Discovering Opportunities in Challenging Times: A Workshop for Librarians SWFLN May 26, 2009

1. A Workshop for Librarians
presented by
Pamela MacKellar
mackellarconsulting@comcast.net
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Southwest Florida Library Network

2. 1. Introduce yourself, your position/the work
you do, your library
2. Are you experiencing obstacles or barriers
in your library or in your work?
3. What are some of them?
4. How are you handling them?

3.  Librarian with >25 years experience in public,
tribal, special, school, post secondary
technical school libraries, state library agency
 Author
 Speaker and trainer
 Independent library consultant

4. Share what I have learned about:
 Basics of libraries and librarianship
 Importance of your library’s mission, vision and plan
 Meeting community’s information needs
 Designing goals and projects to meet needs
 Funding library projects with grants
 Removing “barrier thinking”****

5. RemovingBarrie
rs
Chapter 14
www.accidentallibrarian.com

6.  Take a closer look at obstacles and barriers
 Learn techniques you can use to change your
mind about obstacles
 Learn about opportunities for librarians
 Start on an action plan you can use

7. A Closer Look at
Obstacles, Barriers and
Challenges

8. Obstacle Exercise – 10 minutes
 Fill in as many blanks as you can on the
worksheet.
 Be honest with yourself.
 You will not be asked to share what is on this
worksheet. It is for your use only.

9. CBS News story “The Economy and Libraries”
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=47
71080n
Are you experiencing any of these things?

10.  Sometimes things have to get really bad
before we take action
 This is a wake-up call from our bad behavior
 Now we have to change
 Adversities ahead will teach us lessons
 An abundance of opportunities are surfacing

12. Obstacles are negative thinking
patterns that result from
internal or external events,
factors or circumstances

13.  Block positive thought
 Prevent you from seeing opportunities
 Intolerant and inflexible
 Drain your energy
 Cause stress, worry, illness
 Cause anger
 Block creativity
 Win-lose
 Reduce productivity
 Resist new ideas

14. When you focus on
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
you make them stronger

15. When you focus on
WHAT IS MISSING
you attract what is missing

16.  Reality is ever-changing
 If something is a reality now it doesn’t mean
it is always going to be a reality
 How we frame or perceive reality is our choice
 We can flip a negative into a positive

17. When you see mostly
and you remind yourself and others about them
over and over,
day in and day out,
year in and year out,
eventually …

19. Negative thinking
patterns are learned and
they can be unlearned.
Martin Seligman

20.  Approach a person, thing or situation
 Open to new ideas and experiences
 Broaden our resources
 People like us better
 We engage
 Coalitions are more likely to establish
 Mental set is tolerant, expansive and creative

21. Event Positive
(Opportunity)
Circumstance
Choice
Factor Negative
(Obstacle)

22. “We are troubled not by the
things of the world but,
rather, by our perception of
those things.”
Marcus Aurelius, 2nd century AD

23. “If you think you can –
or if you think you
can’t … you’re right.”
Henry Ford

24. If you can create your own reality

25. Why not choose to focus on
seeing opportunities?

26. Techniques You Can Use

29.  Learned Optimism Test from Dr. Martin
Seligman’s book
 Human Mind Project Optimism/Pessimism
Test
 Spirituality & Health Optimism Test
 Psychology Today Optimism/Pessimism Test
 Happier.com Positivity Test and Optimism
Test
 Univ. of Penn. Positive Psychology Center

30.  Learned Optimism Test from Dr. Martin Seligman’s book -
http://www.stanford.edu/class/msande271/onlinetools/Lear
nedOpt.html
 Human Mind Project Optimism/Pessimism Test -
http://www.learnmyself.com/personality.asp?p=Optimism-
Test
 Spirituality & Health Optimism Test -
http://www.spiritualityhealth.com/newsh/items/selftest/item
_236.html
 Psychology Today Optimism/Pessimism Test -
http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?i
dRegTest=1320
 Happier.com Positivity Test and Optimism Test-
http://www.happier.com/assessment.htm
 Univ. of Penn. Positive Psychology Center -
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx

33. “You and I are infinite choice-makers” Deepak Chopra

34. Natural defenses sometimes kick in before we
have a chance to think

35. Eliminate these words Replace them with
these words
We can’t We can
I don’t think I know
We don’t have enough ___ We will make enough ____
I’m afraid of I’m confident
If I will
Doubt Expect the best
It’s impossible All things are possible

