Once again we visited the Retail Marketing Expo put on by our local retail merchants' association. A quick and belated recap:
Hot topics:
Video for business
The one area where I saw more vendors than I have previously. And it's relevant to us, too - we're in a space to consider videos as part of our new branding effort, or as part of a grant. Prices were actually lower than I expected; I saw packages advertised for $1,500 - $2,000. Lots of money, but not too much to consider.
Cheap or "ganged"' printing
I thought there were more printers here this year than last year, and they were advertising their discounts pretty heavily. I was surprised, though, about how little they were able to offer in the way of information (and not just networking). I was there to actually SHOP, and I had specific products in mind, and it was rare for someone to be able to tell me a price, or even to show me a paper sample. I would have liked an opportunity to get information that I can't get from a website - like the feel and weight of a paper.
Social media strategy
As a library, we really aren't in the market for this kind of service - and I guess they knew it! Even for the simpler types of services (that we might have been able to afford), there were not many ideas for how to apply the service to a nonprofit scenario. : ) To be fair, this was the Retail Marketing Expo - I think we need a Nonprofit Marketing Expo to really meet our needs.
Overall, I'm not sure I will want to go next year. There were some interesting things to see, but frankly the "making contacts" element of this event often seems wasted on me. I might want to for for an hour or so, but not to spend all day.
Showing posts with label conferences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conferences. Show all posts
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Our Brand is Books: a VLA perspective
I always find it fascinating to listen to the keynote speakers - what sentiments does an outsider bring to a group of librarians? Steve Almond, the keynote speaker at this year's VLA conference, was very focused on the experience of reading - he exalts it as a route to imagination, as a deep and potentially spiritual experience. He contrasted the experience of reading heavily against the experience of the internet and TV - in fact he described the fact that he no longer owned a television, he descried TV and the internet as too convenient and as imagination-killers, and expressed a sense that even audiobooks take something away from the experience of reading. (I happen to agree, but it's a personal preference issue for me.) He got a little smattering of applause for saying "Books have only one app - YOU READ THEM."
He also described, with affection and nostalgia, the old, dusty feel of the stacks, the slight mustiness of books, the sleepiness of the library. I hear this often, and I remember the feeling from my college-student days: the enjoyment of the aged feeling of libraries, the sense of peace. I could see the librarians around me nodding slowly as he described, with a writer's elegance, a very old-fashioned library experience.
I thought his speech, and the audience response, was very telling. I tend to think of "beyond books" as a given of the library world, and despite my personal preference for paper books, I think that embracing digital formats will be necessary to our survival. Is this the prevailing sentiment, and applause for paper books and quiet libraries just an expression of preference? or are more of my colleagues than I realize still tied to the library-as-books idea?
This train of thought carried through to my next session, where the speaker mentioned in passing the library brand of "books." This isn't something she made up - this is the result of OCLC research, showing that most people still associate libraries predominantly with books. (Get the full report here: http://www.oclc.org/us/en/reports/2010perceptions/2010perceptions_all.pdf) It's the prevailing feeling in my library system that everyone already knows we have books, and that we should concentrate our marketing and branding efforts in other areas. The presenter of my second session made a different point. "Our brand is books," she said. "We need to embrace that." She talked a little about their "big read" program, with giant cutouts of the book they chose, and then of course book talks and programs and book reviews and lots of time on Facebook talking about the book. I can see her point. As she mentioned, people who like reading tend to love reading. Reading enthusiasts still probably make up the core of our customers. Should we be directing our efforts more towards those people, the ones already inclined to love our services? This is really a key question for library marketers.
As we search for advocates, this becomes an especially important issue. I've heard my coworkers talk about the all-important process of converting a user into a "super-user" - someone who loves the library, someone who tells their friends about their good experiences, someone who will advocate for the library when fundraising and support become issues. Will our program attendees, our computer learners, our meeting room users, speak up for us when we need them? Or do we need to tap into that nostalgia and affection, that worshipful attitude that comes from reading books?
