Making room while staying in your place...

This week I've had to redirect some of my actions and progress for my internship project. Due to the overwhelming success of the ALISS Book Drive, TH now has more books than it can successfully manage or house. Also, many of the fiction titles are suited for nothing more than entertainment, and there are even some that do not offer very positive or uplifting messages. The latter issue may indicate that the content of said titles are inconsistent with the mission, goals, and objectives of Theodora House and/or Volunteers of America, Indiana.

This revelation has presented me with a few other concerns that need to be addressed in the midst of the library development. First, when I began this project I didn't anticipate having to turn away or "deselect" materials acquired through donations. Second, since this was not an expectation, I did not have a strategy prepared that would dictate what would happen to these donations. And thirdly, I had to wrap my mind around the fact that even the books that were considered suitable for the library collection would all be competing for the already limited shelf space for them to reside. I began writing a collection development plan based on the mission and resources of TH, and though I had written one for class before, the weight of it all became very real this week.

Then, on top of all these challenges, my inner librarian urges me to keep one very important concept in mind while making these changes and adjustments: Intellectual Freedom. Aside from the space issue, it is difficult for me to exclude a book from the collection simply because someone within the organization might find the content/context inappropriate. However, in the same mind, I cannot disregard the vision that is endorsed by this organization in my efforts to serve it.

Sadly, I had to send a very large number of fiction titles to book heaven this week. The majority of them were discarded due to deterioration, age, or abuse. But many were thrown out too because if what they signified...is that right? Have I committed a cardinal librarian sin?

Under the Influence...

As I progress with my library development project at TH, I am finding that more and more of the residents and staff are expressing their interest in the project. Many of them want to know when it will be finished, many of them have concerns for the amount of space delegated for the large number of books we've received, many of them what to know how they can get involved, and many of them want to make sure that this is not some fair-weather project that will fade and disappear after a couple of months of hype.

I am so excited about all of these inquiries and concerns because just one month ago, there were very few people, including staff and residents, who knew or even cared about this project. I feel in some way, whether it be through my presence, my persistence, or my passion for my work thus far, I have encouraged this community to embrace the idea of having such a resource within their ownership. In turn, I have also had to accept the fact that my connection with this organization has afforded me the responsibility to continue to provide it with service long after my project is "complete". And so I find that both I and TH are influencing the attitudes and behaviors of each other as separate entities, as well as in partnership.

What's more is that I don't think that either of us bargained for such a bright future when we started this thing :-)

A little discouraged, a little overwhelmed...And then there was light!

This week I have been playing catch-up. I didn't get to spend much time at the site last week, so I had double the workload for this week and not enough time to do it.

As the book inventory portion of my project continues I have discovered that my initial plan for categorizing and organizing the books in the collection was a bit flawed, which in turn resulted in repeat work of what I already decided was complete work. So, I sighed, took a deep breath, and just pushed on.

There is also the task of deciding what books are unfit for the finished library collection. My supervisor has warned me that we will need to evaluate some of the materials to make sure that the content and messages that they offer are consistent with the mission of the organization. Some of the donated materials may not be suitable for the library. I wonder if a collection development plan is necessary...and if so, is this another elephant to add to my plate?

However, there is a silver lining to all of this; my highlight for the week. I am becoming well-acquainted with many of the staff members at the facility. One of them, who I engage in conversation frequently, said to me:

"You know, on your first visit, when you told us that you wanted to build us a library, I thought, 'Well, that's sweet of her, but we'll see what actually becomes of it.' And then, you started bringing in all those books and you showed us just how serious you were! And now, we are all very excited about what you're doing for us! This is all going to be so great when it is finished!" She continued, "Don't get discouraged. He has a plan, and you are in it. You are here for a reason!"

Enough said. No more complaints.

Progress and some friendly assistance...

This past Saturday was the first ALISS Service Learning meeting date for the library development project at Theodora House. As I reflect on the progress we made as a group over the weekend, I realize that this was a subtle opportunity (whether I recognized it, or not) for me to demonstrate my leadership abilities in a small team setting. However, I find it difficult to "lead the pack" when 1) the group is of 5 or less, and 2) I consider the members of the group friends. Now, in regards to this particular meeting, we all have a common interest in this library collection, and in the work we put into it. So the experience was very light, positive, and focused as we all knew what we were there to do. However, I wonder if under a different context how one would handle leading a group in a project where 1) Not everyone was interested in completing, and/or 2) There were personality conflicts between participants of the project.

This weeks readings from Bolton (1979) on the three approaches to relationships resonated with me as I thought about the habits I've adopted when leading and following others. As stated before, the experience I had this past weekend was a piece of cake! I was working with great people, and we all demonstrated a healthy balance of submission-assertion-aggression. But, what if it all played out differently... Say one of us was overly submissive and tried to take on the majority of the workload to please the rest of us. Or, maybe another of us might have thought that her ideas and processes superseded those of the rest of us, and they began to bully the project into what she thought was best. These are attitudes that I will need to be prepared to confront as this project continues to progress, and that I will need to have a strategy for diffusing in order to maintain the integrity of the work being done.

Bolton, Robert, Ph.D. (1979). People skills: How to assert yourself, listen to others, and resolve conflicts. Prentice Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ.