Interview Part 2
The first 5 questions of Brittany’s interview were last week; this week we finish up.
- Would you call yourself a leader? If so, how did you develop those skills?
Yep, I think I have been a leader ever since I began teaching years ago. It is just part of being “in charge”. I have an intense personality, but as far as leadership skills go, I do not think they fully developed until I started my family. I have a strong since of responsibility and am a rule follower, so, watch out, if I think you are going astray, I am probably going to let you know. I am sure, that more than anything, being a mom has had the greatest influence on the desire to get all of the ducks in a row.
- How do you motivate people to accomplish tasks – to work together for the good of the organization?
I will go back to that idea of “belonging”, it is very important to feel that you are a necessary part of the larger picture to feel vested in a good outcome. Micro-managing and passive-aggressive criticism are the best destroyers of a good work environment.
- Can you describe where the library fits into the larger community or organization?
I feel like there are an abundance of wonderful community organizations and businesses in our county and when we can form collaborations we are all in. I like to think we are part of the hub for the county, the school, churches, and us, places to meet and feel like a member of the community.
- How does your library communicate with the greater community that you serve?
Communication is probably one of the most aggravating parts of running a community building/service. I only say this, because I constantly hear, “I didn’t know that.” I write a weekly article for the local papers, it is mostly an opinion piece, but I include upcoming events at the end of each one. I email various groups with library interests; book club, farmers’ market, volunteers, etc. We have a strong Facebook page and website. We share our programming with the local radio station. There are signs and promotional displays for various events and activities at the building, including a digital slide show that runs by the circulation desk. Our board minutes are shared and published by the local newspapers and events are posted weekly on our card catalog.
- What do you do to stay on top of developments and trends in libraries?
I am a member of MPLD (Missouri Public Library Directors). We meet twice a year, have an active list serve that is used to share information with one another, the State Library shares multiple webinars yearly with us, and since COVID happened we have been doing Zoom meetings monthly. I also attend the MLA (Missouri Library Association) yearly conference and try to add in national conferences periodically, including PLA (Public Library Association) and ARSL (Association for Rural and Small Libraries). I also follow a library-programming page on Facebook and when I travel, I like to visit other libraries.
I really enjoyed answering Brittany’s questions, hopefully you have enjoyed them also, next week I will be back with my “normal” bookworm/rants and raves.
Upcoming Events: 9/22 Story Time at 10am, 9/23 Board Meeting at 5:15pm, 9/27 MOCO Cancer Warriors at 6:30pm, Adult Reading Challenge has started and runs through October 30th, swing by the library for more information