Let's Sum It Up!

What a week!

I will use my earlier words once again....."Wonderful people, wonderful information, wonderful time.  Our first week of PLMI has been a whole bunch of a whole bunch.  We have crammed a LOT of information into one week. 

We are energized, excited, and eager to go back into the world and shine.  After all, we have learned we are supposed to toot our own horns.  So here goes....I can do this.  Actually, I realized I have been doing this.  Pretty darn good it seems.  For not having any library experience I jumped right in a bad situation two years ago and began repairing an outdated, poorly run, not welcoming stagnant library. 

In the two years I have been there I have been working full steam ahead to make it the happening place in town.  Our most important offering is a smile.  If people are happy inside the library then they will feel comfortable and are more likely to really let you assist them with their needs.  

This philosophy is proving true as we nearly doubled patronage during the first year.  People were so excited with the change that they could not wait to share their excitement at the fresh new library. I have fed off of that excitement and pushed forward.

But it has not been easy.  Many bumps and some roadblocks have stopped me in my tracks for a period.  So far I have managed to break them down and keep going but lately I must admit my steamrolling abilities have been puttering.  After all, I am the lowest paid library director in the whole state and now it seems the whole nation.  How's that for inspiration???  I choose to think it just shows how much I love my job and enjoy helping people better themselves. Now I sure could use a raise and truthfully if I didn't have a supportive family I would not be able to do this.  So there may come a day when the monetary values will have to come first.  Hopefully when that day comes my replacement will be appreciative of my efforts and will keep charging forward.  

So as I reflect back on my first two years along with what I've learned this week at PLMI, I find that I am on the right track but there are still many things to do.  I was happy to hear that most of those "plans" lurking in the back of my mind to accomplish are exactly what I need to be doing.  Now I have some new ones from this week to add to that list as well.  Some are immediate fixes, others are going to take time.  That brings me to my biggest problem.  You guessed it.  Time.

One goal that I have is to have an assistant who works WITH me at least two days a week.  Oh how this would help me and my customers.  If I have my stuff together then I will be able to help my customers have their stuff together.  It's my dream to be able to offer and teach classes on computers, resumes, etc.  Having an assistant will aid greatly in this desire.  To have time to complete my reports at work and have my assistant work the desk would be life-changing. Let's all stop right here and say a prayer that I can get an assistant.  :)  

I must add that I really enjoyed the various personality and other various exercises we completed this week.  The vision and mission questions we filled out were wonderful!  Having just written those statements a month ago for the first time without having any guidance at all I could see a clear change in the way I now write them.  It is more meaningful to me as I calmly chose words that had deep meaning to me.  This will only serve me well as my vision is now very personal to me.  

So to sum it up.....I will leave you with my personal vision I placed on my crest.  A picture of my crest is posted below with the words Assess, Activate, and Achieve.  I have been doing this all my life as I am just that type of person.  Being a Scorpio I am a natural at this but now I have a way to describe it.  I had just never taken the time to sit down and meditate and think of the words to describe it.  So yeah.....you can bet I will now have this motto all over the place. It also ties in wonderfully with my library vision.  We desire to motivate the under-served in the community to allow them to become whole.  Wholeness is our goal.  When they become whole they will then be able to adapt my motto and our community will be filled with people who assess, activate, and achieve!!  

Can't wait to come back to PLMI next year and cannot wait to keep in touch with my awesome new friends!!!  Let's do this!!!!

Pam's Point:  Press on.  Assess your situation, Activate your plan, and Achieve your goal.  Press on!!