Keeping Our Associations and Units Strong

I'm over at the ALSC Blog today talking a bit about my job as an ALSC  Priority Group Consultant. But more importantly, I'm talking about the importance of learning leadership, creating sustainable continuity on committees through succession planning  - and how to volunteer to get active!

See you there!

Passing the Baton

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ALA Midwinter is always a time when I think of continuity, sustainability and how I can positively impact the health of my favorite division, ALSC. This is the time when the ALSC President-elect begins the appointments for chairs and members of many process committees. This link tells you about the process, has a volunteer form and let's you read about all the fabulous committees that are within ALSC.

My work as a Priority Group Consultant over the past two years for 11-13 committees and task forces has made this reflection at this time especially important. Keeping continuity strong from chair to chair and within the committees means a more smoothly functioning structure for ALSC. It also means that committees don't have to keep reinventing the wheel and instead can move ALSC, children's librarianship and services to children ahead at warp speed rather than turtle-pace.

We often volunteer for a committees and learn a ton and help accomplish alot together. But in my mind, equally important, is ensuring that the committee continues strongly.  How can we do that?

Chairs:
Look at committee members and mentor/support strong potential leaders who might make a great next chair or co-chair. Is there someone who is organized, meets deadlines, is able to listen as well as talk?  Do they have great ideas but also great follow-through? Do they seem willing to partner with others to get the work done? If you spot one or two people, work with them, show them the ropes and encourage them. Ask them if they might be willing to put their name in to be appointed next chair or co-chair (all appointments are done by the ALSC President-elect). Then email the President-elect and recommend that person.

Also consider people who would make committee members. Do you know people within the division who are willing to step up to serve? Do you know people especially from visible minorities within your library, system or state who would appreciate  chance to be active in ALSC committee work? Talk to them to fill in a volunteer form AND drop a note to the President elect to let her/him/them know that you have a good potential committee member for them.

By thinking beyond your term to ensure a smooth transition, you help strengthen sustainability and continuity for the committee or task force.

Committee Members:
Consider your service not only as a time to pitch in and do stuff but as a time to learn stuff - including how to step up as chair. Chairs are never left to fend for themselves in ALSC. There are often co-chairs; an ALSC office staff liaison who works with/communicates with the committee, a priority group consultant to help navigate the work and organizational structure of ALSC and an engaged board who cares about your service. You learn leadership in a safe and supportive environment.

You also can use your networks to identify potential members or put the word out for more members just like chairs can. Think about diversity, equity and inclusion as you invite people. Encourage them to volunteer and drop that note to the President-elect!

Your recommendation can make a difference in helping people become committee members or more active in ALSC. Thinking not just of yourself but of how you can encourage others to serve is a powerful way to sustain the strength of an organization you care about.

So pass the baton and lift others up through your mentorship and support!

What Makes a Great Youth Librarian?

After talking to children's librarian peers, directors, library educators and library users, I've got some ideas to share on what makes a great children's librarian.

Join me Wednesday, January 23 1-2:00 pm CST for a webinar session at the online Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference sponsored by Wisco's library systems. Registration is still open for this and all 15 webinars presented by national and state speakers.

Session description:
You know them, you’ve seen them, you may even be one! But what factors contribute to making someone a great children’s librarian? You may be surprised at both the universality of the answer as well as the specialized skills and talents that separate the ho-hum from the wowsers! We’ll look at nature vs. nurture; perception vs. reality; what top children’s librarians say are the “must-haves” and the “definitely-don’t-needs; ” and reflect on getting to greatness. Learn how you can step up your game at any time or place in your career (or, if you are a director, coach your staff) to achieve amazingness in youth work.​

Power Up Conference Scholarship Applications Due January 11

Who doesn't want a chance at a free registration at a national conference?!?!

The second Power Up Leadership Conference for Youth Managers and Staff (btw, that's all of us who work with youth in libraries; we all lead no matter where we are in an organization) is happening March 28-29, 2019 in Madison WI at the Pyle Center.

This national conference brings speakers and attendees from across the country together to explore leadership, advocacy, developing leadership skills and leading from where you are. The one and a half day conference is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in thinking about leadership and management and advocacy.

Scholarships to cover the full registration for ten lucky recipients are still open. Scholarship applications are due by January 11. Click here to read about the scholarships and access application form.

Power Up Conference is Coming!

The University of WI iSchool Continuing Education Department has opened up registration for its 2nd Power Up Leadership Conference for Youth Library Managers and Staff, March 29-20, 2019.

This day and a half conference with inspiring keynotes and amazing sessions spans two days  at the beautiful UW-Madison campus' Pyle Center. There are 18 different presentations to choose from as well as amazing networking opportunities to share ideas and learn informally with youth services leader/peers.

Speakers from around the US and homegrown WI children's librarian powerhouses will be your guides to learning.

The first Power Up Conference filled up quickly so don't delay in registering for this extraordinary opportunity!

The Importance of Being at the Table

I'm at the ALSC institute this week in Cincinnati with a few hundred sister and brother youth librarians learning a ton and meeting many new colleagues. What I love about these biennial Institutes is the concentrated sessions with plenty of time network with regional librarians who don't often get the opportunity to attend ALA conferences. There is no committee work so all our time is learning and connecting with new friends.

This year, the overarching theme is the importance of making sure we get everyone at the table. We in youth librarianship should be leaders in inclusion, equity and diversity.

The programs so far have really celebrated this concept with thoughtful reflections and stirring calls to action on identity in children's programming; decolonializing our book selection methods; demystifying advocacy; true advocacy that recognizes every child and so much more yet to come in the next two days.

I will be presenting on the importance of reaching out and being a leader in connecting community and library to benefit all kids. It's exciting to be part of the group of energetic and innovative colleagues sharing programs, thoughts and action..

The next Institute will be held in Minneapolis MN Oct 1-3, 2020. You might want to mark your calendars now for this immersive experience.

Power Up Conference - Last Call for Proposals

And now a word from our colleague, Meredith Lowe, Continuing Education Services at The Information School at UW-Madison:


Do you have ideas to share about management and leadership in Youth Services? The University of Wisconsin-Madison Information School is pleased to offer the second Power Up Conference to share your exciting ideas! The conference will take place in Madison, Wisconsin on March 28-29, 2019. The program committee will be accepting proposals until August 3, 2018.

Topics may include, but are not limited to: strategic planning, collaborations, ethics, leadership pathways, advocacy, mentorship, managing change, work/life balance, staff motivation, and innovation. Youth services librarians and staff from public libraries, schools, after-school programs, museums, etc. are invited to attend – we had 142 attendees from 20 states at the 2017 conference! More about the conference, including information about past conferences, is here

Our opening keynote address speaker is Andrew Medlar, former ALSC President and current director of BookOps, serving the New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library. Our closing keynote will be presented by Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen, Associate Professor of Library and Information Science at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Statement
The Program Committee encourages a diversity of presenters representing a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, perspectives, and voices. We encourage submissions from anyone who is interested in presenting, including students, new professionals, first-time presenters, and representatives of allied professions.

Proposal Evaluation
The committee will evaluate all of the submissions as individual entries, and how they fit within the balance of conference content as a whole. The Program Committee will evaluate all proposals submitted by the deadline using the following criteria:
• Clarity and completeness of the proposal, particularly having well-developed content and sufficient speakers to address all relevant aspects of the topic;
• Originality and relevance of the proposed topic;
• Uniqueness of content in relation to other conference presentations;
• A range of speaker experiences and representations
How to submit a proposal


Please submit a 200-250 word description of your proposed session to Meredith Lowe, by August 3, 2018. Sessions at the conference will be one hour. Please include an additional sentence or two about how this proposal aligns with our diversity, inclusion and equity statement outlined above. Note that the proposal will not be the finalized description for the conference program; the committee will contact selected proposal submitters for a final draft.

Panel presentations are accepted. All selected proposals will receive one complimentary conference registration ($300 value), which may be divided however the presenters of that session choose.

Let's Power Up Conference!

Do you have ideas to share about management and leadership in Youth Services?

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Information School announces their second Power Up conference on youth leadership and management March 28-29, 2019 and this is YOUR chance to pitch your exciting ideas for a session proposal. 

The first conference was amazing, deep, dynamic and 100% empowering. The second promises the same with new voices, content and powerful networking opportunities.

Topics can include (but aren't limited to): strategic planning, collaborations, ethics, leadership pathways, advocacy, mentorship, managing change, work/life balance, staff motivation and innovation.  Pitch a panel; pitch a solo prezi; pitch a session that pushes the envelope. Proposals are due August 3 but don't delay!

And stay updated on the conference's Facebook page.

For Director's Ears Only:10 Secret Tips to Support Youth Services

The webinar is on the books. If you'd like to see what youth librarians identified as the most important tips that directors need to be amazing supporters of youth services and youth services staff, please click here to view the University of Wisconsin- Madison iSchool CE webinar.

For Director's Ears Only - Supporting Youth Services Webinar

For many years, in hallway conversations, across meals and anywhere youth services staff gather, we have shared tales and instances in which our library co-workers have been less than...shall we say...supportive?

We all know the stories. Sometimes it is treating youth staffers as if we are children; sometimes a cluelessness about how programming is more than 30 minutes of face-to-face time (Oh the planning! Oh the prep! Oh the cleanup! Oh the energy of presenting! Oh the humanity!); sometimes the sheer inequality of disparate pay and task expectations.

It seems to me we need to get out the echo chamber of talking among ourselves. We know what we do, the value of our services and expertise and the need for equity with our peers in adult services.

Now we need to step up to leadership and advocacy by bringing the conversation to our directors, managers and administration. We need to help them understand what we know.

In that spirit, I will be presenting a free webinar for directors on Tuesday February 27 at noon CST through UW-Madison iSchool. Thanks to the generosity of peers in Wisconsin who shared their stories and Storytime Undergrounders from throughout the country who shared their thoughts, directors will have some great food for thought. I hope you encourage folks in your administration to spend an hour getting more in-depth on how everyone in the library can support youth services.

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!

2019 Power Up Youth Leadership Conference is ON!!

Great news, peeps! The uber amazing Power Up: A Leadership Conference for Youth Managers and Staff will be back. Mark your calendars for March 28-29, 2019 and join us at the beautiful Pyle Conference Center right on the UW-Madison campus for all things youth library staff and leadership.

Watch for requests for conference proposals to be out in early 2018 and registration to open in early fall 2018!

How Did You Get to Leadership?

The ALSC Emerging Leaders team is asking youth folks to fill in a brief survey to help them in studying the potential for new pathways to library leadership for youth and school librarians. Leadership for the survey is defined as the career roles of manager, director, supervisor, etc. The results of this along with other related research will be released in June by this busy team.

It's always interesting to reflect on how we get to the path we are on. While leadership can mean direct supervision of others, I have always found that too narrow a definition. In the halcyon days of my non-management early career, I channeled my leadership potential into getting active in professional associations (regional, state, and national). Those opportunities afforded me a powerful path not only to leadership but to a strong peer and mentor network that still sustains and supports me (and pulls me up short when I gallop off in a bizarre direction!).

One question that I enjoyed thinking about in the survey is whether, at this time, I had achieved the leadership/management position I wanted.

I was totally, YES!!  I now work as a part-time consultant and part-time educator, teaching both CE and grad courses for UW-Madison SLIS...all after retiring from an exciting, inventive, sometimes challenging full-time career as a front-line children's librarian/manager.

In my young-itude I dreamed off having a great career with kids and staff. Check!

I also dreamed working with others to make a difference in children's librarianship and my communities. Check!

As I got older, I dreamed of being a consultant and mentor - supporting and helping other libraries and getting the great gift of being able to learn in return. Check!

In my secret heart of hearts, I dreamed of teaching at a university grad level. I developed workshops, webinars and presentations but never believed I could have that opportunity - until the stars aligned and I thought of a CE course and pitched it. That first CE course birthed others and resulted in teaching at the graduate level in SLIS. Check!

It occurred to me that all those dreams were ones I actively turned my path towards and acted on. So what I dreamed and visioned came true - in small part because I walked a path towards them and in large part because I was supported and nurtured along the leadership paths by organizations and colleagues who believed in me.

Lots of people believe in YOU too! What paths will your leadership take? I can hardly wait to find out!

And the First Ever Power Up Conference is a Wrap!

via GIPHY

Yep, that's how I feel about it! What a debut for a national conference addressing youth library leadership and management issues! From it's humble "Let's do this" in the summer of 2015 to its hatch last week, it was a magical process and result. As consultant to the conference I had an inside view and high hopes.

The aim was to have a national conference to support those both in - and aspiring to - library management/leadership. It was to have a conference with content given by and helpful to attendees and presenters from all sizes of libraries; a conference that would take us beyond "Library 101" sessions to content that stretched out all who came; and a conference that would appeal not just to in-state folks but to library staff across the country.

Thanks to our amazing UW-Madison SLIS CE conference leader Meredith Lowe for guiding and coordinating this conference every step of the way. She was the might behind the well-planned and executed event. And mighty as well - powering through despite being sick at the conference itself.

Thanks to our main speakers, Gretchen Caserotti and Deborah Taylor, who set the tone and inspired us throughout the conference. Thanks also go to the many speakers from all library sizes, from all age/experience groups and from teen and children's backgrounds who created sessions that rocked our socks off: Elizabeth McChesney, Bryan Wunar, Amy Commers, Lora Siebert, Leah Langby, Alea Perez, Katie Kiekhafer, Jenni Francham, Sharon Grover, K.T. Horning, Allison Tran, Jennifer Weeks, Amy Koester, Alicia Woodland, Krista Riggs, Shawn Brommer, Kevin King, Renee Wallace, Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, Brooke Newberry, Lara Lakari, Erin Shaw, Lori Romero, Kristen Bodine, Mel Depper, Claudia Haines and Darrell Robertson. 

Thanks to the CCBC who hosted a delightful reception on Thursday evening so attendees could explore the legendary CCBC book examination center, chat and enjoy nibbles.

Thanks to UW-Madison SLIS who, in celebration of the Wisconsin Idea, offered ten full registration scholarships to WI library staff.

Thanks to the Pyle Center for a great venue - delightful food (ice cream at afternoon break!), top-notch AV and tech support, and space to make hallway networking connections a snap. The location on campus and near State St made social gatherings easy peasy.

Most importantly, thanks to all who attended. The energy was electric, the sharing sublime and it was a great opportunity to get to know new folks and say hi to old friends!

Don't be sad if you missed this first conference. You can get a taste of the conference on Twitter at #PowerUp17.  Abby the Librarian posted a list of books mentioned by speakers (truly "reading wildly!"). There will also be handouts and slidedecks shared on the main conference page in the next month or so,  so check back. 

The hope is that the conference will be offered again in the future (it would be a biennial event). So think spring 2019 and keep an eye out for a proposal call in early 2018.  

Power Up Youth Leadership Conference - Let's Go

Registration has opened for the first ever national youth library leadership conference for youth staff and managers: Power Up: A Conference on Leadership for Youth Services Managers and Staff.

Scheduled for March 30-31, 2017 and sponsored by UW-Madison SLIS Continuing Education Dept, the conference brings together speakers from throughout the country to address aspects of leadership and management for youth librarians at all stages of their careers.

You don't have to have the word "manager" or "supervisor" in your job title to benefit. Anyone who runs or works in a children's or teen area will get a ton of information and networking opportunities at this conference.

The conference kicks off with Gretchen Caserotti's keynote and concludes with an address by Deborah Taylor. Also featured is a reception and tour at the Cooperative Children's Book Center, a short 15 minute walk from the conference center.

Seventeen sessions packed with information from multiple perspectives and voices include: Reflective Leadership
Considering How Managing Your Collections Affects People
Determining if Management is for You
Benefits of Finding Your Programming Style
Developing Leadership Through Book Discussion
Leading a Multigenerational Team to Success
Channeling Passion into Leadership
Unconventional Outreach; Discovering Your Power
Addressing the Need for Confrontation
Leadership for Unofficial Leaders
Reaching Underserved at Small Libraries
Start Anywhere on Your Leadership Path
Managing Media Mentors

If you are a Wisconsin library staffer, ten scholarship s are available for registration.

It looks like a great conference and I hope to see and meet lots of colleagues there!

Last Call for Power Up Conference Proposals

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The sands of time are quickly running out for putting in program proposals for the exciting national conference on youth leadership and management coming in spring 2017. This is a perfect opportunity to pitch your thoughts and ideas relating to that topic.

The audience will be be both staff and managers, leaders and those who want to become more effective leaders. It promises to be a thought-provoking two days that hone in on the power that youth librarians hold!

Here are the details. But don't wait. The deadline is Sunday July 31.

Power Up: A Conference in Leadership for Youth Services Managers and Staff

March 30-31, 2017

Keynote address by Gretchen Caserotti, Library Director, Meridian Library District (Idaho)

Closing address by Deborah Taylor, Coordinator of School and Student Services, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore

Call for Proposals:

Do you have ideas about management and leadership in Youth Services? UW-Madison, School of Library and Information Studies is pleased to offer Power Up, a brand new conference to share your exciting ideas! The conference will be accepting proposals until July 31, 2016. Topics may include, but are not limited to: strategic planning, collaborations, ethics, leadership pathways, advocacy, mentorship, managing change, work/life balance, staff motivation, and innovation. Youth services librarians and staff from all over the country are invited to attend!

