Obstacle or opportunity: It's your choice!

Presenter: Pamela MacKeller, The Accidental Librarian
Slides here

Librarians can spread the word about...
Basics of libraries and librarianship
Your library’s mission
Your community’s information needs
Planning, planning, planning
Mission/Vision/Goals/Action steps (When new tech or other ideas come up, you’ll know which will help you meet your goals)
Designing goals to meet needs
Where the library is going
Funding projects with grants
Removing barrier thinking

What happens when we see mostly obstacles
Disengage at work
Staff become negative
Valuable members quit
Customers are turned away
Negative marketing starts (lists of what you can’t do in the library)
Neglected or forgotten webpages/wikis/mySpace
Technology doesn’t work
Obstacle-drive organization
Discouraged, disengaged, unproductive, negative staff

How we frame or perceive reality is our choice; we can flip negative into positive.

Since you can create your own reality, why not choose to focus on opportunities.

Presenter shared examples of librarians working to create opportunities
Fulfills community needs
Goal/purpose driven
Multiple partnerships
Multiple funding streams
Break out of the librarians don’t do that paradigm

Challenges: lack of support from town leaders or board members, small town thinking,

Overcoming barriers
Stay committed
Think big
Strive for a purpose or goal
Stay in your power
Keep trying
Be fearless
Don't listen to criticism
Just jump into it
Believe in yourself

Choose opportunities
First have plan, vision, mission
Know library’s goals
Know community’s goals
Be brave
Believe in yourself
Go for it
Stick to it

Five steps to changing your mind

1.Evaluate your own outlook

2.Identify the problem
What negative thoughts about work go through mind regularly?
Which must you face to change your attitude?
Write down one attitude to readjust or pattern to change?
What resources do I need to change?

3.Decide to change
Outlook is the result of the choices we make
Your outlook or attitude is not permanent
You can choose to change
You cannot change someone else
People can change only if they want to change

4.Develop a guiding principle
Know where you’re going
Write statement of purpose
Change is fun when you know what you’re aiming for

5.Take action
Do something to support your guiding principle everyday
Do something out of your comfort range
Encourage others
Believe in yourself
Change negative vocabulary
Set yourself up for success (use tech to meet a community need, do something that will make a difference, use free tech tools, take free webinars, read, try something easy, have fun, do something that doesn't require lots of time or staff, be flexible, loosen up, spread the word about your successes)