Winter came early here in Ohio, with an early snowfall and snow days, January-like temperatures in November and December so far (5 degrees and 5+ inches of snow as I write.) The Dark is Rising indeed. Is it any wonder that so many celebrations this time of year incorporate light? I am grateful for bright lawn decorations and candles in windows on my dark drives home each night. I love the Winter Solstice as from now on, each day will have more light. What ways do you take comfort or recharge this time of year? Does that sound impossible in a season of busyness? After a year in which just surviving can be considered an achievement? The end of the year is also often the season of evaluations and goal setting for the year to come – how do you do that when you are tired? If you are a…
Category: Blogger Managing Children’s Services Committee
Successfully Hosting a Large Event
One commonality for most children’s librarians is dreaming big. We want our communities to thrive, and we know that we have the knowledge and resources to help. It doesn’t matter if your library is large or small, don’t be afraid of a large event. Focusing on your outcomes, creating a budget, and clear communication are the keys to success. When planning, start with the end in mind. What do you want attendees to get from this event? Is it information and/or knowledge/skills? Try to drill down into the reason for the event. Once you know your outcome, it is easier to recruit and promote the event. This will also keep you on track if others try to change the focus of the event. Recently we hosted a new event which focused on connecting caregivers with early childhood resources. The only vendors allowed were non-profits and hospitals. As we were preparing,…
Feedback from the Bottom Up: Building Stronger Library Teams
Welcome to Ask ALSC, where the Managing Youth Services Committee asks leaders in children’s libraries to share their response to an issue or situation. We hope to showcase a range of responses to topics that may affect ALSC members. If you’d like to respond to today’s topics, or suggest a topic for the future, please leave a comment. Feedback Matters How do we create a culture of trust and accountability on our library teams? Traditionally, managers provide feedback to their employees, but rarely do leaders recognize the importance of receiving feedback from their teams. However, in higher education, it’s completely normal for students to evaluate their professors. Why not normalize evaluating managers at least once a year? The results of a 2022 study published in The Quarterly Journal of Economics by professors Shing-Yi Wang (University of Pennsylvania) and Jing Cai (University of Maryland) showed that when workers evaluated their managers…
Being Intentional About Celebrating and Taking Breaks
After the rush of summer programming, you and your team are probably already thinking about what went well and what to tweak for next year. But have you also made time to celebrate? Simply getting through another high-energy season is worth recognizing—although you could certainly celebrate any other accomplishments too! As someone who naturally leans toward being task-driven and checklist-oriented, building in time to celebrate isn’t always top of mind. But managing a Youth Services team has taught me how important it is to understand what keeps staff feeling appreciated, connected, and energized for the work ahead. Last summer, my team asked if they could take an hour after the Summer Reading Program wrapped up to grab Starbucks and enjoy some social time together. It was an easy “yes!” They’d already talked about what helps them feel valued, and this simple outing was low-cost, easy to organize, and made a…
Feeling Burnout? You’re Not Alone.
Welcome to Ask ALSC, where the Managing Youth Services Committee asks leaders in children’s libraries to share their response to an issue or situation. We hope to showcase a range of responses to topics that may affect ALSC members. Today’s topic is librarian burnout. If you’d like to respond to today’s topics, or suggest a topic for the future, please leave a comment.
Smile! Here Comes Summer Reading!
Summer Reading is almost here and for some who are reading this, it has already started! The last couple weeks before kick off day are often chaotic and filled with the stress of preparing for big events, numerous programs, decorating the department and organizing materials for all the check ins. Many children’s librarians are feeling lost in this mountain of work amidst doing numerous outreach visits. Here are some ideas and inspiration collected by the Managing Children’s Services Committee to get you and your staff to your kick off day …with a smile.
It’s Kindness Month!
Have you been spreading random acts of kindness this month? A small gesture of kindness can create a happy, creative, and productive work environment. Youth Services is a busy place filled with hard-working staff. A perfect place to surprise someone with a kind gesture! There is still a week left in the month. (You even have an extra leap day!) Take a few minutes to express kindness and gratitude for having each staff member on the Youth Services team. Try one of these simple ideas:
Winter Fun for All
“It’s never too early to plan for next year!” It’s a phrase often said in libraries, and while some of us cringe at the thought of “next year,” the holiday season is a great time to reflect. For nine years, we held a blow-out Christmas event. It drew 1,500 patrons to the library on a chilly night in December for trolley rides, letters to Santa, and even Santa himself. It was an event that families looked forward to every year; something that became a holiday tradition alongside cookie making and caroling. So we kept it going, right? An annual event for 1,500 people! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But the problem was, it was broken.