I'm personally not ready to give up on "beyond books." We are and can continue to reinvent ourselves as so much more. And I think that the need for our own agora, a gathering place, an intellectual haven, a center of community,a place where you go to when you need smart help, is as sharp a need as my community possesses. Even past the need for workforce development, early literacy and health information, we need to recognize that education and personal development are necessary to a fulfilled life, and fulfilled citizens are necessary to a thriving community.
But as part of this, as part of transforming ourselves and our communities, it's clear that we need our roots. We can't alienate those lovers of reading, those nostalgic and passionate users for whom the library is almost a church. They are, perhaps, the heart of us.
He also described, with affection and nostalgia, the old, dusty feel of the stacks, the slight mustiness of books, the sleepiness of the library. I hear this often, and I remember the feeling from my college-student days: the enjoyment of the aged feeling of libraries, the sense of peace. I could see the librarians around me nodding slowly as he described, with a writer's elegance, a very old-fashioned library experience.
I thought his speech, and the audience response, was very telling. I tend to think of "beyond books" as a given of the library world, and despite my personal preference for paper books, I think that embracing digital formats will be necessary to our survival. Is this the prevailing sentiment, and applause for paper books and quiet libraries just an expression of preference? or are more of my colleagues than I realize still tied to the library-as-books idea?
This train of thought carried through to my next session, where the speaker mentioned in passing the library brand of "books." This isn't something she made up - this is the result of OCLC research, showing that most people still associate libraries predominantly with books. (Get the full report here: http://www.oclc.org/us/en/reports/2010perceptions/2010perceptions_all.pdf) It's the prevailing feeling in my library system that everyone already knows we have books, and that we should concentrate our marketing and branding efforts in other areas. The presenter of my second session made a different point. "Our brand is books," she said. "We need to embrace that." She talked a little about their "big read" program, with giant cutouts of the book they chose, and then of course book talks and programs and book reviews and lots of time on Facebook talking about the book. I can see her point. As she mentioned, people who like reading tend to love reading. Reading enthusiasts still probably make up the core of our customers. Should we be directing our efforts more towards those people, the ones already inclined to love our services? This is really a key question for library marketers.
As we search for advocates, this becomes an especially important issue. I've heard my coworkers talk about the all-important process of converting a user into a "super-user" - someone who loves the library, someone who tells their friends about their good experiences, someone who will advocate for the library when fundraising and support become issues. Will our program attendees, our computer learners, our meeting room users, speak up for us when we need them? Or do we need to tap into that nostalgia and affection, that worshipful attitude that comes from reading books?
I'm personally not ready to give up on "beyond books." We are and can continue to reinvent ourselves as so much more. And I think that the need for our own agora, a gathering place, an intellectual haven, a center of community,a place where you go to when you need smart help, is as sharp a need as my community possesses. Even past the need for workforce development, early literacy and health information, we need to recognize that education and personal development are necessary to a fulfilled life, and fulfilled citizens are necessary to a thriving community.
But as part of this, as part of transforming ourselves and our communities, it's clear that we need our roots. We can't alienate those lovers of reading, those nostalgic and passionate users for whom the library is almost a church. They are, perhaps, the heart of us.
Monday, October 31, 2011
VLA Conference 2011
On Friday I went to VLA. The circumstances were somewhat ridiculous - we had to leave the library parking lot in our county van at 5:45 in the morning, and I think we got back around 6:30 that evening. 12 hours of paid time for 8 hours of conference-time. I chose Friday because of "Connecting to Community" and "Measuring the Soft Stuff." (On a humorous side note: the marketing preconference was cancelled due to low attendance. Funny but also sad - I fear that people don't recognize that libraries need marketing, now more than ever.)
Here's my programme of activities and a synopsis of the sessions. I deviated somewhat from my planned agenda, with mixed results.
