A heart felt thank you
Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 10:14AM My introduction at Friday night's ISLMA banquet was one of the nicest I had ever received. The librarian, rather than listing off my publications, work experience, and other dubious reasons one may wish to pay attention to what I had to say, told the group of some specific ways my writings had helped her become more effective as a librarian. I actually choked up.
A couple years ago I wrote:
On the way home Saturday morning from a very enjoyable NHEMA conference, I ran into my friend Nick Glass who runs TeachingBooks in the Minneapolis airport. He asked: "Are you doing good?"
I thought he was asking how I was doing financially. I mumbled something about keeping a roof over my head and keeping the LWW living in the style to which she has become accustomed.
"No," Nick clarified, "What I am asking is if feel you are doing any good? Do you feel your speaking and workshops are making any difference?"
It's a scary question to reflect upon.
Some days I feel great about what I do - when someone e-mails or comes up to me at a conference to say that I have been helpful to them. But I also wonder what the hell I have been doing for the past 20 years when more school library positions and programs are in greater peril than ever. Either my strategies are flawed or the message hasn't gotten through in my work trying to make the profession more relevant, more critical, and less dispensable to schools.
Anyway, to the lovely woman who gave my introduction last Friday, I don't think you can imagine the depth of my gratitude. Thank you. Thank you.
Reader Comments (5)
Keep up the good work, Doug! Your message is needed now more than ever.
Believe me, your message makes a difference! Keep it up.
Doug: Thanks for coming to Illinois! It was good to see you again and to attend your workshop. It was good to reflect on the role of creativity in education.
Doug - you have had a tremendous impact on librarians all over the world. Speaking locally, you encouraged me to jump onto a blog and share my wanderings with the world. I admire your passion for the profession. You encouraged me to be fearless in providing service to our students first and foremost; how to take the latest and greatest and move it into my teaching; how to encourage my teachers to dip their toes in the "brave new world" of technology, and on and on….
Individually, we can all work to bring our vision of what a library should be to our superintendents and others in charge of making or breaking this vision. I wish you many more years inspiring others to get the message out to our local districts and beyond. Perhaps there will be a day when a economic blip will not have us so endangered! If only every district could have come and inspire them every year!
Hi Jacquie,
Thanks so much. I hope you know how much respect I have for you and the work you do with kids. I can only hope that others validate the work you as you just did for me.
How is the transition to Mac going? (I am a long time Mac user.)
Doug