During one of the recent dust-ups about the worth/importance/immediacy of youth librarian's work vis a vis the larger library world (sorry, but I refuse to link to posts where the troglodyte comments are too depressing to read), one comment in particular rocked my socks off. The writer sniffed that during the time she worked as a youth librarian she had never seen anything done in an innovative way.
Wow. Simply, wow. I am never at a loss in finding youth folks pushing the envelope of innovation. Check out my blog roll on the left for just a small selection of innovators. Colleagues working at small libraries; colleagues working with tots; colleagues working with teens..I mean, really, I see so much innovation, sometimes I think my eyes will bleed, my brain will pop and my heart will bust...all from happiness, of course!
I got thinking about this when Amy over at
Show Me Librarian blogged about how she pushed her thinking forward while doing a literacy night. She liked the positives happening with school partnerships but started visioning and problem solving while out at schools. She saw new paths and blocks to build on. It is leading her to innovate and do more effective work that is simply...more...and better...and wow!
That's how innovation happens, in my opinion. You chat, you listen, you read, you reflect and when you are in a situation, you start evolving your thinking and solving problems.
R. Davis Lankes recently wrote that being a rock star librarian is getting people to question. I would posit that all innovation grows from questioning. Questioning and thinking and re-thinking and puzzling until a way becomes clear.
In the national youth services community, we are celebrating Library Journal's selection of one of our own -
Melissa Depper, she of the marvelous
Mel's Desk and a founder of Flannel Friday - as a Mover & Shaker. Her work is consistently innovative as well as foundational. She pushes the envelope and enfolds people though her mentorship and support and sharing with those around her. I am so, so pleased that she is a "sung hero".
Everyday, I watch my co-workers innovate and solve - two share what they know and discover through social media and blogs. Sara over at
Bryce Don't Play and Brooke over at
Reading with Red explore their paths to discovery. Like Amy; like Mel, they turn a clear eye and an inquiring mind to bringing service to the kids and the community. With their co-workers, I watch them invent, solve, innovate and create. Through this process their ideas - and mine - grow and change and our service evolves and becomes even better.
Innovation isn't technology. Innovation is evolution. Innovation is clearly connectivity.
Youth librarians have been pushing that innovation envelope for so long that "rock star" isn't even in the vocabulary anymore. We are all, at the least, galactic stars!
I ran into a
post from my friend Ingrid, the Magpie Librarian this week that I really adore. She talks about the process she went through as she decided to accept another position in her library system. In this thoughtful post, she considers what she should share, how she should break the news to her patrons and when she should say good-bye.
Most impressive to me is her care in taking responsibility for the decision and not trashing and burning her way out of a job that seemed to have had some tough personnel aspects. She wants the transition for her patrons to be painless and wants to make sure her colleagues left behind short-staffed for the short term get the benefit of her planning and leaving updated files and info. Her tips are so thoughtful I had to share.
In the same vein,
Jen the Youth Services Librarian's in a recent blog post revealed she would be leaving her job in weeks and shared the programs she had planned for the summer she won't be there. That is so thoughtful. Today on Facebook she posted a picture of the storytime mom and kids who surprised her with a goodbye visit. You receive in karma what you give. Both of these librarians do and will!
Image: '004/365' http://www.flickr.com/photos/29559659@N03/6010519164
What?!?! But of course you are! For those of you who remember, Gale/Cengage last year premiered a "Are You a Librarian Superhero" contest that resulted in four librarians being cartoon-ized and featured on a rad lunchbox. Well, the contest is back (sans lunchbox but still with a cartoon superhero result). Read Gale's press release below and nominate a colleague, friend -or yourself. After all, everybody is a star baby....
Farmington Hills, Mich., Feb. 27, 2012 – Gale, part of Cengage Learning, announced the launch of the second annual
Are You a Librarian Superhero? contest to recognize the often heroic efforts put forth by librarians around the country. Looking to build on the success of last year’s contest, during which over 800 nominations were received, Gale is again calling on everyone – fellow librarians, library patrons, students and school administrators – to nominate a superhero librarian who is making a real difference for their library and community. A panel of Cengage Learning employees will choose the top four superhero librarians who will be recognized at the American Library Association’s annual meeting. The winners will have a cartoon superhero character created in their likeness and, in the Gale booth at ALA, will be commemorated with cartoon figures, a comic strip and a celebration.
What: Gale Are You a Librarian Superhero? Contest. Submissions need to include basic information about their librarian – full name, library name, and most importantly, what is super about them.
Who: All public, special, school and academic librarians in the U.S. and Canada, and the patrons, colleagues and friends who believe they are superheroes.
When: Call for nominations is open February 1- March 31, 2012. Winners will be announced at the Gale booth during the American Library Association’s annual meeting on June 21-26, 2012 in Anaheim, CA.
Where: Librarians can nominate themselves or their peers by logging on
here Why: Librarians go to extraordinary lengths every day for their patrons. To celebrate those feats of greatness and encourage others, Gale will honor librarians everywhere by unmasking just a few of the superheroes among us.
Details: Please contact
Kristina Massari for more information or with questions about the contest.
Thanks to
Stephen Abrams for the tip!
Picture from Gale/Cengage's 2011 contest
I can't believe someone would say they never saw youth librarians being innovative! How bizarre. Did they ever meet another youth librarian?
I can only imagine they defined innovation in that narrow "technology way". And if they weren't able to inspire or demonstrate innovation to colleagues, their false assumption was that no innovation occurred in youth services? In any case the person indicated that they were out of service to youth and it was all I could do not to snark and say how much better we all were with that decision made!
Thank you dear Marge! Let's keep going new places together!
I'll bet that person was either in a) a creativity-stifling environment, or b) was totally not creative or innovative themselves and therefore felt the need to dismiss youth library innovation. I agree, we're better off now that this person has "moved on".
I'm with you!
It also seems to me that tech related, or not, many believe innovation has to be big and showy. I truly believe discovering a new way to set up a room for optimal storytime enjoyment or coming up with a display (like Mollie's blind date with a book) that patrons really love, is innovative. These things might not make headlines but they make a big difference in the lives of a lot of people, and that's innovation. Any time we think outside the box we innovate!
This is a great post, Marge! Keep 'em coming!
I'm with you. That's why we're galactic..maybe other-dimensional too!