* * * * * *
Connecting with Community: Reinventing Your Library as a Community Hub
More practical and less theoretical than I had hoped. Spoke more about libraries in small communities, answering needs, like dental care and nutrition classes, where because of the rural community, the library served as the only point of access. Had some cool-but-standard program ideas - partnerships with businesses, work with other departments, etc. Their approach to programming is basically the same as ours.
The presenter did emphasize one firm, solid principle that everyone should take to heart - think recklessly about radical ideas.
I'd like to maybe use that "think recklessly" (or perhaps "no fear!") as part of an internal campaign to rethink our library. Right now I think that one of the obstacles towards library reinvention is hesitancy among the staff - they are uncertain of their authority, reluctant to disrupt the status quo. Big concerns: it's too loud, it's in the way, it might be disruptive, it's too much work. My answer? THINK BIG. THINK RECKLESSLY.
Keynote Speaker
Steve Almond, author of Candyfreak. Funny, engaging, a true lover of literature and therefore of libraries. A complete essay inspired by his speech (especially his impression of libraries) will follow. For now, I'll just say he's a speaker worth hearing.
Measuring the Soft Stuff
This is a two-hour workshop compressed into 45 minutes, and you can tell. A lot of stuff flew by on slides that I wish we could have spent more time on. We touched on brand management in general, library brands in particular, social media strategies like connecting on a personal basis, and the rule of thumb for online conversations (listen twice as much as you talk!)
The "measuring" part was focused pretty much entirely on social media, and Facebook specifically. But the inherent message was good:
First, set goals, and align those goals with your strategic plan. What do you want to have happen?
Second, get some measurements. (She offered some tools for doing this, mostly Facebook focused).
Third, Do something with your numbers. It's a measurement when you write down a number. It's a metric when you have something to compare it to: an expectation, a previous measurement, etc. She suggested spending time focused on statistics that can correspond to physical statistics: number of visits, questions asked and answered, things like that.
We got a good list of things to potentially measure, and I got a bit of information about a concept that's pretty new to me - the "listening post." This seems to be an online portal for keeping track of online mentions of a specific keyword - i.e. your library's name. I believe one of my coworkers is using Google Alerts, but I'm interested to see what else we can do to keep track of our presence online. I wonder if there is any way to filter by location? Mentions of "Chesterfield Library" are great, but what about tracking all mentions of "library" within Chesterfield County?
Using Quick Assessment Tools to Generate Meaningful Data from One-shot Instruction Sessions
Interesting information - academic-library focused. I went to see if there perhaps might be some relevance to computer instruction. I think the main obstacle towards implementing this strategy would be that non-students don't do homework or expect to take tests - could we get them to fill out assessments?
In terms of presentation, this was probably the best workshop I attended, mainly because the presenter had a realistic idea of how much information could fit into a 45-minute session.
Lean Library Management
A fairly basic process improvement workshop - "work smarter, not harder" - with a focus on developing a team of people to address a specific problem or inefficiency. Again, it's hard to fit much information into a 45-minute time slot.
What I appreciated most was that the presenter emphasized the importance of trust in this process. She talked about some of the reasons that people fear change, and about how those reasons boil down to trust. People may fear that a new way of doing things won't be as good as the old way, but if you get their input, they will trust the process. People may fear that they won't be good at the new way of doing things, but if they trust their organization, they won't be afraid of losing their jobs. People may fear that their input is being ignored, but if you get them on board at the beginning and give them ownership over the changes, than they'll trust that the new system is truly better. Since this was a workshop for managers, the main points were these: When your employees trust you, they will be less resistant to change. When you trust your employees, you get the full benefit of their knowledge and experience. She also mentioned that if you keep the conversation focused on "How will this help the patron?", you can probably get everyone on board.
* * * * * *
Overall, the sessions were good but not great. At no point during the day did I feel that spark of inspiration, that feeling of "Yes! This is a great idea, I have to tell everyone about this!"
In my mind I return to the math of hours. Me and one of my coworkers were both there for 12 hours - 24 man-hours at this conference. If we instead divided those between the 6 people in my office, we could all take a 4-hour retreat and talk about our ideas, our problems, our creative solutions. Next year, I think this might be a better notion.
Here's my programme of activities and a synopsis of the sessions. I deviated somewhat from my planned agenda, with mixed results.
* * * * * *
Connecting with Community: Reinventing Your Library as a Community Hub
More practical and less theoretical than I had hoped. Spoke more about libraries in small communities, answering needs, like dental care and nutrition classes, where because of the rural community, the library served as the only point of access. Had some cool-but-standard program ideas - partnerships with businesses, work with other departments, etc. Their approach to programming is basically the same as ours.
The presenter did emphasize one firm, solid principle that everyone should take to heart - think recklessly about radical ideas.
I'd like to maybe use that "think recklessly" (or perhaps "no fear!") as part of an internal campaign to rethink our library. Right now I think that one of the obstacles towards library reinvention is hesitancy among the staff - they are uncertain of their authority, reluctant to disrupt the status quo. Big concerns: it's too loud, it's in the way, it might be disruptive, it's too much work. My answer? THINK BIG. THINK RECKLESSLY.
Keynote Speaker
Steve Almond, author of Candyfreak. Funny, engaging, a true lover of literature and therefore of libraries. A complete essay inspired by his speech (especially his impression of libraries) will follow. For now, I'll just say he's a speaker worth hearing.
Measuring the Soft Stuff
This is a two-hour workshop compressed into 45 minutes, and you can tell. A lot of stuff flew by on slides that I wish we could have spent more time on. We touched on brand management in general, library brands in particular, social media strategies like connecting on a personal basis, and the rule of thumb for online conversations (listen twice as much as you talk!)
The "measuring" part was focused pretty much entirely on social media, and Facebook specifically. But the inherent message was good:
First, set goals, and align those goals with your strategic plan. What do you want to have happen?
Second, get some measurements. (She offered some tools for doing this, mostly Facebook focused).
Third, Do something with your numbers. It's a measurement when you write down a number. It's a metric when you have something to compare it to: an expectation, a previous measurement, etc. She suggested spending time focused on statistics that can correspond to physical statistics: number of visits, questions asked and answered, things like that.
We got a good list of things to potentially measure, and I got a bit of information about a concept that's pretty new to me - the "listening post." This seems to be an online portal for keeping track of online mentions of a specific keyword - i.e. your library's name. I believe one of my coworkers is using Google Alerts, but I'm interested to see what else we can do to keep track of our presence online. I wonder if there is any way to filter by location? Mentions of "Chesterfield Library" are great, but what about tracking all mentions of "library" within Chesterfield County?
Using Quick Assessment Tools to Generate Meaningful Data from One-shot Instruction Sessions
Interesting information - academic-library focused. I went to see if there perhaps might be some relevance to computer instruction. I think the main obstacle towards implementing this strategy would be that non-students don't do homework or expect to take tests - could we get them to fill out assessments?
In terms of presentation, this was probably the best workshop I attended, mainly because the presenter had a realistic idea of how much information could fit into a 45-minute session.
Lean Library Management
A fairly basic process improvement workshop - "work smarter, not harder" - with a focus on developing a team of people to address a specific problem or inefficiency. Again, it's hard to fit much information into a 45-minute time slot.
What I appreciated most was that the presenter emphasized the importance of trust in this process. She talked about some of the reasons that people fear change, and about how those reasons boil down to trust. People may fear that a new way of doing things won't be as good as the old way, but if you get their input, they will trust the process. People may fear that they won't be good at the new way of doing things, but if they trust their organization, they won't be afraid of losing their jobs. People may fear that their input is being ignored, but if you get them on board at the beginning and give them ownership over the changes, than they'll trust that the new system is truly better. Since this was a workshop for managers, the main points were these: When your employees trust you, they will be less resistant to change. When you trust your employees, you get the full benefit of their knowledge and experience. She also mentioned that if you keep the conversation focused on "How will this help the patron?", you can probably get everyone on board.
* * * * * *
Overall, the sessions were good but not great. At no point during the day did I feel that spark of inspiration, that feeling of "Yes! This is a great idea, I have to tell everyone about this!"
In my mind I return to the math of hours. Me and one of my coworkers were both there for 12 hours - 24 man-hours at this conference. If we instead divided those between the 6 people in my office, we could all take a 4-hour retreat and talk about our ideas, our problems, our creative solutions. Next year, I think this might be a better notion.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Retail Marketing Expo
Recently most of my department went to a Retail Marketing Expo, put on by the Retail Merchants Association. It was an interesting contrast to the library conferences we sometimes attend - a gathering focused on our job function rather than our industry. My boss thought it was "way more useful than all of us going to VLA." I'm not sure I agree, but I am glad I went. Here are some insights into the pros and cons of attending this event, and what we learned.
My goals: Get more information about advertising opportunities, get new ideas for marketing/advertising vehicles, make contacts that could be useful later. I know that others in my office were more interested in the networking and making contacts side.
What we gained: I got contact information for A LOT of printing shops. We do a little bit of outside printing, so this was useful information. We could see sample papers and other things that it's hard to do online. One of my coworkers was able to get several price estimates for a new type of publication we want to create. It was quicker than doing the same research over the phone and online, and it allowed us to start building those relationships.
We saw some striking and creative signage and displays, which really inspired us to think about the physical displays in our library. We're interested in getting out of the "shoestring" mentality, moving away from the "boxes covered with colored paper" paradigm, and starting to get some elegant, professional-looking displays up in our library. The catalog that we got from one display company will be endlessly useful as we explore possibilities for future displays.
We were able to talk with some companies where we otherwise might not consider their services, or where it might otherwise have been difficult and time-consuming to get cost information. For example: radio stations, Valpak, small magazines.
The downsides: I would say that about a third of the exhibitors weren't relevant to our interests (Payroll services, health care providers, "groupon" deals, credit unions) and another third were so completely out of our price range that it's unlikely we'll be able to use information from them anytime soon (marketing and branding consultants, TV stations, radio stations, app developers, event planners.)
Speakers: We also attended two "power sessions," which I think were supposed to be like a power-nap or a power-walk, with lots of oomph in a short time. The information was about what you would expect; little nuggets of info, nothing new or groundbreaking, more like a reminder and a conversation-starter.
The first session was "Taking the Work out of Networking" with Jim Roman. It was a very short session, and the speaker didn't try to fit too much information in. He stuck to a couple of key points:
- Networking is different from marketing and selling. It's about building relationships, letting people get to know and like you as a person, to facilitate doing business later (not now.) Networking is about farming, not hunting. It's a slow process of cultivating your relationships, not a matter of finding someone to pitch to.
- You only need 2-3 networking groups to find success. How do you find the right groups? Ask your best clients/customers what networking groups they belong to - rotary clubs, professional organizations, etc. People hang out with like-minded people, so if you want to find other great clients, that's a place to start.
- Begin a relationship by offering something. Take someone out to coffee, find out more about what they do and what they care about, and figure out how you can help them. Help someone three times, and they'll help you back.
The second session was about social media, and it was a little disorganized. But there were still a couple of points that stood out to me:
- Be engaging. (He actually said "enchanting", but we all agree that "enchanting" sounds too Disney.) It's not enough just to post - you should post something interesting. "Be fractious, be factual, be funny, be famous, be first."
- Content is currency. Good content means views and likes, which translate into business.
- Take disputes offline. Don't argue it out on Facebook.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
VLA 2011 Annual Conference Schedule
The VLA Annual Conference schedule is out: http://www.vla.org/?page_id=3950
With work piling up the way it is, I don't know if I'll actually be able to go, but I liked the look of several things:
One of the keynote speakers is Rebecca Kamen, a fascinating artist who explores the connections between art and science. She'll also be presenting a session on Thursday afternoon about altered book art!
One of the preconferences is about marketing. Social marketing, no less - and a good thing, too! It's time for libraries to get serious about our brand and our image. WE know that we're wonderful, and it's time that everyone else knew it too.
I see several cool and applicable sessions I'd like to attend, which isn't always the case. Conferences seem to mainly have sessions at 1) reference librarians and 2) library administrators. Ideas for programming and marketing are much rarer. But this conference has quite a few sessions that apply to publicity; in a different set of circumstances I could see myself happily spending 3 days in Portsmouth, chillin' at a hotel, going to conference events, and getting inspired.
Here's my ideal Marketing Agenda for the VLA Annual Conference, 2011:
Wednesday
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Can Libraries be sold as soap? (preconference)
Afternoon/evening: Skip second preconference about ghosts in Virgina. Bum around, blog, catch up on emails, "network."
Thursday
10-11:30 a.m.: Opening Session, with keynote speaker Rebecca Kamen
noon-1 p.m.: New Members Round Table Forum Lunch (I'm thinking of joining VLA)
1:15-2 p.m.: What Can I Do with This? Deciphering Copyright and License Notices
2:15-3 p.m.: Sustaining your Professional and Scholarly Identity in the Digital Environment
3-4 p.m.: "Visit the Exhibits"
4-4:45 p.m. Destroying Books, Creating Visions.
(Yes, this session would be an indulgence, but altered book art is so cool. Alternate session would be Advocating for Public Libraries: Online Tools and Tactics)
5-6 p.m.: Paraprofessional forum
Evening: Conference social. More "networking."
Friday
8-8:45 a.m.: Connecting with Community: Reinventing your Library as a Community Hub
This time slot is when I'd most like to have Hermione's Time Turner available - there are several good options.
9-11:30: General session
11:30-12:15 Measuring the Soft Stuff
1:15-2 p.m. Nothing good. Visit exhibits? Take a long lunch? Write a blog post?
2:15-3 p.m. Documenting the Civil War: The Civil War 150 Legacy Project
Digitization and scanning are all the rage. Better get on board.
3:15-4 p.m. Reading Images: Art Libraries in Norfolk, VA
If I make it, I hope to see you there! Conferences are important - not just for the information and networking, maybe not even mostly for the information and networking, but because they give us a chance to focus on the big picture. Details aside, just the act of getting together to discuss fresh ideas, long-term solutions and goals is incredibly valuable. In my opinion, the gain is doubled if you make time to share what caught your interest with your coworkers. If we can inspire each other, spark conversation, and get ideas flowing, we've spent our time well.
One of the keynote speakers is Rebecca Kamen, a fascinating artist who explores the connections between art and science. She'll also be presenting a session on Thursday afternoon about altered book art!
One of the preconferences is about marketing. Social marketing, no less - and a good thing, too! It's time for libraries to get serious about our brand and our image. WE know that we're wonderful, and it's time that everyone else knew it too.
I see several cool and applicable sessions I'd like to attend, which isn't always the case. Conferences seem to mainly have sessions at 1) reference librarians and 2) library administrators. Ideas for programming and marketing are much rarer. But this conference has quite a few sessions that apply to publicity; in a different set of circumstances I could see myself happily spending 3 days in Portsmouth, chillin' at a hotel, going to conference events, and getting inspired.
Here's my ideal Marketing Agenda for the VLA Annual Conference, 2011:
Wednesday
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Can Libraries be sold as soap? (preconference)
Afternoon/evening: Skip second preconference about ghosts in Virgina. Bum around, blog, catch up on emails, "network."
Thursday
10-11:30 a.m.: Opening Session, with keynote speaker Rebecca Kamen
noon-1 p.m.: New Members Round Table Forum Lunch (I'm thinking of joining VLA)
1:15-2 p.m.: What Can I Do with This? Deciphering Copyright and License Notices
2:15-3 p.m.: Sustaining your Professional and Scholarly Identity in the Digital Environment
3-4 p.m.: "Visit the Exhibits"
Since I'm not shopping for RFID systems or early literacy computers, I mainly watch for two things at the exhibits: design and trends. I pick up any literature whose design I like. I keep my eyes open for creative layouts and formats, and new ways of presenting information. And I look at the trends - how are library-focused vendors presenting themselves? What are they emphasizing? Are there any ideas - for example, interactive signage - that I might be able to take back and apply in some way?
