The next step

I'm going to try my darndest to keep up with this blog because it is a good exercise for me to keep my thoughts in order. So much has happened, which is why I have not posted as frequently as I'd like to be posting.

First off, advocacy update: we will be presenting to the higher-ups some ideas for staffing models in terms of teen services. After gathering a ton of data regarding teens in our county, I am putting together a proposal draft which will then be sent to another committee to be considered.

This is somewhat perfect timing because due to the decreased property tax and local option income taxes, we are in an absolute budget crisis meaning we are now discussing a total re-structuring of our system. It's a massive challenge for us as an organization. There has been lots of talk of challenging the "sacred cows" and figuring out what the core values are for the system. A true challenge.

I have the honor of serving on this committee as requested by the director so I will have a unique insight into how exactly a large library system is funded and managed and how these hard decisions are made.

It's such an interesting era to be a librarian. So many libraries across the country are already at bare bones services and struggle just to keep the doors open to the public. In this day and age of technological innovation, our society changes on a day to day basis and it's hard to keep up and meet the needs of our patrons.

Okay, back to taking care of business.

Bear with me here...

Well, folks, this is hard. This is really, really hard. The process I am going through is like nothing I've ever done before and as I alluded to in my previous post, I am coming up against professional challenges I never even really knew existed. I am finding I am so passionate about advocating for teen services that it is both a blessing and a curse. I love to talk to people about it and I love planning for future programs and services. However, I can't help but be upset and discouraged at what the universe sometimes throws this way.

On top of trying to stay positive, I am now finding it hard to keep my thoughts and ideas organized. I want to think "big picture" but I have to also think logistical and reality. And on top of all that, I have a branch to run and maintain. My level of professional stress is higher than I can handle right now.

Don't get me wrong, it still goes to say that I love what I do and I have never cared more deeply about my career. But it doesn't make the day-to-day stuff any easier. Perspective is so important. Motivation and Positivity are both so crucial. How do I maintain a normal and possible pace?

Now onto a completely different topic, I am very excited to see all the best-of-the-year lists that are being published right now. I'm going to work on my own at some point, though it'll be quite short and won't be limited to those published this year. :)

So many new books to read! A few I've spotted on several lists are as follows (note they are mostly kids and teen titles):

**Bray, Libba. Going bovine.
**Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone shines my shoes. I read the first book of hers and LOVED it!
**Kelly, Jacqueline. The evolution of Calpurnia Tate.

I see lists everywhere but I especially love the list that School Library Journal publishes and of course YALSA's Best Books for Young Adults of 2009.

Feeling overwhelmed

It's hard not to feel overwhelmed right now. The full scope of this project hit me like a ton of bricks today and my reaction was nothing less than paralyzing fear. We are going up against years and years worth of barriers both in and out of the system.

This picture very accurately describes what I feel like. An angry little bird screaming "listen to meeeee!" (from Daily Squee).
My current mission is to try to stay focused and positive amidst strong resistance and negativity. This is NOT something I have any skill in whatsoever. I tend to suck up emotion like a sponge. I need to find my Pollyanna hat. A very good friend of mine said "you need to become Sassy the performer." She has seen me prepare and give programs and presentations for libraries before and the persona I become is quite different from my everyday Sassy. I think there's a lot to be said for her advice. If I can somehow divorce myself of my own usual reactions and just channel the performance side of myself, I might be able to get through it without becoming negative and defensive.
Sometimes when I'm as stressed as I feel right now, I go to one of my favorite sites and believe it or not, it helps. There's not much more therapeutic than cute animals and funny quips.

A meeting

I decided to request a meeting with the head of the library system to discuss my project of advocating for support for teen services. I know that not only would she be able and more than willing to offer good advice, she would also be able to shed a little light on what obstacles I may encounter on this journey. I haven't the slightest clue of what the Library Board is up against and it will be very helpful to gain her insight on this process.

It's not until January but I'm already looking forward to it!

A long road ahead

I have now heard from 5 separate libraries about how their teen services departments are organized, how much programming they offer and how much (or how little) support they have from their respective administrations.

I spoke on the phone with teen librarians from Washington and Ohio and emailed with librarians from all over. Such inspiring conversations! They are all in very different situations with their own challenges and achievments.

What this is making me realize is just how much work needs to be done. It is such an underserved population across the board but especially so in the system I am in. I look forward to sharing ideas with our administration. We have the capacity to have amazing, innovative programs for teens and I have no doubt we will get there eventually. It's just going to take some time and everyone's favorite: change.

One conversation I have on a frequent basis with other teen services librarians is the frustration we experience when advocating for more support. It can be such a simple change from a logistical standpoint, but such a seemingly insurmountable obstacle since the inherent problem is not logistics, it's overall attitude and resistance to serving teens. It's very challenging not to get overwhelmed, jaded and completely discouraged by some of the comments people make about something we are so passionate about.

But if nothing else, we've got drive to make up for all of that. We won't be shutting up anytime soon.