36. Give what you are doing your full attention
Complete one task before going on to the next

37. Know your library’s plan, mission, vision and goals

38. Know where you are going
Writing a Mission Statement
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/2135622/samp
le-personal-mission-statement

39. “After my house burned down, I saw the moon more clearly.”
Old Zen saying

40. Notice what is right

41. Write down any opportunities you see

42.  MaintainIT
 WebJunction
 TechSoup
 Library Open Source Webinars (nominal fee)
 SirsiDynix Institute archive
 100 Free Library 2.0 Webinars and Tutorials
 Sarah Long’s Podcast
 State Library Agency/Library
Network/Consortia
 Read

43.  MaintainIT - http://www.maintainitproject.org/
 WebJunction - http://www.webjunction.org/1
 TechSoup - http://www.techsoup.org/
 Library Open Source Webinars (nominal fee) -
http://librarywebinars.blogspot.com/
 SirsiDynix Institute archive -
http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/archive.php
 100 Free Library 2.0 Webinars and Tutorials -
http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/05/29
/100-free-library-20-webinars-and-tutorials/
 Sarah Long’s Podcast -
http://www.librarybeat.org/longshots

44. Finding Opportunities

45.  Grants
 Partnerships
 Volunteers
 Outreach

46. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/wo/woissues/washfun
ding/fedfund/arra101.cfm
FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
 contains $171.5 million for the Grants to State Library
Agencies program within the Library Services and Technology
Act (LSTA) http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=2291
- an increase of more than $10 million over last year
Library Grants Blog
librarygrants.blogspot.com

47.  Be prepared
◦ Projects, plans, data, documented needs ready
 Stay up-to-date with new developments re
ARRA
 Sign up for grants alerts
 It’s about the people not the money
 Collaborate and partner

48.  Local businesses and corporations
 Local agencies, non-profits, organizations
 Schools
 Other departments in your organization
 Other libraries – reciprocal borrowing,
combined programs, collaborating on
projects
 Museums

49.  Identify jobs that need to be done
 Assess volunteers’ skills
 Match volunteer with the jobs requiring skills
 Interview and evaluate
 Consider project-based or temporary
volunteer jobs

50.  You have an audience – libraries are visible
 Reach out to people who don’t use the library
 Meet new community needs
 Tell community about your plans, projects
 Be vocal
 Market the library

52.  Leanne Hathcock
 Maureen O’Connor
 Martha Liebert

53. Digital Media Arts Program
 Fulfills need in community
 Goal and purpose driven
 Funded by multiple sources
 Multiple partners involved
 New “library paradigm” model for community

54.  Aztec UFO Symposium
 Alien Run Mountain Bike Competition
 Disney movie

55.  Aztec UFO Symposium -
http://www.aztecufo.com/home.html
 Alien Mountain Bike Competition -
http://www.alienrun.com/
 Disney movie -
http://www.nmstatelibrary.org/docs/hitchhik
er/hh%201681.pdf

56.  “Small town” thinking
 Breaking out of “libraries don’t do that”
paradigm
 Lack of support from some town leaders
 Lack of support from some library board
members

57.  Stay committed
 Think big
 Strive for a purpose or goal
 Stay in your power
 Keep trying
 Be fearless
 Don’t listen to criticism
 Just jump into it
 Believe in yourself

58.  Solution to challenging after-school situation
 Provides positive atmosphere for youth age
7-15
 Activities that help them succeed
 Funded by NYS Div Criminal Justice
 Led to more opportunities for library

59.  First have a plan, vision and mission
 Know your library’s goals
 Know your community’s needs
 Be brave
 Believe in yourself
 Be persistent
 Think outside the box
 Focus on solutions

60.  Look at your Obstacle Exercise
 Pick 3 obstacles from the list
 On the back, write 3 positive statements
responding to the 3obstacles
For 30 days
Consciously practice these 3 positive
statements when responding to the
corresponding obstacles

61.  Pick 3 things from the 10 Things Handout
 Write down what you will do to cultivate each
one
 Consciously practice this for 30 days

62.  What negative thoughts about your work
situation go through your mind regularly?
(See Self-Evaluation)
 What thoughts about your work situation
must you face to turn your attitude around?
 Write down one attitude you want to adjust or
thought pattern you want to redirect.
 Practice changing this attitude or thought
pattern for 30 days.

64.  At first try something easy
 Start small
 Enjoy the process
 Be flexible
 Loosen up, it doesn’t have to be perfect
 Spread the word about your success
 Don’t forget to look for opportunities

65. Good luck!
Pam MacKellar
mackellarconsulting@comcast.net