

Posted on January 21, 2013 by cbecker53

I’ve posted before about the importance of strategic planning.  It is one of the management tools I feel very strongly about, and I do see parallels to it in everyday life.  Case in point: today as I was watching the … Continue reading →

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Locally Grown at the Library!

Posted on January 16, 2013 by cbecker53

Here  (American Libraries, November-December 2012) is a great article on providing local music offerings at the public library. From the article: “People want locally grown food, locally made handicrafts, locally created products. Now is the best time for libraries to … Continue reading →

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Own Your Past, But Move Beyond It

Posted on January 14, 2013 by cbecker53

In our personal and professional lives, we need to look forward, move forward, and create successful future endeavors.  It is important to own your past (both successes and failures), but “more of the same won’t birth new futures. Looking back … Continue reading →

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You never Know…

Posted on January 9, 2013 by cbecker53

You never know who might be quietly admiring your library, and planning to reward you someday. You should always be putting customer service first, of course, without ulterior motives.  You should be providing remarkable customer service because it’s the right … Continue reading →

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Keeping Up with Professional Tools

Posted on January 7, 2013 by cbecker53

So, in case any readers of this blog don’t know it, being a librarian, and being a library director—heck, just working at a library, is hard work.  (Contrary to what you may have read.) It is hard to keep up … Continue reading →

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Going to the Dogs Again

Posted on January 4, 2013 by cbecker53

In Dog Day Afternoon I talked about library programming that includes dogs.  Today I read this wonderful new article about such programs (from the Washington Post) and I just have to share.  Be absolutely sure to click on the photo … Continue reading →

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Writing about Libraries for “Civilians”

Posted on January 2, 2013 by cbecker53

“Love writing about libraries?  Many of us do.  For our fellow librarians. . . .  But for our communities?  Not so much.  The volume drops significantly. . . .” And really, writing for our communities is even more important.   So … Continue reading →

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Evaluate the Whole Person

Posted on December 26, 2012 by cbecker53

All Things Workplace has a nice brief summary of the Halo Effect and the Horn Effect, which can both come into play in workplaces, and in performance reviews.  Be sure that you’re not falling into either trap. The Halo Effect … Continue reading →

Posted in Employees, Leadership, Management, Performance Reviews, Supervision | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Case for Taxpayer Support of the Arts

Posted on December 20, 2012 by cbecker53

Here is an excellent piece on a case for taxpayer support of the arts. A prevailing viewpoint is that public funds should be dedicated primarily to costs related to the maintenance and improvement of a region’s infrastructure – roads, bridges, … Continue reading →

Posted in Library Funding, Library in Community, Library Partnerships, Promotion, Public Libraries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment