Porphyria’s Lover BY ROBERT BROWNING

It feels like rain…

The rain set early in to-night,
The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,
And did its worst to vex the lake:
I listened with heart fit to break.
When glided in Porphyria; straight
She shut the cold out and the storm,
And kneeled and made the cheerless grate
Blaze up, and all the cottage warm;
Which done, she rose, and from her form
Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,
And laid her soiled gloves by, untied
Her hat and let the damp hair fall,
And, last, she sat down by my side
And called me. When no voice replied,
She put my arm about her waist,
And made her smooth white shoulder bare,
And all her yellow hair displaced,
And, stooping, made my cheek lie there,
And spread, o’er all, her yellow hair,
Murmuring how she loved me — she
Too weak, for all her heart’s endeavour,
To set its struggling passion free
From pride, and vainer ties dissever,
And give herself to me for ever.
But passion sometimes would prevail,
Nor could to-night’s gay feast restrain
A sudden thought of one so pale
For love of her, and all in vain:
So, she was come through wind and rain.
Be sure I looked up at her eyes
Happy and proud; at last I knew
Porphyria worshipped me; surprise
Made my heart swell, and still it grew
While I debated what to do.
That moment she was mine, mine, fair,
Perfectly pure and good: I found
A thing to do, and all her hair
In one long yellow string I wound
Three times her little throat around,
And strangled her. No pain felt she;
I am quite sure she felt no pain.
As a shut bud that holds a bee,
I warily oped her lids: again
Laughed the blue eyes without a stain.
And I untightened next the tress
About her neck; her cheek once more
Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:
I propped her head up as before,
Only, this time my shoulder bore
Her head, which droops upon it still:
The smiling rosy little head,
So glad it has its utmost will,
That all it scorned at once is fled,
And I, its love, am gained instead!
Porphyria’s love: she guessed not how
Her darling one wish would be heard.
And thus we sit together now,
And all night long we have not stirred,
And yet God has not said a word!

Libraries and The Powers That Be: A Call to Action

In the past few years, I have sat in on the hiring committee for about a dozen library positions. I have interviewed with scores of (frankly) fantastic people in the field of library science and information technology.

One of my go-to icebreakers with which to gauge a candidate’s overall philosophy on librarianship and futurism is, “what internal and external factors do you think will affect librarianship the most in the next 5-10 years.” 

Invariably, I learn something new from this question and feel satisfied to glean information from the perspective and research of others.
Typical answers have included: 
eContent, budgets, hands-on education/learning, the Internet of Things, DRM, attracting users into the library’s physical space, outreach, user-driven content collection and transitioning from a Boomer to a Millennial staff.

What I rarely hear (or think of myself) is the role of librarians to act as advocates for meaningful representation in academic, municipal and national bodies. 

The single, unchangeable factor that will continue to influence and direct the momentum of libraries is the representation of our users. 

The library of tomorrow so decidedly depends upon the government of tomorrow. Any other factors will be filtered by the select few chosen to speak on the behalf of our patrons.

So what should we be asking of this select group as a profession? We spend so much time and effort determining the various hats we wear in our day-to-day work we often forget to assess what those in power should be expected to know.

How can librarianship establish and foster a reasonable understanding of archival science, literacy, life-long learning, copyright, social-economic trends, return-on-investment, public safety, preservation, dissemination of informational resources and political economy of our represented bodies?

Are we as a profession working for standards by which business can be done for the people on a well-informed basis? 
For example: 

Should elected officials initiate through a lib guide process similar to incoming freshmen or at the very least a tour of each library branch in their purview?

Should council minutes and expenditures undergo a rebirth of transparency and laser-like focus by the hand of librarianship?

While I cannot and would not speak for any parties involved, I must admit watching the St. Helena (CA) city government/council meltdown has been a stark prompt to consider our accountability to ensure representative’s accountability. 

Even as an outsider, it appears that steps have been taken in clear contradiction of what is best for the citizens, their clearly expressed interests and generations of their work and support for their community library.

Again, watching the recent use of libraries in Ferguson and Baltimore and so many other cities demonstrates how much meaning libraries provide. 

Each Google alert, blog post and newspaper article on these places depict an awe of the concept that libraries still provide a place to go to experience systematized equity, safety and access.

However, poor decisions and shoddy practices are affecting libraries at this moment and will impact us in 5-10 years. Our fear of rocking the boat has left us (and more importantly our service communities) in a perpetually precarious position. 
So this is my small call to action. Beyond forecasting the influence of decisions by the powers that be on libraries, let us connect resources to tip the table in the direction of our users rather than special interests. 

