Labor Day Musings

 

Labor Day weekend, 2012.  Amid festivities, celebrations, and sentiments, I’m taking time to reflect on the holiday.  All those years that I was working, I confess it was just another day to be glad of the day off with pay.  But this year, especially in light of the attacks on labor unions and the rights of ordinary workers, I can’t help but wonder what will happen to Labor Day.  Is Labor Day 2012 the last one we will celebrate?

What does this have to do with libraries, you might ask? Well, many public and academic librarians are union members.  Additionally, as government and non-profit workers, they benefit from the advances labor unions have negotiated for all employees.  And finally, libraries are one of the tax-supported services threatened by recent tax cuts.

I worry about the future of Labor Day, labor unions, and libraries.

 

Are you Just Going With the Flow?

. . . Or are you taking your organization in the direction you want and need to go?

If you aren’t sure (or even if you are), read Leadership Drift—How to Recognize it and Reclaim Your Purpose by Jessie Lyn Stoner.

“Setting goals and taking action to get back on track is important. But first get clear about what matters most and where you want to go….  or the tail will be wagging the dog.”

Dog Tail (Photo credit: bikesandwich)

Policies for the Good of the User, not Just the Library

Although the article “A Tale of Two Students” (American Libraries) is about schools, it could just as easily be about public libraries.  It contains two scenarios about school acceptable use policies.

In one scenario, Michael learned about appropriate online conduct, and “learned how to use social media to increase his productivity and learning. Specific projects embedded instruction about mobile group collaboration, blogs, microblog hashtags, photo and video uploads, and aggregating posts into an online publication. . .  His public school education has prepared him to be a productive learner in the 21st century.”

Image via CrunchBase

In the other scenario, Jessica attends school in a district where “all personal devices are banned. The firewall blocks many sites that would be appropriate for secondary students because the district maintains the same settings for all K–12 learners. . . . Jessica’s K–12 educational experience will fail to show her how the tools that are ubiquitous in the real world—personal devices and interactive media—can improve productivity and make her a more independent learner. In her 12-year academic career, Jessica will be offered precious few lessons in digital citizenship and ethical use. Any 21st-century preparedness Jessica develops will occur in spite of, not because of, her K–12 education.”

Take a look at your acceptable use policies.  Are they based on trust?  Do they allow the user access to critical modern day tools?  Public libraries must be able to prove to their taxpayers that they provide essential services.  If your policies are too restrictive, that is a difficult case to make.

Why Support Your Local Library?

A wonderful site called StateStats has created an amazing infographic.  Statistics illustrated include:

• unemployment rates
• libraries providing internet access
• libraries providing help for students
• decreasing library budgets
• advantages of free library services
• and MORE!!

Do check it out.

Funding (Photo credit: HowardLake)

Library as Post Office–A New Opportunity for Partnering?

 

Mail box (Photo credit: Mark Sardella)

So perhaps you’ve heard about a new initiative from the United State Postal Service called the Village Post Office (VPO) program.  It allows businesses, convenience stores, and libraries to offer limited postal service. “This lets the town keep its zip code and offers the most popular services, including collection, stamp and flat rate packaging sales.”

What do you think of this?  I have seen discussions comparing this to the IRS discontinuing mailing income tax forms.  While many libraries have continued to provide forms, others display large signs:  “NO Income Tax Forms Available Here.”  I know that offering income tax forms involves work, and takes up space.  But, although I’ll get flak for this, I still believe it is an important service to our users, and allow libraries  to make the case that they are providing essential service for the taxpayers, and should be supported appropriately by their municipality.

The VPO initiative seems like an even better proposition to me.  What taxpayer doesn’t want to see a post office remain in their community?  And the Postal Service will train the library staff, and reimburse the library.  Apparently 113 public libraries here in Wisconsin received letters from the USPS inviting them to “bid” how much it would cost them to take part in the VPO program.  And “The VPO contract says that it can be cancelled at any time with 30 days written notice with no penalty.”  Sounds good to me, but your mileage may vary.  If you are interested, or approached, think it through.  Does it fit with your library’s mission?

Related articles:

• Leighton Twp. Library becomes a village post office
• Food and Stamps @ Your Library

Can we Save Public Libraries?

