PVLD Director's Blog

Sabbatical

Regular readers of this blog probably have noticed that it has been some months since I posted here.  I was struggling to find anything fresh to say, work and personal obligations have been consuming most of my time and energy, and since many of the blogs I follow seem to have lost some of their steam too I've been a bit short of inspiration.

That all translated into an unplanned sabbatical of sorts.  The break has been refreshing, and I'm not quite ready to jump back into the swing of things yet...but thought I would at least put up a note to say I'm still alive and kicking - just not blogging.

I'm thinking this break will probably last a couple more months, but am starting to feel motivated to write again once some travels and work commitments are out of the way.  In the meantime a redesign of the PVLD website may lead me to try a new blogging platform and/or format...but I'll announce any changes here.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is having a great summer and I look forward to reconnecting via the blog in the fall!

 

Honored

This has been a week when I've had more than ample occasion to be grateful for and proud ofthe people I work with. 

The week kicked off with our fourth Staff Day, where the library was closed so that we bring the entire staff together for some learning and some fun.  Our 85 employees, many of whom are part-time, are stretched across three libraries and an Annex with a combined 159 hours of operation each week.  This means that many employees never get to meet colleagues who work at other locations or on different shifts.  Staff Day gives us a chance to address that.

The day is organized by a team of staff members who volunteer for the task, and they did themselves proud on a shoestring budget.  We had an excellent and thought-provoking presentation on teens and how to serve them by Dr. Joni Richards Bodart in the morning, then got on buses provided by County Supervisor Don Knabe and rode over to the Miraleste Library for lunch and some fun and games before heading back to Peninsula Center Library for a tour of some of the libraries hidden places followed by a social hour in the Annex.

Since what happens at Staff Day stays at Staff Day I won't go into the details of our activities, but we had a lot of fun.  Dr. Bodart joined in as an enthusiastic participant, and before she left told both me and Louise Beebe of the organizing team that she has been in a lot of libraries and worked with a lot of different library staffs, but she has never seen a group that had come so far in breaking down internal barriers and hierarchies.  What a great reminder of what a terrific team we have here at PVLD!

The next day I spent the day wth colleagues from across the State talking about "Blue Ocean Strategy" for libraries and the State Librarian's vision of creating an "incubator" to foster library innovation and take ideas to implementation.  The day was informative if tiring, but it also made me realize how fortunate we are here at PVLD in having the resources and the environment to try new things and "incubate" new ideas without relying on external support.  If someone has an idea that is legal,seems worth trying, and we can figure out how to pay for it..we just do it.  I don't think many other libraries can say that.

And then today our "First Team" (the Department Managers and Assistant Managers from across PVLD) met, as we do regularly, to talk about how we work as a team and how we can continue to improve communication and grow the level of trust and honesty within the team and throughout PVLD.  Today consultant Cheryl Gould (no relation!) visited our meeting and we had a really good discussion about how far we have come as a team, and where we want to go.  The commitment all of our leaders have to making PVLD a vital institution in our community and to spending time and energy on the "soft" but extremely hard issues of communication and teamwork that can get in our way made me so proud.

We're now looking forward to a year of working with Cheryl to grow our ability to work together and I think great things are ahead. 

PVLD staff - it is an honor to work with you.

Like Riding a Bike

PVLD operates on a July 1 - June 30 fiscal year, so about now is when we start seriously thinking about what we want to achieve next year and beyond and how those goals will affect our budget.  For many years this has meant reviewing and updating, and periodically re-writing, our Strategic Plan.

Back in November I wrote this post about my growing feeling that PVLD may have evolved to a point where a highly structured strategic planning process resulting in a formal Strategic Plan is not only un-necessary, but possibly counter-productive. 