In library school, let us promote civic action and encourage engaged association membership. Let us prepare our librarians for push back, marginalizing and scape-goating 

As a profession, let us address how deep must we step into the stream of our micro and macro democracies to observe, improve and report ordinance, stewardship and transparency as we empower citizens to do the same.

Minding the store is such a large task to add to our increasing responsibilities but I’m optimistic it is already happening and that it is a conversation worth sharing.

Summer Summary

LeakyCon Lit Track

The excitement of meeting Maureen Johnson, Kazu Kibuishi, Laura Halse Anderson and Malindo Lo will stay with me for a long time. Seeing John Green again, with the chance to compare his exchanges with readers against his interactions with his librarians from ALA, gave insight into his work outside writing and the immensity of the Nerdfighter community. Some of the most enlightening panels (besides my own Sherlock panel where we spent an hour considering what Moffat has in store for us next) covered fandom and fanfiction.

In Defense of Fanfiction with Nika Harper took an often derided or polarizing topic and broke it down to its essentials. This valid and increasingly indispensable form of expression influences popular culture, develops the modern exchange of storytelling and can fine-tune writing as authors work toward publication. School Library Journal printed a notable article Fan Fiction Takes Flight Among Teens in August which mentioned LeakyCon, Ao3 and OTW. The online book community represents a range, imagination and diversity that tradition book distributors are finally seeking and desperately in need of achieving. 

Friendship Through Fandom 2.0 with MASK (Massachusetts StarKids) offered programming ideas for librarians to engage various fan cultures and allow teens and new adults to explore their interests in a safe environment. Their panel games could be easily applied to programming for library users. Embracing fandom and correlating its context with fiction will be a remarkable reader’s advisory approach in the near future. I’m looking forward to more conversations that diametrically juxtapose fandom and advisory skills.

• Fandom Powerpoint Icebreakers
• Fan-Fic Mad Libs
• Tumblr Tags
• Name-That-Cosplay

Iowa Library Association Leadership Institute

I recommend applying for the ILA Leadership Institute to anybody. (Folks, from other states should even try to sneak in. It’s brilliant!) This group is entirely comprised of intelligent, driven library professionals. I’ve taken away so much from the experience. Learning to lead can be tricky. Applying the experience of others, resources and tools from this training and the guidelines to learning is a balancing act. Learning to lead is a lifelong process.

Change is an unceasing theme to library sustainability, services and leadership. Embracing change and leading through change are two aspects that I’m reading more on and trying to gain acumen. Maureen Sullivan, 2012-2013 ALA President and Organization Development Consultant, has led each carnation of the ILA Leadership Institute. Her poise and fluency taught leadership through example and gave us even more understanding of the work we were accomplishing together.

Maureen’s Guidelines to Learning is an effective tool to keep yourself and others focused and to level the playing field on team expectations and community. I printed and framed the Guidelines and take them to meetings with me.

1.) Participate

2.) Practice Active Listening

3.) Expect, Respect and Work With Differences

4.) Focus On The Future and Possibilities

5.) Assume Self-Responsibility

6.) Maintain Confidentiality

New Adult Literacy

During PLA 2014, ConverStations began dialogue about New Adult Library Services among the profession. New Adult Fiction with Kelly Jensen and Sophie Brookover (which was also an excellent panel at ALA 2013) and EchoBoomers in the Library with Mallorie Graham and myself asked colleagues to acknowledge a generation of individuals with characteristics not conducive to library use and challenged for the creation of engagement, instruction and literacy for them. 

Inside Higher Ed published an essay this month on why English departments should embrace YA Literature and asks for a less murky or egalitarian definition of Adult Fiction. Hurray! Other professions are picking up momentum for readers in their 20s and 30s.

The Globe and Mail just posted Fast-Selling “New Adult” Genre Vying for Shelf Space in Book Stores informing readers how “new adult or NA was born out of a casual mention in a call for manuscripts sent out by New York-based publishing giant St. Martin’s Press in 2009. But the throwaway term caught the attention of the online book community and, finally last year, recieved its own Book Industry Standards and Communications (BISAC) code, which assigns genres to books so that booksellers can more easily place them in sections.” By publishing standards, the New Adult genre has come into its own quite quickly, which may be a direct result from the commercial power and paradigm-amending community of online storytelling, story-sharing and story-swapping.

This conversation is fascinating to me and we are continuing to support library users from all demographics and experiences in the best ways we can. This week we created Non-Fiction Book bundles display called “Design Your Future: What Will You Do?” of hand-picked to appeal to New Adult library users.