Please submit a 200-250 word description of your proposed session to Meredith Lowe, mclowe@wisc.edu, by July 31, 2016. Sessions at the conference will be one hour (45 minutes of presentation, 15 minutes of discussion).

Panel presentations are accepted. All selected sessions will receive one complimentary conference registration and a discount for staff members they wish to join them at the conference.

Be sure to bookmark this page to stay updated on the conference itself!

Power Up! An Amazing Opportunity

Many of you know I'm been delving into and thinking about leadership and management issues (both being a manager and being managed) over the past few years. 

So it is with real excitement that I have been assisting in the development of a brand new national conference sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Madison Continuing Education Department. The conference is titled: Power Up –  A Conference in Leadership for Youth Services Managers and Staff and will be held March 30-31, 2017 on the beautiful campus of UW-Madison.  

The UW Madison CE team has been presenting the highly successful Back in Circulation conference for circulation staff and managers for years. The Power Up conference is based on that successful concept and it’s a leadership conference that is sure to be uber-useful for youth librarians at all levels in our careers.

I hope you will mark your calendars for this amazing opportunity. I also want you to consider submitting a program proposal and be one of our valued presenters at the conference.  Here’s the scoop:

Call for Proposals

Do you have ideas about management and leadership in Youth Services? UW-Madison, School of Library and Information Studies is pleased to offer Power Up, a brand new conference to share your exciting ideas! Gretchen Caserotti, Library Director at Meridian (ID) Library District, is kicking off our conference as the keynote speaker. The conference will take place in Madison, Wisconsin on March 30-31st, 2017 and will be accepting proposals until July 31, 2016. Topics may include, but are not limited to: strategic planning, collaborations, ethics, leadership pathways, advocacy, mentorship, managing change, work/life balance, staff motivation, and innovation. Youth services librarians and staff from all over the country are invited to attend!

Please submit  a 200-250 word description of your proposed session to Meredith Lowe,  mclowe@wisc.edu,  by July 31, 2016. Sessions at the conference will be one hour (45 minutes of presentation, 15 minutes of discussion).  Panel presentations are accepted. All selected sessions will receive one complimentary conference registration and a discount for staff members they wish to join them at the conference.

I’d love to see lots of youth librarians throw their hats in the ring to share thoughts on leadership and management and doing great youth services work. Bookmark this link for information about the conference now and in the coming months. And feel free to contact me if you need more information or want to bounce ideas at lochwouters at gmail dot com!

Wow! Carla!

I am so excited to see Dr. Carla Hayden nominated for the Librarian of Congress by President Obama. Not just because she is a librarian, an African American, a woman. But also because she started in her long career as a youth librarian.

We are contemporaries. Watching her work in ALA, become ALA president, take on more and more leadership roles in her career always got me excited - a children's librarian was doing all the things! It was something that always made me proud and convinced me of the potential for amazing leadership that youth services folks have.

I wish her luck in the confirmation process and hope we see the day that she becomes our Librarian of Congress. Carla, you go!

Thoughts on Board/Committee Work

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Our new  2016 Youth Services Section (YSS) board for the Wisconsin Library Association met recently in our first in-person retreat (maybe ever!). To start us off during an afternoon of brainstorming and reflection, we took the time to learn about our responsibilities as members of a statewide board.

I volunteered to guide the group through our responsibilities as board members. As the YSS rep on our WLA board, I've developed some knowledge on how our association and unit work.  I've also thought alot about the reasons that group work like board work, committee work and even group projects and staff teamwork can be so hard.

Depending on the circumstances, some people consider their service a step up the ladder of fame; some people let others do all the heavy lifting; there always seems to be one or two who appear AWOL much of the time; people lose the thread of continuity and make up stuff; guidelines or bylaws or org manuals are ignored. I could go on but we've all been involved in group work and can share a horror story or two.

It doesn't have to be hard.  But I think before we say yes to a board or committee, we need to consider our responsibilities to the group. Here's what I suggested make for stronger group work on a board level.

KNOWLEDGE

·       Get to know website, blog, organizational and leadership manual - we will be smart;  we won’t get lost in myths; and we can use our knowledge to contribute to wise decision making.