As the end point of our most recent three-year Strategic Plan draws ever closer I have been reflecting on how dated it already seems,how little it really guided our decision-making, and how badly we missed the mark on most of the quantitative measures.  I don't think that is because it was a bad piece of work.  It was written by smart people guided by an excellent consultant based on our best knowledge at the time.  I think the problem is that the environment is so turbulent and the pace of change so great (and getting greater) that any attempt to set objectives and goals for anything other than the very near term future (measured in weeks and months, not years) is doomed.

 A couple of weeks ago I came across this excellent post on the "Obituary of the 5 Year Strategic Plan" by Lea Blair (via Michael Bungay Stanier's Box of Crayons) and loved her idea that what we really need to to is equip people to run our organization as if they were riding a bike:

"In order to ride a bike you do the following:
1. You pack what you think (best guess) you will need for your bike ride.
2. You know your destination – or at least what you want to see when you get there.
3. You start pedaling in that direction.
4. Most important…You have a short window of time to make a decision on how to successfully navigate what comes in front of you. Especially the surprises. And surprises are one thing we can count on in ever increasing number. Whether it is a child running in front of your bike, or a turn in the road that you didn’t expect, or an oncoming biker. Only at the time when you see the actual change can you make the best decision as to how to navigate your bike."

 Let us learn what we can about the future (and pack our bags well). And, if your rider – manager or executive, has the awareness and skills necessary to be able to make those quick navigation decisions with agility and flexibility, your company will wind up at its destination… no matter what changes and surprises happen along the way."

The challenge for libraries (and, I would venture to guess, for almost every type of organization) is that  the accelerating pace of change and the unkown but surely profound outcomes of the current technological revolution make it very hard (maybe impossible?) to envision our ultimate destination. 

I'm thinking that right now maybe the best we can do is hold on tight to the handlebars, pedal like crazy, and make navigation decisions based on some core touchstone principles like whether a given course of action enhances access to information or restricts it, or whether it makes the library more connected to the community or less so, or whether it meets the test of good stewardship of the public's money.

And maybe the most recent PVLD Strategic Plan will be the last...at least for this Library Director.

 

 

Small blessings

The past few weeks have capped off a very difficult year for my family, and for many people I know, and despite the fact that I actually had fewer parties and events to attend the holiday season has been more harried and generally less enjoyable than in years past.

Despite the challenges I've been trying to cultivate a spirit of gratitude, and as my work year winds down (I'll be on vacation from this afternoon through the New Year) I've been aware of many small blessings.  Some of the things I have been grateful for just this week include -

• An interlude of beautiful harp and flute holiday music wafting through the library on Monday that provided a respite from the holiday rush.  Thanks Ashley!
• The barrista at Starbucks this morning who upgraded my skinny peppermint mocha (a favorite holiday treat) to a larger size at no extra charge.
• Kind words and holiday wishes from members of the staff.
• Laughter at the daily staff meeting....its a pleasure to work with people who remember to laugh even when things get stressful!
• Finally getting a few minutes to read in front of the fire while listening to holiday music last night.
• A car salesman who had the courtesy to ask how I wanted to communicate and the graciousness not to pressure me....and as a result will get a sale.
• Time spent with family, however brief.
• The end-of-year decline in meetings and work commitments, which allowed me to catch up on projects and paperwork so I can start the new year with a clean desk (shown below for posterity since it may not look this way again after January 3rd!)

• Ending my term as Chair of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce, which has been rewarding but far more challenging than anticipated when I accepted the nomination as Chair-elect two years ago.
• The coming 10 days away from work which will give me a chance to recharge my batteries and (hopefully) get my home as ready for the New Year as my office now is.

Lastly, and this isn't a small blessing but a big one, I'm grateful to be able to have a job that I love in a beautiful part of the world and a spouse who accepts the demands of that job and supports me in many ways, not the least of which is doing far more than his share of the cleaning and other household chores.

Whatever holiday you are celebrating - Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice or Festivus - I hope you too have experienced blessings small and large. 

Best wishes for 2012!

