Author: Adriane Herrick Juarez Page 9 of 16

Have you ever thought about how to improve workplace well-being for yourself, your team, and your organization? Many people believe that libraries are a mecca of peace and tranquility. While this may be true at times, for library employees there can be a great deal of stress and burnout while delivering library services. On this show, I speak with Brenda Hough, library consultant and instructor, about workplace well-being. She shares what contributes to well-being in the workplace, strategies for dealing with stress and burnout, how to take care of our own well-being at work, and how libraries can be good places to work organizationally. It’s an important and timely topic for all of us. 

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Looking to up your collection development game in a way that will have people singing your praises? If so, this conversation with Beth Atwater is for you. She’s the 2020 Recipient of the Allie Beth Martin Award for her depth of knowledge about books and other library materials, as well as the distinguished ability to share that knowledge with others. Beth is a buyer with the Johnson County Library Collection Development Team in Kansas where she has turned superfandom into super collections. 

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When writing a grant or award application, wouldn’t it be helpful to have advice from someone who’s already done it successfully? On this show, I talk with Ed Garcia, Director of the Cranston Public Library in Rhode Island. His organization won the 2020 Jerry Kline Community Impact Award that comes with a $250,000 prize. He talks with me about the award application process, ways to empower staff to create impacts that translate into recognition, and what goes into applying for opportunities that bring attention and support to libraries.

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If you could eliminate anxiety, save time, and utilize helpful conversations to develop the performance process in your library would you do it? On this show I speak with Brian Mortimore, Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development for the Kent District Library in Michigan. He shares a model of performance management that includes regular employee check-ins to make these things possible. 

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Want to create amazing programming while making every budget-dollar count? On this show, I talk with Chelsea Price, Director of the Meservey Public Library in Iowa. She’s the author of the book 209 Big Programming Ideas for Small Budgets and shares on this episode ways that with creativity, flexibility, and heart we can all deliver outstanding programs that make the most of every programming dollar. These are ideas every library can use.  

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Over the last year, we’ve all been dealing with a lot. Everyone in libraries has pulled together to make so much possible during unprecedented times. This makes me particularly grateful for this discussion with Ramiro Salazar, Director of the San Antonio Public Library and immediate Past-President of the Public Library Association.

During his PLA Presidency our profession saw an e-Book embargo from a major publisher, a global pandemic, and a great deal of reckoning surrounding race. He has been quoted as saying, “time and time again, libraries have demonstrated resiliency during times of crisis.” His thoughts on these topics and handling extraordinary change are something we all can use as we continue to move into the future. 

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How do you define leadership for yourself? For each person there is a different answer. On today’s show, I talk with Michelle Ornat, Deputy Director of public services for the San Jose Public Library. She discusses how we can define leadership for ourselves and utilize a combination of traits to develop our own personal leadership style. Whether you are currently in a leadership role or looking to grow in this area, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

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Want to be an ideal library leader or employee? Today’s guests offer insights into just what that looks like. Dr. Anthony Chow, Associate Professor at The University of North Carolina Greensboro, and Ashley Conte, Librarian at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library, share research that examines what we all can do to up-our-game as both leaders and employees.

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During times of rapid and unexpected change, as we are all dealing with now, it can be helpful to get information from an expert to help guide our paths. So, I reached out to Tony Gardner. Tony is on the faculty at the University of Virginia serving as the Director of the Leadership Development program of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.

He works in both the public and private sectors to improve organizational performance and manage large-scale organizational change. I was fortunate a number of years ago to attend the Leadership Development Program at the University of Virginia and learned a great deal from Tony, who generously on this podcast episode, shares his expertise about Leadership in Times of Change. ([email protected])

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