With a little help from my (librarian) friends

I have now contacted 10 libraries across the country asking them how their teen services departments (if applicable) are organized. I sought these ten libraries out specifically because a) I know they have successful teen services from personal experience or word of mouth, or b) they are grouped in the same category as this library by Hennen's American Public Library Ratings or by Library Journal's Public Library Ratings by size, population, statistics, and many other factors.

These are the libraries I have contacted:

• Baltimore County Public Library (MD)
• Boone County Public Library (KY)
• Campbell County Public Library (KY)
• The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (OH)
• Cuyahoga County Public Library (OH)
• Columbus Metropolitan Library (OH)
• Denver Public Library (CO)
• Hennepin County Public Library (MN)
• King County Public Library (WA)
• Multnomah County Public Library (OR)

I still may add more libraries to the list including Seattle Public Library, Chicago, Salt Lake County and maybe more. But at this point I'm thinking the information I will receive from these libraries will give me enough data to start thinking about how we would like to organize things here.

Step 1 of....?

It has begun. I started the huge process of advocating for more support for teen services at the library. The library I work at is so incredible, I know we could be providing such amazing services for teens in our communities. Already we have several branches that provide high quality programming for teens, why don't we all? Why are there so few teen spaces?

These and many other questions have been occupying my mind on a day-to-day basis both in and outside of work. In no particular order, these are the questions I am currently researching:
How many teens (age 12-18) reside in this county?

• How many are library cardholders?
• How many of our library staff specialize in teen services?
• What is the graduation rate for our county?
• What is the drop-out rate?
• How many organizations serve teens in our county?

Another question that is just as important is how do other libraries our size work with teens? I am contacting around 10 libraries across the country and asking them questions about budget, programming, staffing models, etc. to use for this research.
This is something I am going to propose the Teen Services Committee when we have our next as something that we should potentially work on this year. In addition to the previous questions, the final and probably most important question is, what do we want? What specifically is it we are asking the library to provide? Is it just a matter of money? Is it to create positions? Is it having a strong voice in decision making? These are things we must be considering when embarking on this journey. It's going to be a very, very, very long one.
But I can say this, I have never felt more energized as a librarian and library advocate than I do right now.

A newfound interest

It's a rough time out there for libraries right now. It's rough for everyone and especially all non-profits but since this is my field, I have a particular interest in this. These are a few articles I've been reading recently in the news about other states that are in difficult situations. I'm lucky to be in a system that is not in the same dire straits as these are but we are nevertheless feeling the crunch.

California
A Critical Situation in California
Many Libraries Go Quiet as Local Budget Cuts Deepen
Grads at UCS Bash Tuition Hike


Pennsylvania
Arendtsville Library to Close
Budget Cuts to Affect Local Library Branches


Massachusetts
Cuts in MA Library Aid, Possible Closing of State Library Generate Protests
State budget cuts force end to Bookmobile

So what is my newfound interest you ask? Advocacy. Library advocacy, to be exact. I have discovered I have really enjoyed reading about what it takes to make a library run and how libraries are dealing with the current recession. I don't enjoy reading about libraries in hard times but I enjoy thinking about how it's librarians and other people in the community that often work the hardest to try to explain to the policy makers how important libraries are to our communities.
In particular one area of advocacy that I have a very strong drive for is young adult services. It is a notoriously under-funded and underserved group of library goers and most teen librarians face tough hurdles when asking for program funding, teen spaces in libraries or even teen book collections. It's a challenge but based on what I've seen just during my short time in this field, there's significant change already across the country.
It's up to us to make our voices heard. It's up to us to know what our community needs and wants and it's up to us to find a way to provide that to our communities. Libraries are at a critical point right now. We have record numbers of people in our doors with needs that the library are desperately trying to keep up with. It's not just books and research, or even internet access. It's up to us to continue the change toward the future.

YALSA here I come!

I have been given the honor of participating on the Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Committee for YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association). Library services for teens is something that is near and dear to my librarian heart and to be involved in this amazing national organization is beyond incredible. Not to mention one of my closest friends is also on the committee! One of the major requirements (besides reading a ton of books...oh how sad for me) is to attend both the American Library Association's annual as well as midwinter conferences. I've been to an ALA conference once before and a PLA (Public Library Association) conference once. It is a mind-boggling experience replete with entertainment, amazing author signings, incredible presentations, networking and all sorts of awesome. My first conference as a committee member will be next June in Washington D.C.!

On another library-related note, I have been diving into lots of graphic novels lately. Especially those written specifically for children. I've always talked up the Bone series by Jeff Smith and I've finally read the first volume. Highly recommended! It's hilarious and has a great story. Such a fun format to read in, I wish I had the talent that these authors and illustrators had. J and I sometimes talk about collaborating on a graphic novel. Or a regular book. Maybe someday. When we're retired probably.

A long time coming

Well it's been a long long time since I've posted here. For good reason I should add, but nevertheless an update is long overdue. Here are the main categories:

• Work

Work is work. Work is hard. It's a fascinating time to be a librarian. We're in a place in our country when not only is it tremendously hard to find a job, it's just as hard to keep it. We have had countless numbers of patrons needing resume help, job search help, general computer skills help, as well as filing for unemployment. There have been lots of articles about the state of public libraries and we are no exception. It's a jungle out there! We're just trying to do the best we can and trying to help people as best as we can.

