Position: Children’s Librarian, Ada Community Library (September 2005-October 2008)
Working at a public library has led to great opportunities in hands-on experience in customer service, children’s and teen programming, and community outreach.
I love working with the public! This makes the challenges of reference and programming not only rewarding…but a treat.
Considering I used to avoid public presentations like the plague, I find it pretty fascninating that I look forward to entertaining an average of 80-120 children and parents of all ages every week at my “All Ages Storytime”. Alright, I’ll admit it, they don’t really come to see me, or hear the wonderful stories, but rather to see Monkey, the little puppet friend who’s personality I created a few years ago in an attempt to keep a roomful of toddlers (ages 0-3yrs) engaged. Who knew that Monkey would turn out to have fans of all ages.
Position: Youth Services Department Manager, Ada Community Library (October 2008-present)
The real challenge came when I was asked to manage the Youth Services Department in which I worked. I had to decide whether to leave the position that I can honestly call my dream job and take an administrative role in order to fill a need. It wasn’t a question of whether I could do the job, but rather a question of whether I wanted the job.
By accepting the position, I have opened the door to a new set of professional challenges and accomplishments. A few accomplishments which have occurred under my term as manager include:
- Expanding community outreach and partnerships to include local businesses (Babies ‘R’ Us), local coalitions (Treasure Valley Safe Kids), at-risk groups (English Language Learners – through the school district), and local schools.
- Re-working a collection development budget based solely on circulation stats to account for new collections, updates, increasing prices, and popular demand.
- Acquiring a full-time webmaster (see Technology)
- Creating working relationships between library departments in order to improve communication, facilitate change that affects the entire library, and improve the working environment for staff and library users.
- A much needed re-design of the Children’s Department floor plan in order to facilitate foot-traffic, work-flow, and improve collection access and the user-experience.
Although many may consider (myself included) a library department manager just another HR position equivalent to more administration and less library, there is one benefit to the job: the opportunity to lobby for, implement, and facilitate positive change.
Positive change benefits the library, the staff, and most importantly… the public!
Challenges that remain…
The most difficult challenge that I have faced throughout my experience working at the public library is what might be referred to as Tradition vs. Innovation.
Innovation within the library world is often met with fierce resistance. It is a relatively new (and often despised) notion that libraries are in competition with retail, the internet, and other publicly funded entities.
This challenge will always be present. However, I have learned that there are effective ways of dealing with resistence. First of all, it is important to explain the “why?” Although there will always be resistance to change, it happens with a little less resentment if people understand why the change needs to happen. Secondly, the best way to implement change is to lead through example. Build a strong case for innovation by showing how other environments have seen success through the same action. And lastly, be personally invloved in every aspect of change. There is nothing worse than imposing change that affects others and not yourself. Besides, being involved in every aspect of a workplace change again allows an opportunity of leadership through example.
