How to kill a library… #39: 2012
As my Dad, who was quite a philosopher, would say “There are many ways to skin a cat.” I would add that there are more than a few ways to kill a library.
For example:
√ Stop believing in the libraries mission. Do we really believe in the freedom to read, learn and discover?
√ Spend less time with the board. The ideal public library board would meet 4 times per year and agrees with everything the CEO recommended.
√ Stop talking to your customers. What do they know any way? And on the same topic, stop consulting staff. It is a huge time waster.
√ Don’t worry about the future and how you will get there. Sustainability is not an issue with which libraries need to be concerned. After all, we’ve have survived for hundreds of years.
√ Stop telling the library story. Everyone has heard our story.
√ Accept that the library building is old and you don’t need to keep renovating, painting, and updating it. It is what it is.
√ Accept that just like instant coffee killed the coffee bean, the e-book will kill the printed book.
√ Stop promoting the product; everyone knows about literacy and lifelong learning.
√ Stop empowering staff, and stop training them. They should come to us fully trained.
√ Stop all this talk about innovation. It just makes for more work.
√ And, for heaven’s sake, stop changing the rules and our traditions. It’s annoying!
Have a swell week! LOL!
Kitty Pope #39 November 2012
kpope@library.guelph.on.ca
on November 13, 2012 on 1:59 pm
As a library trustee who pushes, thank you for defining once again how staff and administration need to work together to meet the current literacy and community learning needs.
on November 14, 2012 on 12:33 pm
Continuing education is very important for all staff. It can take many forms from reading journals and books to college or university courses.