About his library system: Hartford has been circulating video games for over 10 years; {more info on kids services} sneak in the learning (educational games and puzzles); American Girl Dolls (phantom collection — 113 of them; are always all out); STEM, Little Leapers take home science kits; Learn, Explore and Play kits (LEAP); Give them a robot (programming) — Finch robots; Innovation Lab; a lot of new things are being done at HCPL. Guinea pig, test a lot of projects for companies.
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”
Thinking…. please wait image — things to keep in mind
- Celebrate success — celebrate good things
- Public recognition {recognize what staff are doing for library and community}
- Brag about your bad self — Library Value Calculator
- Analyze and assess — make sure you’re doing things smarter; have to know what does and doesn’t work. Can’t just throw projects at the wall and expect them to work in your community
- Own Your Failures AND Your Successes
- Paralysis by Perfection Must Stop
- Failure = data gathering; Failure is not the problem, it is just another result; it is what you DO with that result that determines future success {don’t print your email}; Thomas Edison and light bulbs.
- After each thing, ask questions:
- “What Worked and Why?
- What Didn’t Work and Why?
- Assumptions Did/Did Not Hold Up?
- Helped/Didn’t Help Make It Work?
- Bang for buck or ROI?
- Duplication or do it again; who can do it better than us? Type of info/container is irrelevant. We’re in the service industry — we care about things being done properly.
- Will It Make a Difference?
10 things:
- Weed yourself and your library’s services; to do something new, you have to give up something in order to do it; if you can’t give something else up to something new, it’s not worth doing. Plan what you want to do in a year for services.
- Mission Critical not Mission Centric — focus shouldn’t be shatter-shot, one time services.
- Grab a Partner — it’s all about partnership and collaboration. lifting a 50 lb box with a second person. Have others do work for you, as long as the work gets done properly.
- Collect the Evidence — assessment. emerging services need fact-based evidence; sunsetting service through apathy.
- Make Your Staff Look Good — be as supportive as you possibly can be for your staff
- Say Yes to Yes! — no shouldn’t be first answer out of your mouth.
- Leave Room for Miracles — staff should feel free to have time to innovate and excel without constraints, for serendipity. If staff is stressed, serendipity won’t happen. Doing More with less is poppycock & creates more stress on staff. Do best you can with what you have.
- Own Your Failure — it is a result; it is not you did bad. And Don’t Let Failure Stop You
- Your Peers are Your Friends — not competition; can do stuff together you can’t do on your own. Don’t make yourself crazy at work. Keep yourself sane at work.
- TTWWHADI Must Die “That’s The Way We Have Always Done It”
Tips reiterated:
- Weed Yourself and Keep to Your Mission; Strategic Plan; Long-range plan — go back to that again and again
- Dance with CSI:NEKLS {partners}
- Proof is in the Pudding: Gather the Evidence
- Make Your Staff Look Great At Every Chance — brag about staff, not you
- Yes is the right right answer
- Leave Room for Miracles — don’t overwork
- Doing More with Less is not desired
- Own and Learn From Failure
- Work with Peers and Partners {Parthers — are we awake! :))
- Who’s Awesome? You’re Awesome!
We are important, vital, and centers of our communities.