Giving thanks

Every year has its ups and downs, but for me 2012 was one of those roller coasters where the downs were steeper and the ups were higher than we've experienced for some time.  There were plenty of moments (and days, and even a few weeks) that I hope never to have to live through again, but there were also many blessings.

A good portion of the blessings have to do with where I work and who I get to work with.  The PVLD staff is an amazing and energetic group that continuously seeks out ways to make our libraries better and better.  This year we've taken on some really major projects - from overhauling our library collection to a comprehensive renovation of the Miraleste Library - and countless more incremental improvements to services, programs, and operating practices.  Much of the work on all of these projects was done by the staff in addition to their normal daily and weekly duties.

We also have more than 200 vwonderful olunteers, from teens through older adults, who help with everything from shelving books to library programs to fundraising.  Without them we simply could not deliver the quality of library services we do.

Plus I am blessed with 5 wonderful bosses on our Board of Library Trustees.  Next month we will be saying farewell to Trustees Nancy Mahr and Bill Lama, who have served on the Library Board for my entire tenure as Director and welcoming Jim Moore and Debby Stegura both of whom have all of the attributes necessary to provide the leadership the Library District needs.  I am grateful that both Bill and Nancy have indicated their willingness to continue their involvement with the library and that they will have such capable replacements.

I've also been fortunate to be able to serve with many wonderful community members on the Palos Verdes Chamber of Commerce Board.  They are a hardworking bunch and dedicated to sustaining the Peninsula as a wonderful place to live and work.

Lastly I am blessed to have a spouse who is willing to do more than his share of cooking, cleaning and yard work so that I am free to spend the time that my job and community/professional commitments demand. 

On this Thanksgiving eve I am feeling very blessed despite the personal and family challenges the year has brought.  Thank you to everyone who has supported me this year, and a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!

Turkey Jon

The Palos Verdes Library District serves a generally affluent community, and one that is a bit off the beaten path (far from a freeway, up a big hill, limited access by public transit) so unlike many public libraries we do not have many patrons who appear to be indigent or homeless...but we do have some.

Perhaps because seeing someone who appears homeless is not a common sight in our libraries, our patrons (and sometimes our employees) don't always know how to react.  We have had patrons ask if "people like that" should be allowed in the library  - the answer is yes, we are a public building and anyone is welcome to enjoy our facilities provided they comply with our policies.

It may be a sign of the continued economic pressures but recently we seem to have had more visits from people who appear to be homeless, along with incidents of use of our restrooms for bathing (not allowed), sleeping for an extended period (upright while sitting in a chair - allowed as long as it isn't interfering with anyone's ability to make use of the library in comfort), bringing in luggage or multiple bags (allowed as long as the person retains control of their items, does not block aisles or access, and does not interfere with others' use of the library), and severe odor due to lack of bathing (if the odor is so strong it makes use of the library unpleasant for others the person can be asked to leave). 

In these situations it can be tempting to react to a person's appearance and make assumptions about their personal situations - that the person in layers of torn clothing  or the one dragging a battered suitcase and caring several plastic bags of clothing is homeless - and then base our actions on those assumptions rather than the person's behavior as it relates to library use.

The reality is that appearances can be deceiving.  That is why I loved this article from the front page of yesterday's Los Angeles Times about "Turkey Jon" Burt, who is a familiar sight around the Beach Cities where I live.    Based on this description from the article, it would be easy to assume that Mr. Burt is homeless:

Burt is a huddle of clothes, hunched over the handlebars, white plastic bags hanging as sentries. "Stuff for the beach," he says of the contents.

He is wrapped in layer upon layer of warmth topped by a flannel jacket, ripped in places. Windbreaker pants fend off the stiff ocean breezes that come with sunrise.

Affectionately called Turkey Jon, he rolls along Hermosa Avenue. Rumpled, grizzled, wearing moccasins with his big toe poking out of the left one, Burt seems out of place in this town of bikinis and flip-flops.