COMMUNICATION

·        Be an information sharer –not hoarder  - make sure the chair knows what is happening as well as other board members on projects we each work on; consider how to let members of the organization know what the board is doing through unit newsletters and/or social media (blog, FB group, Google community, etc) as well as through state library networks like system workshops or other communities. Be transparent.

      Communication and sharing ideas/opinions critical - step up at board meetings and participate even if we feel shy or hesitant. All opinions and contributions are vital.

TEAMWORK

Strong teamwork results in amazing results - what can we each add to push youth services forward. Volunteer to help or recruit others to help in moving services ahead.

You are not alone  - other board members offer amazing support system to help us be successful and do meaningful work. Ask for assistance.

Make your dreams come true - what projects do you think the organization's members would benefit from? Suggest and work towards them! And look for organization members to help you (rather than just board members) to give meaningful work to recruit for leadership.

Step outside of  your unit and get to know other association members and committees (our tribe is great but we get more done the larger our networks are).

LEADERSHIP

·        Servant Leadership  - How do we serve? Serving our members as a board member with a big picture view rather than our own own narrow interests or expertise areas means we serve the organization and not ourselves.  Leading from behind by offering a hand up and a shoulder to stand on for sister/brother board members and unit members makes everyone feel strong.  Thinking of ourselves as a true representative of all unit members and not just service as a personal step up a ladder.

·      Own your leadership role - when at meetings at the our libraries, in our systems and community, don’t just intro ourselves as "So and so from such and such library" but also as board member  of our unit or association.

·      Encourage membership  - we are ambassadors and our interactions with other youth serving staff invites people to participate and feel welcomed.

·       Step up to the plate  - we may need to step into a leadership position if someone resigns or leaves state. Board work has larger responsibilities that we can fill to keep the unit vital and functioning (always remembering above- we are not alone).

·       Making up missed meetings  - We all have to miss a meeting or two. If this happens, read over the minutes asap  and contact the chair to ask what WE can do. Don't consider a missed meeting as "Get out of board responsibilities" moment.

These simple approaches can really make a difference in successful board and committee and being part of a successful working board/committee.  

What else makes board work successful?  Tips welcome!

Small is Beautiful

The last few weeks have given me a chance to celebrate and network with librarians working in small libraries at two special events that reminded me again of my abiding respect and enthusiasm for those working in libraries serving small communities.

In September, I was one of the teaching facilitators for an intensive three day Wisconsin Youth Services Leadership Institute. Twenty-five library staffers involved with youth work, almost all from small libraries, were selected from over sixty applicants.

At the beginning, many felt that they didn't deserve to be called librarians because they lacked a master's degree. Over the course of the three days, through workshops on history, advocacy, leadership and more; through many individual and group conversations and expressions of mutual support for each other; and through some eye-opening goal setting, all the participants claimed their title as librarians and leaders doing great things for their communities in libraries.

Then I attended the recent Association of Rural and Small Libraries conference. I had long heard that this was one of the best library conferences out there and I can't disagree. Fifty-nine break-out session presentations; five major speakers at meals throughout the 2.5 day conference; and plenty of support for everyone to network and talk together during breaks, dine-arounds and receptions. The organizers made sure everyone felt welcomed.

I heard over and over people talking about colleagues they met from all over the country with similar situations (both triumphs and tears) and how great it was to touch base and connect. The focus on issues and concerns specific to the those working in small libraries had alot of meat for people from larger libraries and I found myself tugged between many great sessions scheduled opposite each other (eight programs per time slot!!).

Perhaps my favorite part was how many presenters were from small libraries sharing their expertise. It was great to hear new voices and ideas and perspectives and worth the price of admission. When I go to conferences, I love to hear from people working in many different library situations and my favorite panels are those that are made up of voices from multiple libraries of various sizes and regions.

As a longtime freelance storyteller in my state, I had the opportunity to go to many, very small libraries over the years. Each time I learned some new cool idea, some tip or trick, an arrangement of collections or services that was, well, completely brilliant. The creative librarians at many of these libraries became my role models, my go-to inspiration and pals.

Their work was echoed again in these two conferences and reinforces one of my deep and abiding beliefs. We are all librarians - regardless of education, all community advocates, all dedicated altruists who believe in the power of reading to change lives and that librarians from medium and large libraries have a TON to learn from our colleagues in small libraries.

Small is beautiful!