Working on a Growth Mindset

Pixabay image

I was struck by a 2015 post on the InformED website that Stephen Abrams linked to on cultivating a growth mindset.

It wraps into much of my thinking as someone who feels like a day is a lost cause if I don't learn something new - about the profession, about myself, about the world (both locally, regionally and globally), about how others experience the world. Learning is what I do.

Sharing that learning is also what I do. I have been teaching and sharing through classes, lectures, presentations, mentoring, informal chats in hallways, linking people to people, (more recently) this blog for more than thirty years.  We are lucky to be in a marvelously connected profession where we can celebrate all the ways of knowing and providing services.

Over all that time my thinking and consideration of youth work has grown and changed as I have absorbed far more than I shared from my reading, listening and attendance at conferences.

Most recently, I was struck by the learning that went on at the ALSC Institute in Cincinnati. Sessions were focused on research and on "how I run my library good". The research was bracing. The practical sessions included not just the triumphs but honest assessments of the rocky path there - the obstacles, fails and solutions that made the project or plan truly work for each community.

A key to this conference is that it really is all learning all the time - not just in information sessions -and provides ample time to connect with and meet many new people. Because the Institutes are located in areas that ALA conferences never come to, it is an extraordinary opportunity to meet library staff from the regions surrounding the conference and learn a ton. I came knowing very few people and left knowing lots of new colleagues that I met during breaks, at receptions, at meals and sitting next to me at sessions. It's exciting not just to hang out with people you know but to reach out and include everyone.

That personal learning is powerful especially at a conference whose theme was diversity and inclusion. My take-aways included learning about links to inclusive programming; the importance of identity in programming, and sharpening my eye in terms of decolonializing book selection and my work in making sure I do this. It made the closing session a painful reminder of how there is much work to be done here and I need to be part of that work in my sharing and learning.

Growth mindset. Learning. A sense of and a re-commitment to: "We can all do better".

The Power of Youth People in Associations!

We are just wrapping up our WI fall library conference. Our Youth Services Section board and volunteers (the street team) is always a vibrant, supportive, welcoming presence.  They not only promote and provide interesting program content, but also social opportunities for any youth folks who attend and games and activities to engage youth folks at their booth in the exhibits.

This year they played a secret game that I found out last night was called "I Saw Marge". Attendees got a small picture of me and needed to secretly take a picture of me (and themselves) displaying the little picture - all unbeknownst to me. I was spending most of my time shadowing our current association prez and working with my 2018 conference chair to begin plans for next year's conference when I'm prez. And chatting of course.

Typical stealth photo with a clueless me

A bunch of my 772 students spoofing the prof ("We want a pix with you!")

When all was revealed at the YSS social and R-Rated storytime last night, it was both a hilarious and touching moment. To me, it represented one of the quintessential reasons why associations (especially state associations) are so important: they bring like-minded library advocates together in real time to meet, develop friendships and move librarianship forward. And in Wisconsin, a vibrant Youth Services Section does just that.

I would never have run for president of WLA without the nurturing, support, wisdom, leadership opportunities, networking, brainstorming power of YSS and my YSS colleagues. They have problem-solved, promoted, created meaningful and fun opportunities to participate for youth folks from every size library. My work on the YSS board, as YSS chair, as a volunteer taught me a ton and made everyone I ran into a valued friend and colleague. It launched me into serving n assocaition wide committees and boards.

YSS is a vibrant part of the association. They regularly nominate colleagues as the Librarian of the Year. Just in the last 7 years, 4 youth librarians have received this association-wide honor (hurray Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, Elizabeth Timmins, and this year's winner Leah Langby) out of a total of 12 youth librarians who received the honor since its inception in 1956. 

YSS gives members opportunity not just to learn but to provide content of the learning.  YSS hosts state-wide webinars (co-sponsored by systems who provide the platform) to feature the expertise of members; writing for our blog YSS Shout-Out; involving them in sharing program content in the Early Literacy Calendar, 52 Weeks of YA Programming and soon to be published 12 Months of Coding Programs. 

And YSS is recognized as a vibrant and integral part of the larger Association. Our WLA exec director and finance director attended our YSS business meeting yesterday and were blown away by the can-do problem solving around increasing membership of the association as a whole.

So I hope that in your own states, you step up and join your associations and create leadership magic, IRL networking and support for everyone in your state. I know it is expensive. Maybe you can cut out one eat-out meal a month or two barista-made coffees monthly to afford it. Maybe you can set aside $10-20/month in a savings account just for membership dues. Perhaps you can suggest a family member give you an assocation membership for a holiday or birthday. Better yet, talk with your board/administration and point out the REAL benefits that happen with association memberships (legislative lobbying power; learning; leadership; a chance to share and gain expertise) and seek their support.

Associations need the mightiness of youth services folks. Together, we ARE stronger!