And yet the reality is very different.  He has a home, a family who love him, and many friends. 

As I read the article I wondered, if Mr. Burt came to our library how would he be treated?  I hope it would be as a welcome guest, and not as someone to be viewed with suspicion.

Steve Jobs's Chopsticks

Since the announcement of Steve Jobs' death yesterday the Internet has abounded with tributes, a good many featuring his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University.  The speech is great, but this article by Peter Robinson (via Execupundit) gave me an even clearer insight into what made Steve Jobs unique. The closing line of the article says it all:

"He alone insisted on beauty"

What a legacy.  R.I.P. Steve

Content-fried - focusing in an age of distraction

Thank you to Beth Kanter of Beth's Blog for introducing me to a new term that perfectly describes what I have been feeling lately - content-fried.

Even though I haven't consciously added to my sources of incoming information (no new Facebook friends, no recent blogs added to my Google Reader account), have consciously disconnected myself from some information streams like Twitter, and haven't (at least yet) gotten into newer social media like Google+ and Foursquare the stream of information hitting my consciousness seems to be at flood levels.

Part of it is the number of family and friend situations that have occurred this year, each with its own stream of emails and texts.   Part of it is a schedule of work and community activities that leaves less and less time to deal with the flood. 

I love the "mind map" that Beth shares in her post.  It's created by Howard Rheingold and outlines ways to cope with information overload:

 

I'm doing some of these things  - I make pretty effective use of ituals and habits and I've gotten much better about managing my space, but I need to get much more disciplined in areas like managing email and detoxing from technology.

Like Beth I think I need to print out the map and keep it at my desk.

How about you - are you also feeling that the flood of information in your life is reaching new high water marks?  How are you coping?

I'll be back soon

I've had "Write a blog post" on my To Do list for over a week now (yes, I really am that anal!)...but as the saying goes, stuff happens, and between a death in the family (my beloved Opa, subject of a recent post), a short trip to Vancouver Island, Canada for my niece's wedding, a persistent virus of some kind, and meeting-filled days at work I haven't had the time, energy, or mental capacity to write anything worth posting.

Tomorrow I'll see the doctor to try to get a handle on the virus, and on Monday I'm off to San Jose for the culmination of the 2010 Eureka Leadership Program (sure to be the source of plenty of inspiration as the 2010 Eureka Fellows present their projects)...and I hope after that I'll be back on track for more regular posting.

Thanks for your patience!

 

For Opa

As I write this my 92 year old Opa, my stepfather’s father, is fighting for his life following a massive heart attack. 

Opa came into my life when I was 11.  That was the year my mother married my Canadian stepfather, and we moved from Santa Barbara to Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. 

Although our families have known each other for several generations dating back to when they all lived in Russia (a long story for another time!), my sister and I met my stepdad’s parents and siblings for the very first time the weekend of the wedding, and the day after the wedding were sent off to Manitoba with his parents and sister while he and my mom had their honeymoon.

Stepping off the plane in Manitoba was like entering a funhouse full of mirrors that took everything familiar and distorted it.  It was July, and the 100 degree heat was accompanied by nearly 100% humidity and swarms of mosquitoes….very strange for California kids whose associated heat with dry Santa Ana winds and brushfires.  The people spoke English, but with an odd inflection.  The food was similar…but also different.  My stepdad’s mom cooked the same Russian dishes that we knew, but her borscht was full of big chunks of cabbage and potato, while my Mom’s had lots of beets and finely chopped vegetable.  A day or so after we got to Brandon we biked to Kmart and I bought what I thought were M&Ms from the bulk candy counter….but with the first bite discovered they were Smarties, which gave candy-coated chocolate a whole different taste.

So there we were, two scared kids who didn’t know anyone other than these people we had just met and who were supposed to be our new grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Well we already had grandparents, aunts, and uncles back in California and we missed them fiercely….and we didn’t really want any new ones.

