Blog June Post 9 - Libraries Community Builders

This morning I shared this article on my other jobs FB page.  My other job is marking library student assessments for TAFE.  So I shared the article with students.

Along with the article, I asked the students this: Discussion about public libraries often leads to phrases like community hub etc. Do you think the same applies in academic, special, and school libraries?

The students must be busy people because as yet there have been no replies.  However, I am open for those reading my blog to discuss and perhaps share a comment on FB, twitter or here on the blog comments.

When I used to work in academic libraries, pre-child, the campus was my community.  My coworkers were my community.  Those that used the library were my community.  I put this down to the campus being the main place I was spending my time.

Yes I would do my shopping etc outside of the campus, back in the suburb I lived in.  But I never felt the suburb was my community until I had my daughter, went on maternity leave and started spending more time in my suburb.  I stared interacting with more than the check out person at the grocery store.  I attended the community nurse sessions, baby rhyme time, mother's group and the list goes on.  Suddenly, I was interacting, meeting and becoming friends with people who lived in my own suburb!!  In my community!!

This brings me back to the original question - do academic, special and school libraries build communities?  Or have their own communities?

They all provide spaces for people to gather.  They provide different programs for people to attend as groups or individuals.  But do they build communities and if so what sort of communities?

I will leave this open for some discussion (I hope)!

Today's mantra: Your body deserves the best

In my case lately, my body has been having the best chocolate!! 8-)

Epiphany - Blog 12 Days of Christmas

So this is the post where I am supposed to look back over the past 12 days and discuss what I may have learned or: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

I can't say I have found the meaning of life, or had any insight into reality.  I can say that I have once again enjoyed sitting down at the end of the day and reflecting on what was and then trying to put it into something remotely interesting to others.

What I can say is that in the space of 12 days I have regained my running mojo and even pushed out a 16.5km run today without feeling like it was a chore.  It was hard but it was enjoyable.  On the home stretch I even enjoyed the bush on either side of the road for the birds that were singing, the lagoon that I ran past, and the view from the top of the hill overlooking the beach.  I made peace with being in the right place - this beautiful place I live and love.

I felt that again after a splash in the surf with my family as I was sitting in the hot midday sun looking out over the ocean watching two dolphins swim past and a sailing boat in the distance.  And up front, an 8 year old girl and her dad sharing so many laughs and moments in the surf - their bond warms my heart!!

In the afternoon, walking along the river, out on the boardwalk - secretly trying not to be too annoyed by the tourists - but instead lap up seeing my locals and saying hello.  Having a short conversation with my daughters friends mother.  Over hearing some visitors from Sydney saying how it was nice that everyone here says "hello" unlike in Sydney.  My home, my community, my friends, my people!

There will always be hard times, tough times - but happiness can't be all the time as then we wouldn't appreciate it as much!

Being awesome is something to strive for in all aspects of your life and something I will be striving for in 2015.

Expecting miracles, celebrating achievements, being creative, enjoying moments of laziness, being alert and waking up, being healthy and celebrating being here and now, and making the most of open doors - this is what 2015 will be for me!!

Until #blogjune......

Day 5 - Blog 12 Days of Christmas - Here and now!

Today's mantra: You are exactly where you need to be.

This is something I have struggled with throughout my life.  The grass is always greener some where else.  That other job in that other work place is better than where I am now.  That house in that suburb is better than where I am now.  Why can't I accept that I am where I need to be?!?

I strongly believe in fate.  There are too many people I have met in my life at different times that cement the idea that I was supposed to be there at that moment in time to meet them.  Sure, some have moved on or I have moved on from them, but for that moment in time, I needed to be there and I needed to meet them.

Right now, I live in a beautiful part of the world (admittedly I have not seen a lot of the world - you see there's that grass is always greener coming back again), I have a beautiful family and some wonderful friends and family.  I have met some beautiful people that I continually learn things from or learn things about myself from.

There may still be parts of my life where I am dissatisfied but perhaps that is what I have to work on and I'm here because I have to work on them to become a better person or to learn a lesson.  But I strongly feel that I am exactly where I need to be at this point in time!

How about you?  Are you exactly where you need to be?