 

I recently posted about how libraries have changed and improved, and my feeling that although library funding may be threatened in the current economy and political climate, we must not allow them to go backward.

 

Yesterday I encountered a post espousing the same point of view, but much more eloquently:  Nine Reasons to Save Public Libraries.  In keeping with my post, she cites the War on Women as well.

 

The impetus for my post was my upcoming class reunion, which had me thinking about the public library I worked at while in high school.  While in my hometown over the weekend, I had the opportunity to visit and photograph that library.  The photo was also posted in Facebook, where, happily, several of my classmates commented on it:

 

• The library is where I spent many happy hours with Mary Poppins, the Borrowers, and countless others! For me, the library is a special, magical place.
• I spent many days in the summer checking out stacks of books and reading incessantly. I used to read with a flashlight under the covers…my sisters were ready to kill me. Just couldn’t put a book down!
• Spent hundreds of hours there- Nancy Drew, and so much more…waiting for Dad to pick me up after my piano lessons.

 

So, may I venture to say, 40 or more years ago, or today, libraries “are still the place where we as a nation will achieve our destiny.”  It is up to us to make sure that libraries don’t suffer, now or in the future—and that they are still around for the generations that follow us.  Please let your voice be heard.

 

Photo © 2011 ForLibraries,  Flickr.   http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

 

Hiring the Best

writer’s block – crushed and crumpled paper on notepad (Photo credit: photosteve101)

I’ve got writer’s block today.  I’m also currently involved with helping a public library system conduct their search for a new director.  These two facts combined lead me to share with you to a couple of blogs that I refer to regularly.  Both share a wealth of information about workplace leadership and management, including hiring tips.

AskAManager is maintained by the amazing Alison Green.  Read this blog (and the helpful comments on each post) because well, in Alison’s own words:  “I think about management and hiring and systems for getting things done pretty much constantly. And I’m bossy, so I like to tell you my opinion. So if you’re not sure what the hell your manager is thinking, or how to ask for a raise, or whether you might be in danger of getting fired, or how to act in a second interview … ask away.”

Fistful of Talent contains “daily insights with a trace of attitude and snark” from an “all-star collection of HR and recruiting practitioners.”

Check ’em out!

Libraries of our Pasts

In my last post I talked about the public library I worked in while in high school.  Over the weekend I had the opportunity to take a walking tour of my home town, and the last stop was the library.  I just had to share:

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby (Let’s not go Backward)

As I celebrate my 40th high school class reunion, the early 1970s are much on my mind.

The public library of my youth, the library I worked at after school and on weekends, has come a long way.  The building is larger and is accessible by those with disabilities (I don’t think there was even an elevator in the 70s!).  There are computers and a web page.  There are databases available both inside the library and remotely.

Computers (Photo credit: Valley Library (Oregon State University))

My hometown library is not unique.  Most public libraries have come a long way since the 70s.  But given the current economy, and the movement to lower (or “hold the line on”) taxes, I worry that public libraries will now go backward, and some may never recover.

At this same time, as a woman who came of age in the 70s, I can’t help thinking about the Women’s Rights Movement.  But just as I worry about the effect of the current climate on libraries, I worry about its negative effect on women.

Say it with me, for women and libraries:  Hell no, we won’t go back.  We can’t.

Listen While They Rant

I do seem to blog about communication and listening a lot.  But I do because it’s so important.  Communication is so central to being a good human being, a good friend, a good worker, a good boss, a good spouse. . .   You’d think more of us would be good at it. But we’re not.  I’m not–but I’m aware of my shortcomings and I do strive to do better.

So when I read this post about listening, I knew I had to share it with you.

Listen, Understand, Act (Photo credit: highersights)

Communication means that someone sends a message and it is received and understood.  In order to do that, the person receiving the message must LISTEN.  Too often we are forming our own response when we should be listening to the full message.  So try the 7 Rules of Listening, and see if they work for you.  And add more rules of your own.  My favorites are 1 (Don’t interrupt) and 4 (Use open body language.)

But perhaps my favorite part of the whole post is the part about a “rant date.”  Sometimes a friend or colleague just needs to rant.  And you just need to listen.