I hate that phrase.
“But we’ve always done it this way!”
It’s usually accompanied by a wounded look, combined with that look that says they wish I would shut up and go away.
It’s easier to just keep coasting along without thinking of new things, new books, new ideas, new programs. Doing the same thing means nobody has to take chances, to take a chance on making a mistake and failing. Just cruise along, no sweat.
I hate that. And I’ve been the one who said it.
Libraries are not supposed to be just cruise-along organizations! We are supposed to be out there! We take chances, we make mistakes, we get messy! We do cool things!!!
I’ve talked about how I got started in libraries – I used to skip school and spend the day in the library. Yeah, I was a rebel! School was boring, but the library was filled with all kinds of cool things: new books, new ideas, new stuff to try. And I could walk down the block to get McDonald’s for lunch. The thought of that makes me ill now, but at the time it was an amazing adventure. The library meant freedom, adventures, and the chance to delve into things that made me really happy. My love grew from there.
So I’m always confused when people treat libraries with so little thought, with such casualness. It always takes me by surprise when everyone does not think libraries are amazing.
And when I found this article recently I was pleased. I love to see library people moving forward and thinking about new ways to be great for their communities!
Click on this article to get the full story, after you check out some quick ideas below. Can you try some of these ideas in your library? How else can you work to make your library more inclusive, more usable for your community members?
Seven statements library professionals should rethink in 2019
“There are many things that libraries got attached to in their long history such as fines, the library card, the Dewey classification and many other things that librarians have tested: the switch of focus from books to other activities, the removal of quiet zones and more. Some of them are not that successful anymore or still need more time to see the actual results.
1. “Library fines are good. “
2. “The Dewey classification is the standard.”
3. “An ID and an address are needed for joining the library.”
4. “You need a library card to access the services.”
5. “The library is no longer a quiet space.”
6. “Books are no longer important.”
7. “We need dedicated teen spaces.”
The library landscape is in a continuous change, and librarians with their skillset are in the best position to try to take the pulse of the visitors and rethink the library’s services based on the users’ current needs while making sure not to go beyond the library’s core principals.”