Mentoring Matters

Zahra and I want to thank everyone who attended our Mentoring Matters session at this year's New York Library Association conference in Buffalo, NY. Here is a copy of our presentation. Enjoy!

Mentoring Matters: Pathways to Career Building (.pdf)

Managing Team Conflict

There is a great white paper posted on TechRepublic dealing with the topic of managers and effective management of team conflict. This skill should be a core competency for all managers. Discussion includes recognizing team conflict symptoms, determining how to address team conflict, and improving a manager's ability to build teams that can deal effectively with both healthy and unhealthy conflict.

Rob Cullin and I will also be addressing some of this in Talking without Jargon to be presented at the PLA 2008 National Conference in Minneapolis, March 25-29, 2008.

For the complete article, see Effectively Managing Team Conflict

Staff Space Revamps

I've recently had several inquiries asking for my ideas on staff spaces and quick revamps. Here are a few thoughts:

- Paint walls with a fresh, warm coat of paint and paint trim to brighten and add a sense of style to the room

- Add new cabinets and/or storage units

- Install new carpet or laminate wood flooring (and possibly an area rug)

- Replace table(s) and chairs with a new setting

- If space allows, add comfortable seating (i.e. soft seating) that coordinates with the new room

- Add curtains or other interesting window treatments

- Keep mechanical units (e.g. air conditioning and heating units) hidden from sight
- Add artwork to add to the comfortable feeling and avoid that institutional look and feel

- Make sure your wireless network extend into the staff area. Is there a computer for staff personal use?

- Purchase a small stereo or iPod docking station with speakers for staff to share and listen to music (under $100)

Rules for Brainstorming

No matter whether you're working to build staff relations and communications (e.g. Library/IT relationships) or conducting focus groups with the public, brainstorming is a great tool for improving communication and increasing collaboration. Sound easy? Not always. Brainstorming sessions can often turn into chaotic messes or unproductive shouting matches if not handled correctly. Below are a few tips for keeping things on the right track for communicating in an open, positive, and effective way.

1. Choose a topic
2. Assign someone to take notes
3. Go around the room – 1 idea per person
4. Think quantity, not quality
5. Say “pass” if no idea
6. Do not criticize or discuss ideas
7. Good natured laughter is okay
8. Exaggeration is encouraged!
9. Spend 20 – 30 minutes brainstorming

When you’re done brainstorming, move on to discussing the ideas that stood out during the brainstorming session. What ideas really work? What don’t? Decide what ideas to “act” on - the key word being "act."

Talking Without Jargon

At the 2006 NYLA Conference in Saratoga Springs, Rob Cullin and I presented a presentation called "Talking Without Jargon." Rob and I talked about developing successful Library / IT relationships. We discussed what is needed for a good working reltationship and how that relationship can improve library service. Our talk was based on the concepts presented in our book Technology Made Simple (ALA, 2007).

For additional information and comments visit NYLA-SMART (New York Library Association - Section on Management of Information Resources and Technology).

Community Involvement - Teen Library Board Members

I've been talking a lot lately about new approaches for public libraries, especially in relation to community involvement. It's no secret that I am a huge proponent of getting feedback and input from the community in regard to library decision making. Many libraries have shown their openness to involving adult patrons (users and non-users) in this way using fairly traditional approaches such as conducting surveys, holding focus groups and/or information sessions, and/or including patrons on committees.

The next jump in library evolution includes active and ongoing teen participation and partnerships. Over the past 10 years, Teen Advisory Boards (TABs) have grown in popularity and number, in both public and school environments. This has been a big step in teen involvement. Over the past couple years, a few libraries have stepped up to the plate to include young adults in focus groups and committee work. What's really exciting is the forward leap that libraries like Multnomah County Library (OR) are taking -- they are changing the "rules" to include teen members on their Library Board.

Ellen Fader, Multnomah’s Youth Services Coordinator, felt it was an idea whose time had come and the director and chair of the Library Advisory Board (LAB) agreed. The LAB proposed changes to county code under which they were established. The Library Advisory Board proposes the following changes to Multnomah County Code:

• Increase the number of board members in (A) from "15" to "17"
• Add the following subsection: (D) Two of the board members shall be youth representatives. a) Youth board members shall be appointed by the County Chair, subject to Board approval, and shall be between the ages of 13 and 17 at the time of their appointment. Youth board members shall be users of the Multnomah County Library and be available to serve the entire tenure of his or her term. b) Youth board members shall serve for a term of two years, without the possibility of reappointment. The terms of the two youth board members shall be staggered by one year. To facilitate the staggering of terms, the initial appointment of a youth board member shall be for the term of one year. c) Other than the limitations placed herein, youth commissioners shall share equally in all other powers and responsibilities afforded members of the library board.

The motion passed unanimously! I am a big fan of Ellen, the Multnomah staff, their Director, and the chair of the Library Advisory Board (LAB). I applaud them for their willingness to move forward and include teenagers in decision-making for “their” library.

Visit Multnomah County Library at www.multcolib.org.