I Learn Every Day

I've always felt that if I don't learn one new thing every day, it's a wasted day. As I've grown older, I would have to up that learning paradigm to 10 or more new things daily. In the last year, the last few months and weeks, the learning has accelerated even faster.

Learning isn't always joyous. It can also be painful and difficult. But I believe it is a lifelong process and commitment. It is in the smallest of details, the largest of grand schemes and, most importantly, in the everyday work and personal lives of everyone I meet, everyone I read, everyone I hold dear and every stranger who is unknown but knowable.

I have had many opportunities to learn this year - from students in my classes; from librarians on the front line in the small libraries in the system that I serve as youth consultant in; from proteges, peers and mentors in the library field; from those who are struggling - and fighting - to make sense of gross injustice and insensitivity based on their gender, color, beliefs and identity. Learning inevitably leads to action and to constant changes and growth in my world view.

While I teach, mentor and share, I also listen, read and learn from so many others. I will always be a learner and a seeker.

As I reflect on this learning, I also want to express my gratitude for those who teach me. You make me better. Thank you.

Where Do We Learn?

Of course everywhere.

On social media, through blogs and in social media groups.

Through mentor-protege relationships - whether informal or set up through ALSC or a state association.

Image Pixabay

Through our libraries - in fact this post is inspired by Katie Salo's library asking staff to teach each other about their areas of expertise. Wow, libraries of the world, do this thing! Wouldn't it be great if every library cared to make sure all staff knows what all staff work is about?!?!

Through attendance at state and national conferences - both inside and outside the library world.

Through webinars and online classes like our state's continuing series of webinars with panels of practitioners at libraries large and small; formal CE credit courses through SLIS schools and our statewide Wild Wisconsin Winter Web conference with 10 national speakers.

Through attendance at workshops outside our usual territory - and often relatively nearby. In the past month, four of our YS team have attended three different seminal, breakthrough, slaying-sacred-cow seminars on shaking up summer reading programs around the state. While we already push the envelope in this area, we are inspired by other's stories, experiences and support. And we drove to learn more!

Through reasoned discourse like that going on here and here.

Through conversations with colleagues in the library, patrons and kids.

All our learning, all our sharing (we each have the power to reflect on and teach each other) pushes our practice and grows our understanding. No matter where we learn, we can't help but get better.

Our opportunities are everywhere. Carpe perceptum!!

Thing 1 and Thing 2 = Empowerment

Hafuboti expresses what everyone feels in the CE class

Two things are happening that make me happy and excited and proud and want to run in circles of OCD happiness (I am controlling myself).

Thing 1.
I am teaching an online CE course for UW-Madison on issues in youth library management. In the description I lay out the narrow set of issues we can address in a four week course - some good stuff but by no means ALL. THE. THINGS. I also, as in all my CE classes, made it known that this isn't a guru-to-grasshoppers paradigm: "The course will be collaborative as you share your experiences and ideas that have worked in managing your youth services area."

Bless the participants. They are taking me seriously! In our first week, over 300 posts flew back and forth. Questions, answers, ideas, sadness, happiness, problems, solutions, thoughts and support, support, support for each other. It is clear that a community of practice is budding. We are all learning a ton. And I think we are all learning to be unafraid to put our thoughts and fears out there. The graphic in this post is from Rebecca Brooks who blogs at Hafuboti. It's her meme on how she feels about wanting to jump in. That's what I'm talking about!

Thing 2.
Our state youth library consultant, Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, is deservedly being named Wisconsin Library Association Librarian of the Year in a few weeks. Right there that is a Thing 2. It is very rare to have a youth person win this award and it makes my heart very happy.

Happier still, though, is what brings Tessa to this award. In just 2.5 years on the job, she created a statewide initiative, Growing Wisconsin Readers, that supports early literacy throughout our state with ready-made materials. She planned a Youth leadership Institute in 2013 that brought non-MLIS children's librarians together and gave them information and power that have made these people mighty. She has created shared system workshops and powered a new look at youth statistics that honors not just active programs and SLP statistics but all the ways we program and bring children to literacy.

But best, best, best of all??? Tessa has been a mighty person who has given voice and power to youth librarians (whether MLISed or not) throughout our state. She has empowered staffers from our smallest libraries to share their amazing work - through blog posts, through invites to present at statewide conferences and as part of webinars. She has opened the door and invited everyone through. As she says, "You're only leading if you're extending forward as much as you are reaching behind and pulling up others."

Word.

Real World Here We Come...

Abby over at Abby (the) Librarian has a great and supportive post about what she didn't learn in library school. Book learnin' and learning on the job are two very distinct animals and each has its own special place in our development as wonderful librarians.

Graduate school - or working with incredible mentors and co-workers - helps give you the framework, the philosophy, the underpinnings for library work. But the day-to-day is where we all learn the tips and tricks as we work with families. Each day we help them discover the wonders of the library and they teach us how to be the librarians they need us to be. It's the real world that fills in the spaces and places and makes us better, wiser librarians.