Do you get caught up in the goal-oriented, stats-oriented, what-can-we-accomplish-next part of your job? I certainly do, so this past December, I took the Youth Services staff meeting (ahem, party) to the next level, adding in a look back over all the major accomplishments of the past year.
We always have plenty of fun at our December meetings, included a white-elephant gift auction, pot-luck lunch and a Secret Santa-type gift exchange. In 2013, we did a food theme for the gift exchange, but most of us (except for those lucky few, grr!) are watching their weight, so my colleague came up with the idea of socks for 2014. It was awesome—I got peacock feather socks and socks with books on them!
This year was the first of what I hope will be many “let’s celebrate what we have accomplished” themed meetings.
I created an “Annual Report” type document replete with pictures and fun quotes, printed it up big and taped the sheets up around the room. It took me about 3 hours from start to finish, and I wondered along the way whether it was worth it. I wouldn’t have been able to tackle it without the Board Reports I do every month (I knew those would come in handy someday). And I wouldn’t be able to do the Board Reports without the Monthly Updates I ask my staff to submit, which miraculously, they do!
When I had everything interesting and noteworthy culled from the Board Reports all together in a document, I saw that everything fell into these categories:
• Our Space
• Community Partners
• School Partners
• Our Staff
• Program Highlights
• Summer Reading Club Highlights
• Technology Ups & Downs
• Summer Reading Highlights
Here’s a sample of one of the pages:
Next year, it might be an electronic slide-show or it might take a different format. But watching my staff as they looked at all we had accomplished this year all together, and remembered things that seemed like they were from ages ago, and pointed things out to each other, made the few hours I spent on it totally worth the effort.
Let us all know what you do to remember and celebrate accomplishments at work!
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Shelley Sutherland wrote this piece as a member of the Managing Children’s Services Committee.
The post The State of the Union, er, Youth Services Department appeared first on ALSC Blog.
I really like end of the year lists - great books and materials; accomplishments; even adventures my friends have experienced - from the craptastic to the truly profound. I seldom have any round-up though.
For those of you who have met me, you know that I am starting to get, ahem, up there in years. So thinking back over the year to remember exactly what book I've read, accomplishment that got accomplished or place I've been has become blurrier than it once was. I am mindful of my mom who sweetly went into dementia and can only hope that I can follow that mellow path rather than my usual cranky one. So indulge me a bit while I write a holiday letter to see if I can keep track.At the library, we kept an ongoing list of new, good stuff. A few team highlights:Library Star 2nd grade tours, high-energy field trips targeted at every 2nd grade class were developed, funded and were a huge mega-hit.
Reading is Key Club, a successful stealth program for tots was developed to encourage use of lots of collections besides Picture books
Partnered with pediactrics clinic for Reach Out and Read, a long-held dream
Introduced ECRR concepts into monthly Childcare Provider CE Meetings
Sunset the CD-rom collection
Started a Juvenile illustrated fiction - for 3-5th graders
Redesigned our Play, Learn, Read area into a more friendly, usable space for tots.
Added internet terminalsin the Teen area - now they have their own space
All in all we made some good progress. We tried some fun new programs and are looking forward to more experimentation there. Had some highs; had some lows. The team did good.*****************************************************************************In my professional life this year, I tried some new stuff too: Twitter and Pinterest; ALA Council and our WLA board of directors; National Legislative day; served on the brand new South Asia Book Award and the ALSC School Age Services committee; traveled out of state to KS for two weeks to present SLP workshops there and taught an online graduate SLIS class. It was very stretchy and good for me to try LOTS of new stuff..*****************************************************************************On the blog front, Blogger happily keeps my stats and tells me things. This year, on the very same day last week, I hit 100 followers and 100,000 hits. Holy smollies. Thanks for reading the blog! I have met amazing people through this venue and it has been fun to be able to think, chat and rant with you all. I look forward to more of the same next year! Have a great holiday season!
Next year, it might be an electronic slide-show or it might take a different format. But watching my staff as they looked at all we had accomplished this year all together, and remembered things that seemed like they were from ages ago, and pointed things out to each other, made the few hours I spent on it totally worth the effort.
Can you tell us a little bit more about your high-energy field trips for 2nd graders? We host groups at our library - sometimes 50-70 kids at a time. Usually an entire grade level from a school will come for a field trip all together. I'd love to hear what you do to make your field trips such a mega-hit!
You can read more about how we do the tours here: http://tinytipsforlibraryfun.blogspot.com/2012/02/peeking-behind-scenes-at-library.html
Also check out Bryce Don't Play blog for additional info. Sara was project manager on these and did an awesome job!