4-4:45 p.m. Destroying Books, Creating Visions.
(Yes, this session would be an indulgence, but altered book art is so cool. Alternate session would be Advocating for Public Libraries: Online Tools and Tactics)
5-6 p.m.: Paraprofessional forum
Evening: Conference social. More "networking."
Friday
8-8:45 a.m.: Connecting with Community: Reinventing your Library as a Community Hub
This time slot is when I'd most like to have Hermione's Time Turner available - there are several good options.
9-11:30: General session
11:30-12:15 Measuring the Soft Stuff
1:15-2 p.m. Nothing good. Visit exhibits? Take a long lunch? Write a blog post?
2:15-3 p.m. Documenting the Civil War: The Civil War 150 Legacy Project
Digitization and scanning are all the rage. Better get on board.
3:15-4 p.m. Reading Images: Art Libraries in Norfolk, VA
If I make it, I hope to see you there! Conferences are important - not just for the information and networking, maybe not even mostly for the information and networking, but because they give us a chance to focus on the big picture. Details aside, just the act of getting together to discuss fresh ideas, long-term solutions and goals is incredibly valuable. In my opinion, the gain is doubled if you make time to share what caught your interest with your coworkers. If we can inspire each other, spark conversation, and get ideas flowing, we've spent our time well.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Hope and Professional Conferences
I didn't go to the Virginia Library Association conference this year. I looked at the list of sessions, and I only saw one or two that applied to my work, so I decided not to go. But I have to say I regret it - not because I missed my chance to "Program like the Beatles," but because I missed my chance to step back from the day-to-day details and be inspired.
It's important to spend some time thinking about possibilities rather than restrictions. We work for the government, so there are a LOT of restrictions, and it's easy to let the environment get you down. Indeed, some of my coworkers come back from conferences feeling depressed: "We'll never be able to do that," they say. "We'd never be allowed." But other people come back energized, and full of ideas about what the library could be. Even though we can't necessarily carry out every idea right now, they're ready to work on intermediate steps, and to work towards their ideal library.
This is a difficult mindset to maintain, but I think it's incredibly important to try. The library will always have to work within the constraints of being a large organization, and part of the county government - that's just the reality. Does that mean we should give up on every making changes and improvements? Of course not. And an important step in making change is setting goals.
It's incredibly worthwhile to brainstorm and daydream, to think about what we could do if we could do anything. Unless we know where we are trying to go, how will we know which direction to start walking? Change may be slow but it is possible, and when someone says "What would you change?" it's important to have an answer.
So let's go to the VLA conference, let's get excited about what other libraries are doing, let's talk about the possibilities. It's the only way we'll ever make progress.
It's important to spend some time thinking about possibilities rather than restrictions. We work for the government, so there are a LOT of restrictions, and it's easy to let the environment get you down. Indeed, some of my coworkers come back from conferences feeling depressed: "We'll never be able to do that," they say. "We'd never be allowed." But other people come back energized, and full of ideas about what the library could be. Even though we can't necessarily carry out every idea right now, they're ready to work on intermediate steps, and to work towards their ideal library.
This is a difficult mindset to maintain, but I think it's incredibly important to try. The library will always have to work within the constraints of being a large organization, and part of the county government - that's just the reality. Does that mean we should give up on every making changes and improvements? Of course not. And an important step in making change is setting goals.
It's incredibly worthwhile to brainstorm and daydream, to think about what we could do if we could do anything. Unless we know where we are trying to go, how will we know which direction to start walking? Change may be slow but it is possible, and when someone says "What would you change?" it's important to have an answer.
So let's go to the VLA conference, let's get excited about what other libraries are doing, let's talk about the possibilities. It's the only way we'll ever make progress.
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