Libraries Build Communities

I’m at ALA in Anaheim this week and while I’m here I’m meeting with J. Michael Jeffers, the new editor-in-chief of ALA Editions about the book and about this project. I met Michael a few days ago over dinner with a large group and I’m very excited to get to know him a bit more and work with him towards (final) completion of my project.

In preparation for my meeting, I opened the the first chapter of my book in Google docs this morning and re-read that first chapter.

My very sincerest thanks today go out to Patrick Hogan for giving me the gumption to take that first *real* step towards completing this work after such a difficult winter and following.

Turns out he was right: I *am* almost finished.

I still feel a little like I’m not quite myself. I have reentered libraryland slowly since my sister passed away, my latest visit (to OCLC) another round of audible, tangible extensions of support from my colleagues there. I love it, I’m so grateful; it’s also hard. One of the hardest things for me to track during this time is who I have talked to, what I have on my project list, and within what schedule I am working on them. Similarly, I can’t always remember how to behave, or should I say, how I “normally” behave, when I’m talking and working with those I see and interact with daily. The only way to describe it really is that I still feel a little like I’m walking through jello, or at least an intense fog, just about all the time.

Meanwhile, when things happen, big things, sometimes I react strongly, more strongly than usual, like when my friend and colleague Liz Kellison announced she was leaving WJ for fantastic new job at the Gates Foundation. I burst into tears on the spot and had to leave work for the rest of the day. And then other times I don’t react at all, like when my friend and mentor Marilyn Mason announced she was retiring. I just sat there and looked at her. I think we talked about her grandkids. Either way, it’s just not like me, and it makes me feel highly abstracted from myself and my work experiences.

Why am I saying all this? Well, today was one of those days. We implemented a major reorg, the first time I’ve been through anything like it, at WebJunction this week and although I am very certain that we did the right things and that we did them the best possible way and I’m even proud of the entire team for the thoughtful input and care literally *everyone* put into the process, I still feel, well, sort of numb.

But wouldn’t you know it. Something saved the day.

First, the background. I posted this sweet little post over at BlogJunction about shoes and community building (what else!):

Second, I noticed this delightful little comment (but thought to myself ‘hm. wonder what they mean by that):

Third, today, I finally click the link to find this perfect little online community gift:

And so I leave my desk tonight with a smile on my face and a big old thank you to library land.

this is what i talk about on twitter:

my colleagues at WebJunction published this wonderful article about Rachel MacNeilly’s fabulous children’s programs at the Mission branch of the San Francisco Public Library. they kept my name on the article because I met Rachel last fall, was so impressed with her work in the branch, and blogged about it here back at that time. this article is based on that post.

let’s give credit where credit is due: rachel (herself), along with jennifer, emily, and tim at WebJunction made this wonderful success story much better than i could have done on my own. here’s to collaborative writing, and editing, and all other forms of contribution!

connect

image: ecstaticist
tagged by: helene
tagging: blogjunction

I am very, very excited to have been invited to keynote the Country Public Libraries Association of New South Wales‘ Annual Conference the last week of July and then address the State Library of New South Wales the first week of August.

The conference theme is “The Power of Place” and I’ll be speaking about community building and libraries, and the connections between all our community building efforts, whether they are “inside, outside, or online” (as they say). Enormous thanks to Pam and Deanne for inviting me, and for working with me thus far on settling all the related details. I am very honored to visit Australia, to learn more about libraries there, and to share what I’ve been learning about community building and libraries in my work on the topic thus far.

Oooo. I just can’t wait! Thank you!

Many thanks to everyone again for the love in email, twitter, facebook, and comments here on the blog. Rose’s service will be held from 2 - 5pm Saturday April 5 in the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle. Due to their proximity to the memorial date, I’ve decided not to attend PLA nor CIL this year. I still may make it out to a few spring conferences, and if I do, I’ll let you know. I definitely hope to be back in the swing, and see many of you, at ALA in California this summer. For details on the memorial … Read more »

it has only been a few weeks since i last wrote. still, i opened my computer this morning and you wouldn’t believe the dust. as i type the number keys are still covered; i moved the screen away from the light so that i wouldn’t see the dust there. getting up and finding something to clean seemed like it might distract me from my impulse to get online and type something. i figure it’s a good feeling and it’s coming at about the right time.

‘feel this’ my sister Rose says to me one day in the fall of 1998, pointing to the top of her right breast. i’ll never forget the sheer terror of that moment. ‘you need to have that checked out,’ i say to her, ‘that’s not right’. turns out it wasn’t. within the month rose was diagnosed with moderately differentiated, infiltrating, adenocarcinoma, a fancy word for a relentless and chaotic form of breast cancer. she was 21; i was 24.over the next ten years Rose traveled to something like fifteen countries, often times against great physical odds, like lungs so filled with fluid that she must be wheeled from international terminal to cab and then to hospital. in addition to travel, she completed a master of fine arts in performance art and performed in international festivals on three continents. she saved skin, blood, teeth, nails, and all manner of hospital attire, documentation, and gadgets for use in her powerful performances about body, self, and illness. just after, she completed a second masters in counseling psychology, again overcoming great physical odds in order to attend courses and defend her final thesis. two years ago she fell in love and married; making future plans for work, marriage, and family life. under the gravest duress and the most challenging of circumstance, she made her plans and kept her spirit.

Read more »

i’m taking a break from finishing the book and from the blog due to illness in my family. many of you know of my sister Rosie and her experience with breast cancer over the last ten years; she started hospice this week and i’m breaking from work, travel, projects, and etc. in order to spend time with her, our family and friends. thanks already for your many kind thoughts and prayers. i hope to be back soon to libraryland - online and otherwise.

just a quick note to say happy thanksgiving - i am very grateful to everyone who talks with me about the LBC project on this site, via email, at conference meetups and speaking gigs, through library site visits, and/or answered online surveys.

your willingness to share how you’re building community through libraries is making this work possible. (and i can comfortably say that it is now indeed a ‘work’!) thank you and happy holidays!