And there they were, two middle-aged adults landed with introducing us to our new home, dealing with our tangled long hair and braids as well as our homesickness.  It was only years later that I realized that it must have been nearly as hard for them as it was for us.

My mom and step-dad arrived a couple of weeks later and we moved into our new house, met the neighborhood kids, enrolled in school, and began to settle in….but it took a very long time for Brandon to feel like home, and an even longer time for us to figure out our relationship with my step-father’s parents.

For many years we didn’t even know what to call them!  They referred to themselves as Grandma and Grandpa, but we already had a Grandma and Grandpa who we dearly loved in California, so we simply didn’t call them anything at all…a situation that lasted through at least six years of weekly Sunday dinners, the arrival of my ½ brother (who did call them Grandma and Grandpa), innumerable holidays, and several more extended stays at their house while my mom and step-dad travelled. 

Eventually, and I don’t even remember how it happened, we hit upon the German term for grandparents, Oma and Opa.  It worked because by then we had grown to love them deeply and to think of them as grandparents of our hearts if not our blood, we didn't already have an Oma and Opa, and it also fit with Oma’s Mennonite German background.

We lost Oma nearly 25 years ago, but Opa has been a constant in my life since I was that scared 11 year old leaving everything familiar behind, and as I grew up I came to appreciate what a truly remarkable person he is.

He was raised on a collective farm in the Eastern Ukraine, which must have been a harsh place indeed during the Depression years of his childhood, and met Oma when they were both medical students (and part of a circle of friends that included my mother’s older sisters).  Displaced by World War II, they married and started their family in German refugee camps before emigrating to Canada where Oma had distant relatives.

He arrived in Canada with nothing except a young family, and upon discovering that his medical qualifications would not be recognized determined he would become a doctor anyway.  He put himself through medical school for the second time by working at a foundry at night, and then established himself as a General Practitioner in Brandon.

His life was marked by hard work and a determination to succeed.  He certainly was not one of those doctors who spend a day a week on the golf course!  I can remember hearing him leave the house in the dark early hours of the morning to do his hospital rounds before going to his office to see patients, rushing home for a quick lunch before more patient appointments, and then going back to the hospital for more rounds after dinner.

Eventually he sold his Brandon practice and “retired” to Victoria, British Columbia where he soon began working as a doctor in a walk-in clinic….a job he held until just before his 90^th birthday. 

When he wasn’t working as a doctor, he could usually be found working around the house and yard - mowing his lawn in precise diagonal stripes in the summer, shoveling his driveway down to bare concrete in the winter, working on the vegetable garden. 

Inside the house was Oma’s domain, and we had a running joke every Sunday after church when he would announce that he had been up all night cooking the feast before us (and it was always a feast).

After Oma died his daughter Valerie taught him housekeeping skills like cooking, cleaning and ironing and he took great pride in maintaining their condo and yard to Oma’s high standards, something he achieved right up until the day of his heart attack.

His steadfast belief in the value of work and his extremely high standards have meant that he hasn’t always been the easiest person to be around, especially if he felt you were not living up to his expectations or your potential (the same thing in his mind!), and all of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren (step or otherwise) have been on the receiving end of his “loving advice”. 

He has also been steadfast in his love and support.  One of the highlights of my adult life has been the twice-yearly cards (birthday and Christmas) from Opa, each with a money order in U.S. dollars so I can avoid currency exchange fees and, even more valuable to me, filled with handwritten motivational comments and quotes along.  He never forgot or even was late.

The latest of these cards arrived  in late August, just before my birthday, and among other things reminded me to “keep my smile on”.

So this blog post is for Opa, grandfather of my heart.   It is hard to “keep my smile on” as I think of you in your hospital bed, and I know I probably won’t get a chance to say good-bye in person.  Know that having you in my life is one of the things that made all of the challenges of moving to Brandon and figuring out how to navigate the new relationships created by our blended family worthwhile. 

Love,

Kathy