 

 

ALA Annual 2014

#ALAAC14

Library Services by Hadrian

“Brick by brick my citizens, brick by brick.” — Roman Emperor Hadrian

When he was responsible with the monumental task of building the Roman Empire, Hadrian offered these words to Romans to teach them not to focus too much on the big picture but rather look at it in a way that it can be accomplished simply brick by brick.

This is the approach that the Active Library Services Team will be taking. By breaking tasks apart brick by brick we hope to accomplish the numerous and various goals that support and enable library services for our users.

 

*Team building is a tried-and-true method to wriggle middle management and bottom up change into a work culture. No more procedural tweaking sneak attacks, no more staff waiting for answers, no more exclusion and/or legitimate feelings of exclusion.

Three new teams will focus their efforts to evaluate, strengthen and expand access to users and usability for staff.

MEETING ROOM TEAM

Objective – Provide a variety of meeting room options in the role as a community gathering place for informational, cultural and educations purposes to promote life-long education.

Action Items –
1. Create access to room reservations for users and staff
2. Showcase library equipment and spaces to their best potential
3. Document room/equipment usage
4. Generate funds for preservation & expanded services
5. Develop uniform and engaging marketing and signage for equipment and spaces
6. Form on-going team to evaluate and update services as needed
7. Maintain meeting space and equipment procedures
8. Provide feedback for biannual Meeting Room Policy updates

 

*I think bringing together new and more experienced ideas to the manual team will prove helpful. Library procedures need to be consistent but flexible enough to connect with users during unique situations. Changes with technology, access, as well as our budget and operations occur so frequently it can be difficult remembering where we “officially” left off.*

Help staff help themselves. When it comes to procedural manuals- update early, update often.

LIBRARY SERVICES MANUAL TEAM
Objective –To create a functional reference for staff on library services, expectations and active service resources in the form of a Library Services Manual.
Action Items –
1. Create Youth Services Procedures manual
2. Update Help Desk Manual
3. Update Customer Service Manual
4. Merge manuals into one functional resource for staff

 

*Creating uniform branding/marketing for a library may seem like a small thing. But, the vectors, logos, messages, press releases, graphics, resolutions, and communication to develop a constant message can add up quickly.*

There’s no shame is creating a team to hammer out ALL the “small” stuff.

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS TEAM
Objective – Provide space for the distribution and display of the literature for not-for-profit organizations if it is informational in nature or is promoting educational, cultural and/or recreational activities open to the public.
Action Items –
1. Develop Community Board procedures
2. Develop Jobs Center Board procedures
3. Create Signage, Digital Signage, Directional and Collection Signage uniformity/procedures
4. Display Case and Book Display procedures

I’m excited to work with my coworkers on these tasks.

They are an amazing and caring group of people who bring so so much to the table.

I may have to break out team t-shirts!

 

City Limits

Our library is working as part of the City of Burlington’s PRIDE Committee. As a committee of City department members, we are bringing back a city employee newsletter as well as several initiatives to connect and grow together. I’m really looking forward to meeting new people and learning from their experiences.

I’m super excited to volunteer as the editor and designer of our newsletter, City Limits.

Here is our first publication:

CITY LIMITS July 3

LEGO Swag @ ALA

Stopped by the LEGO Booth at ALA to talk about LEGO Librarianship.

One of the guys is a follower and they were super sweet and hooked me up with some swag.

Ultimate Spider-Man LEGO Set

Spider-Trike vs. Electro

Simplify the Work Environment: Kindness

As a Millennial, I am aware how unusual it is to stay in one workplace for longer than two years. The characteristics of the modern work environment and the values of my generation make moving on a natural step. The longer I don’t move on, the more I am susceptible to professional ennui. As a women, I am at an even higher risk to burnout before I’m thirty which has been attributed to personal and professional factors in most studies.

When I think about my retired colleagues, those fortunate enough to build long careers within the walls of a single institution, the kindness of their environment is a common factor. My former supervisor thanked us for many years of “warmth and kindness” during her retirement party. Another coworker recently wondered if she would find “the same kindness” when she moved on to different pastures.

Kindness is a very economical revolution. The more you invest the more is returned. Four of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem and self-actualization deal directly with kindness.

However, studies, and common sense, suggest when people become burned out, they are actually not feeling caring and compassion at all and that the pressure to express these emotions is just another load on top of them.

As a supervising librarian, I can’t come in with a one-hour workshop that forces employees to act in ways that are inconsistent with their needs. It has to come from a place of authenticity, or at least cultural internalization, not something employees are complying with because it’s what I want.

