The State of Things

Earlier this week, we hosted a public libraries class that came for a tour and to hear about what we do here for our public and as professionals. Apart from the fact that they were really delightful, it hit me when we were talking that we really are a dynamic bunch.

I love this library. I love experimenting with new ideas and that we have the freedom to do so. I love trying to pull off really cool programs and watching people relish in the results. I love that our staff has some of their own and that they’re successful. I love that we keep adding new things and that our public is enthusiastic about it. I love that we work in the kind of city where even the City Manager has a book club. I love my management team, who really reinvented their respective departments to make them fabulous. I love that we have a volunteer program that allows residents to contribute to the betterment of the library. I love that we always look forward. I even love our new furniture.

I was toying with the idea of posting a year in review, recapping everything that happened in 2007, but somehow it didn’t feel right. Don’t get me wrong, I could go on and on about events like the one we had for Marie Antoinette, or our new AV Department. The truth is, I am always more excited about what is to come than what has been. In a library setting, resting on laurels means stagnation. We must always look ahead and strive for more.