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Mission Not-So Impossible
This blog post will not self-destruct in five seconds. When I dove into the internet pool to find a good definition of a mission statement, the one I liked best was Wikipedia’s. #irony A mission statement is a short statement of why an organization exists, what its overall goal is, the goal of its operations;…
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A Little Recognition Can Go a Long Way!
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” ~ Aesop For many libraries in Pennsylvania, and indeed around the country, volunteers are the lifeblood of our organizations. They are our community of tireless, unpaid, dedicated workers that make much of the daily work we do possible. They fulfil many of the roles…
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Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Library Services Bus
“Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.” – R. David Lankes, Director of the School of Library & Information Science, University of South Carolina “If you build it, he will come.” Any person of a certain age will recognize this quote from “Field of Dreams” (1989) starring Kevin Costner. His…
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Building on a Legacy
As we close in on the end of Black History month, which honors the remarkable achievements of African Americans, let’s pause to recognize the impact of just a few Black technology pioneers: Garrett Morgan, Marie Van Brittan Brown, James E. West, Frank S. Greene, Dr. Mark E. Dean, Dr. Shirley Jackson, Otis Boykin and Gladys…
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Inclusion Infusion: A Spotlight on Pottstown Regional Public Library
Recently, I visited the Pottstown Regional Public Library and was extremely impressed with their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts to support the needs of their community in the face of shifting demographics. During my visit, the Youth Services Department was buzzing with Spanish-speaking families seeking books for their children. Melissa Velez was interacting…
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The Importance of Basics
My favorite professional influencer to follow is Mychal Threets. He absolutely, unequivocally gets IT – the fact that the most important role of a library administrator is to build (and sustain) community within their service area and, dare I say it, beyond… … which is exactly why I have a seemingly irrational, yet deep-seated animosity…
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Considering Your Digital Presence
With the arrival of the holiday shopping season, I’ve found myself looking at a lot of websites lately. Like many people, I do most of my gift-buying online—and what I’ve noticed is that the retailers I’m most drawn to are the ones with the best websites: the ones that are easy to use, are eye-catching…
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The Power of Connection
Recently, HSLC staff members attended the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Library Association and as I reflect on our trip I keep coming back to one word – connection. Connection and, more importantly, quality connection, is an important aspect of any business and in particular the business of libraries. Networking isn’t just about collecting business…
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