So, I created a short, informal list (for myself) of what to start doing and what to stop doing to simplify my work environment and to instill kindness as a professional.

START DOING THIS:
Help more often. When you observe a coworker is in need or has a heavy work load, offer to help them. A crowd-sourced assignment can be executed more efficiently and provides an opportunity to connect. Even when you are busy, take respite and comfort in your ability to support others.

Email compliments. Add a compliment to the next email you send to a coworker. Acknowledge their hard work and effort and thank them.

Use pleasantries. Applying niceties such as “thank you,” “please,” and “good night” and holding doors open for others implies that you care about your coworkers and were not, in fact, born in a barn.

Welcome newbies with open arms. Genuinely welcome new staff and actively seek their advice on workflows and processes by a month or two into their employment. Fresh eyes see new things.

Listen. Sometimes, coworkers just want to be heard. If a coworker needs to share, make the commitment to be silent and to listen. *Listening does not obligate you to engage in gossip or confidential business matters, it simply makes you an available ear.*

Look for strengths. Challenge yourself to stop taking the easy way out by spotting a coworker’s weakness. Instead, look for their strengths to fully appreciate their worth and contribution to the team.

STOP DOING THIS:
Gossiping. Even if you’re the only staff member people can look to for a sense of professionalism, the gossiping buck needs to stop with you, right now. Gossip is workplace poison.

Jumping to conclusions. Your coworkers deserve the benefit of the doubt. Frankly, you deserve the benefit of the doubt you give them in order to work happily and productively along with your coworkers.

*Remember to apply Ockham’s Razor, the principle of parsimony, economy, or succinctness used in problem-solving devised by William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347). It states that among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected. Other, more complicated solutions may ultimately prove correct, but—in the absence of certainty—the fewer assumptions that are made, the better.*

Petty criticism. Yep, you work with humans as equally flawed as you happen to be. The country’s entire workforce is comprised with WWIPs or walking works-in-progress. Stop whining and sweating the small stuff.

Chronic bitch face. CBF can grow downright epidemic during employment crises, apathy and division. Find a mirror and discover how your smile could actually light up the world for an entire week, if you would just let it.

Revolutions can start overnight but it takes determination for the goal in mind to see them through. Kindness is a very important aspect to sustaining worker’s engagement and finding personal peace in your work environment.

I plan to give kindness my professional all.

 

Simplify the Work Environment: Communication

The Active Service team has me thinking about simplification of the work environment. Our profession invests much time to expedite and clarify library processes for our patrons but internal simplifying is commonly overlooked. One of the key concepts of active service, and I believe simplification, is communication.

Deloitte University Press recently published study findings in Global Human Capital Trends 2014: Engaging the 21st Century Workforce, suggesting 44% of employees are not ready to handle information overload. Staff communication needs are growing and expectations are evolving into always-connected, 24/7/365 connectivity, or what the Atlantic termed “hyper-employment.” My realistic hope is to use supportive tools to support staff and eliminate stress as this trend continues .

Some thoughts:

1. Structure all communication. Emails, memos, and exchanges should always convey why and what this means to the employee points. When communication is part of the planning process for each new project or initiative, knowing the why and what this means to the employee can be articulated clearly and consistently.

2. Speak earlier. Reduce negative consequences for failing to engage employees by talking about processes at their conception. Early information gives employees options and information rather than forcing them to make up answers. Even before a solution is found, early information should be given with a practical date of complete disclosure.

3. Communicate more often. Prosci’s methodology says key messages should be communicated seven times to be effective. Communication should be viewed as a process rather than as an event. Time is an investment of communication.

In 1960, Maxwell Maltz published the book Psycho-Cybernetics concluding a timetable of the formation of habits. Maltz theorized that habits can be developed within 21 days. Recent research suggest that learning new policies, adopting new practices and growing employee buy-in usually takes 66 days.

4. Consider your voice. Employees have preferred senders of communication especially in times of change. Middle managers and leaders should be vetted during projects for their communication skills. How you communicate matters.

5. Timing is important. Communication (emails, texts, voice-mails, etc.) initiated after 5pm or on weekends (even within working hours) sends a message to employees that they are expected to be on-call, and that they work in an environment of hyper-employment. If you can make it work, drop communication when employees are not physically expected to be available.

I plan to kick around these thoughts some more and adopt simplification practices into my daily responsibilities. I anticipate that practice and flexibility are essential to simplifying the 21st century workplace.