Celebrating Library Wins–Even When Times are Tough（图）
2023/5/2 点击数：55
[作者] Amy Koester
[摘要] Library work can feel really tough right now.There’s no single reason，but rather a whole slew of factors:many libraries are busier than ever，or at least busier than they have been in recent years;being fully funded and fully staffed often feels like the stuff of myths and legends;intellectual freedom is being threatened at unprecedented levels;and so many libraries are dealing with increases in mental health crises in their communities，which takes a toll on those in crisis as well as those around them(including library workers).There’s no doubt about it–times are tough.
Library work can feel really tough right now.There’s no single reason，but rather a whole slew of factors:many libraries are busier than ever，or at least busier than they have been in recent years;being fully funded and fully staffed often feels like the stuff of myths and legends;intellectual freedom is being threatened at unprecedented levels;and so many libraries are dealing with increases in mental health crises in their communities，which takes a toll on those in crisis as well as those around them(including library workers).There’s no doubt about it–times are tough.
If you find yourself feeling down or dispirited because of what’s hard，I see you–and I encourage you to take a few minutes to try to focus on a recent win.Maybe you tried a new song in storytime，and the kids absolutely loved it and demanded to sing it multiple times.Maybe you’ve been chatting at the desk with a kid who has had behavior control issues in the past，but now that you’ve started to build a rapport，they are enjoying their library visits and acting less disruptively.Maybe you had 200 people come to a culture-sharing event that you’d never offered before，and weren’t sure how the community would respond–but it turns out they loved it.There are any number of“wins”in library work，be they big or small，the sort of thing that is obvious to everyone or just a moment or feeling that you quietly notice.
It’s so，so important to celebrate library wins–especially when our day-to-day challenges make it feel like this work is an uphill battle.From a cognitive science standpoint，it makes a positive difference in our days if we take a few minutes to intentionally reflect on something that has been going well.Celebrating wins doesn’t mean we’re ignoring or diminishing very real hardships.But celebrating wins does mean that we are acknowledging the real accomplishments of community-focused library work，and fueling ourselves to take on our challenges with a mind toward how meaningful our work is.
One thing I love about ALSC is that there are always colleagues ready to share a win of their own，as well as to celebrate the wins of their peers.If you’re finding yourself feeling a bit low about your library work，try taking a few minutes to think about a recent win you’ve experienced.Better yet，share a snippet of your win in the comments below–I’d love to celebrate your wins with you，as we each keep taking steps to support healthy，successful futures for all children!