• Animals

My animals are animals. They're crazy and cantankerous as always. I feel like overall Lyra is doing really quite well. I'm starting to work more with training (also long overdue) so I can try to stop her from chasing after the Monkey. He's not a fan. Sammy and Monkey are still trying to get into anything edible or slightly edible. Luckily with all the locking containers I now use it's pretty challenging for them. I'm sure they're doing their best to grow thumbs while I type this.

• Life out of work

It has been amazing being in the same city as Brainy Girl, Mooville and the girlies. Since I've joined a new sport (see below) I don't get as much time as I'd like to see them but I try to see them as much as possible. They are so much fun to have around and I can't wait to go roller skating with the girlies in their new neighborhood!
Another wonderful addition is who I now have in my life. I won't go into too many details but suffice it to say he has made me tremendously happy and as much as it pains me to say this, I'm starting to grow an interest in cooking. I tried to resist but it's hard when some of the food we cook is just so darn good!

• Roller derby!

This is by far the most time consuming of my new activities. I am completely enamored with the sport and I love every part of it! It's very physically challenging as anyone could imagine but so rewarding when I learn new skills and get to know my kick-ass teammates! I won't be bout-ready for some time. I have no idea when I'll actually start competing. My goal is to be in a bout this season but if it doesn't happen that's okay. I'll be plenty ready by next season! I've got all my gear, my name/number and doing the best I can on the rink!
Speaking of which, we do have our first home bout coming up. Email me at ridesassyride@gmail.com if you want tickets! It's $10 in advance/$12 at the door. We usually sell out so be sure to get your tickets early!
Saturday, April 18, 7pm (doors open at 6). Kids 10 and under are free. Ellenberger Rink, 5301 E. St. Clair
That's all I've got for now. I'll try to keep more up to date. I'm also going to do my best to post some pics from YumYum very soon!!

Latest in Indiana's Library news

Library bill approved by Indiana Senate

A long time coming

Well it's been quite a while since I've taken the time to post here. There's been so much going on I've barely had time to breathe. Luckily it's with things I'm very interested in. For instance...ROLLER DERBY! I'm on the team and ridiculously elated to say so. I've been going to practices but I haven't been able to purchase my gear yet (it's quite a hefty sum). However with my state tax refund on the way I should be good to go very soon. I am a member of the Circle City Socialites and the 2009 schedule is now posted. Also, if you're in town be sure to come visit us and meet the team at the Historic Melody Inn on Sunday, March 1st at 8pm. It's gonna be a rockin' good time.

I personally won't be participating in the bouts for quite a while, I have a lot of skills to learn. But nevertheless I will be at every bout cheering on the team! If you are interested in volunteering at a bout contact me and I will send your information to the team member in charge of volunteers. You'll get into the bout for free!

A lot has been going on at work as well. The Executive Committee has adopted a new strategic plan which is tweeking the way we are serving each of our communities. The economy in the shape it is, the focus of the library has turned to community partnerships and workforce development. We will be offering lots of computer classes, resume classes, job search classes, and of course all for free. There have been so many people in the library applying for unemployment that now Central Library is partnering with Indiana Department for Workforce Development to offer help with this service. A lot of people are going through a significantly hard time and we want to help any way we can.

The animals are doing well, crazy as ever. Lyra was very sick a few weeks ago and I had to shell out an arm and a leg to keep her alive. (a little exaggerating here, but she was really NOT okay). Sammy and Monkey are up to no good as always. Monkey ate the stem off of a lovely rose I recently received. At least it was organic. Sammy is still trying to find ways to break into my sealed food containers, refrigerator and dishwasher. He's such a punk. I fear that one of these days he will be spontaneously generate thumbs. I may never be heard from again if that happens.

Sigh.

Not too much else fit to report. All is well in Sassyland! :)

As if the economy weren't bad enough...

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act could potentially screw us.

Brilliant people, brilliant.

I swear I'll make a real post soon.

Yay judge!

Judge Overrules Philadelphia Branch Closings

Go team libraries!

Weird.

http://community.livejournal.com/library_mofo/1000329.html

It's hard to know how to react to this, considering it doesn't really seem that out of the ordinary based on where I work. This did not happen where I work, but I wouldn't put it past the public. The public is weird.

The last resort for any library

Philadelphia Closing 11 Branches

from Library Journal, Dec 2008

In Indiana, a Consolidation Battle

from Library Journal, Dec 2008

This is when you know it's hard times.

Dear Library Patron Who Left the Half Eaten Chicken Wing On The Bookshelf,

GROSS.

Please don't do that again.

Sincerely,

Your Local Librarian

P.S. You made me throw up a little in my mouth.

and one more thing

To the person who just wanted to know who keeps checking out that one particular book, I will NOT tell you who it is, no matter how rudely you ask me. And no, I do not care that you are the author. It does not under any circumstance give you privileged information. Ever.

So go away.

And happy holidays.

um

Dear Patron Who Is Always Here,

1) Once again, no, I will NOT type your paper for you.

2) No, I will NOT help you find a girlfriend.

Sincerely,
Your Local Librarian

P.S. Ew.