Small changes can make a big difference. #blogjune #3

Today's mantra: Small changes can make a big difference.

For me, small changes made a 15kg difference in 12 months.  No dieting for me, just conscientious decisions.  I don't believe in denying myself, however, I will limit myself, except when it comes to M&M's.  Although, I have managed to restrain myself to smaller serving sizes and still maintain the same level of satisfaction.

While some may see my increase in exercise and obsession with running a big change, for me it was minimal.  Really at the beginning I saw it as major change - getting up earlier, putting myself out of my comfort zone physically and mentally, and ensuring I don't cross that line that I have previously blogged about. But really it wasn't that hard and not such a big change after all.  It is now part of my lifestyle!

At work, small changes can make a big difference too - it's all in the way you present your collection.  Having books on display, changing things around in little ways - using a book spinner to display stock that doesn't usually move.  People see a new piece of furniture and wonder why the books are there - are they new books or something special?!?

Making an effort to remember people's names - yes small changes can make a big difference.  At first they were just coming into the library to get some books, but then the staff member addressed them by name and asked them something about what they had told them the last visit and a smile breaks out and it becomes more than a staff/client relationship - it becomes a caring one!  Yes, small changes can make a big difference!

So what small change have you made that made a big difference?  Or even better, what small changes you want to make will make a big difference??

I'm back - well sort of!

It's been a while since my last post and that's because I have been preoccupied with other things.

Some of you that follow me on Facebook and Twitter would know that since my last post I have become somewhat obsessed with running.  Yes you read right.  Running!

It's been a while since I've had this sort of relationship with exercise.  Prior to this obsession, I was doing boot camp (since February 2013), prior to that I was walking very regularly.  But in my past life (pre-child), I did actually run a bit.  In my past, past life I taught aerobics, ran, rode and swam regularly.  So exercise and I have had a bit of an on and off relationship.

Back when I was in my mid-teens, exercise and I did not have a healthy relationship.  Obsession overtook and I won't go into it in this blog post (maybe at a later date I'll be comfortable to write about it), but exercise became the be all and end all - and not the healthy thing it should've been.  And now I'm older and wiser, it is a bit easier not to let exercise become the focus of life - it's pretty high up but family is still the highest!!

So now exercise is "on" again in my life, I'm a bit excited to have a "hobby" as such that does not revolve around libraries.  Although since my obsession also includes reading as much as I can about running and exercise, the library is still a focus to obtain all the information!!

The people I exercise with are outside libraries and my place of work, so it is broadening my social circle and allowing me to focus on things that aren't necessarily to do with libraries.  And this is probably why the blogging stopped.

You note from my previous posts, libraries and anything related to libraries is pretty much what this blog is about - ok weather slipped in there sometimes!  Therefore, since focusing on exercise I didn't feel I had anything to share about libraries.  I wanted to write about running but then I didn't want to bore readers.

Now don't be concerned, as I am still just as passionate about libraries.  I think perhaps I'm now a more rounded individual because I have a focus that is not only related to my work.  But I must admit that I was getting overwhelmed with living, eating, breathing libraries.  So I think exercise has come back at a good time.

On a side note, there is a library conference coming up in a few weeks which I will be attending, and I must admit, that while I'm excited about what I will learn from the presentations and networking, I'm also excited planning my morning runs around Sydney!

I promise to blog about my conference learnings in early December.

Blog December Post 14 - Giving

Today's Destiny Card is giving.

 

Quite fitting for the month of December as we do seem to do a lot of giving during this month with Christmas and all!!

 

Libraries are constantly giving.  We give people access to information, we give people a space, we give people access to technology, we give people escapism, and the list goes on.

 

Unfortunately, the powers that be often see the library as a place where too much giving (in terms of dollars) happens and not much receiving.  And this can be the hardest thing for libraries to justify.

 

Value is often viewed in monetary terms, and lets face it, libraries don't bring in the dollars.

 

The library value calculator is a good tool to put the value of libraries in monetary terms, but this is really a justification to the library user.

 

There have been many state reports that show the economic value of a library.  Enriching Communities says: Economic activity measures the contribution of public libraries to the economy in real terms and was estimated at $810.2 million. Thus for each dollar expended on public libraries, $2.82 of real economic activity is generated.

 

Of course, economic value is not the only value library users/communities gain from libraries - Enriching Communities also mentions the following:

• Library users visit for an average of 35 minutes, view the library more as a cost-saver than a time-saver and are attracted mainly by the fixed collections, the availability of professional support and the friendly atmosphere.
• The top five outcomes from public library use are enhanced quality of life; enhanced enjoyment from hobbies; ability to obtain information not available elsewhere; facilitation of lifelong learning; and support for children’s education.
• The top five contributions to the community were seen as being a safe and pleasant place to visit; supporting educational facilities; facilitating lifelong learning; encouraging responsible social behaviour; and ensuring access to the Internet for all. The underlying themes are clearly those of safety, harmony, equity and education.
• Public libraries principal contribution to community culture is through their lending, reference and local history collections. There is also an appreciative audience for cultural activities such as local art displays and talks by visiting authors.

So as library professionals we have to show those that are looking for the monetary value of libraries, that it's not all about money - it's about the things I have just listed above.  Libraries give our communities all of those things.

 

And in return, well I don't know about you, but I certainly get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when I think about what I have provided to my community through being a library professional and a human that more often than not, has a relationship with them!!