Sunshine State, Empowerment Zone Article, etc.

So yesterday was my third to last session of the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute (SSLLI). The focus of the session was on leading groups and we talked a lot about meetings. It was apparent to me that most of the people in SSLLI besides me have a lot more meetings, and have had some pretty unproductive meetings too. Since I work in a small library there is not a lot of committee work, and communication is typically easier than it would be in a larger library system. This means less meetings for us, but the material was still valuable.

Some of the specific things we learned were characteristics of an effective group which include keeping the group size small, making everyone accountable and having a clearly identified goal. We learned the different styles of decision making, and how to choose them based on the situation. And we also were given an excellent handout called the Meeting Planning Worksheet. This worksheet is a blueprint for the meeting, and I plan on using it the next time I am in charge of a meeting.

This session was timely for me since I would like to make my next project at my library adding subject specific signage in the stacks. Public libraries have been using the Dewey Decimal System for decades now, and it is still a difficult thing for most patrons to learn. My goal is to create a workgroup in my library to create and add signage in the non-fiction section of the library. This experience would enable me to lead a group and meetings, and to hopefully make finding materials in my library easier for the patrons. This would increase our circulation and create a more positive atmosphere when people are browsing for books. I do not plan on getting rid of our Dewey numbers, just adding signs like Travel, History, Art, etc. to enhance them.

Besides SSLLI, and my thoughts on a new project, the Delray Forum published an article on the Empowerment Zone yesterday. The Forum is a free weekly that mainly discusses local news in the Delray Beach community. The article is on the front page, and if you use your imagination one of the guys in the picture is actually me. My contact info is listed and I am hoping that there is an increase in the amount of people using the EZ due to the article. We are getting people every time the Zone is in session now, and that is certainly positive. And I now have three volunteers to help out if it gets busy.