WEBVTT NOTE Created by CaptionSync from Automatic Sync Technologies www.automaticsync.com 00:00:00.036 --> 00:00:03.366 align:middle >> Thank you for having me, good evening, everybody, good evening, graduates. 00:00:03.366 --> 00:00:06.756 align:middle First of all, before I say anything, congratulations! 00:00:06.926 --> 00:00:11.286 align:middle I am so proud of the work that you've done and getting to this momentous occasion. 00:00:11.286 --> 00:00:13.616 align:middle It's such a momentous accomplishment. 00:00:14.356 --> 00:00:17.746 align:middle And you know, as I was thinking about what to say today, and I'm truly honored 00:00:17.746 --> 00:00:19.826 align:middle to have been asked to participate today. 00:00:19.826 --> 00:00:24.196 align:middle So I was thinking about what to say, I thought, you know, I could tell you all about myself. 00:00:24.406 --> 00:00:27.626 align:middle That I've been working in libraries for 30 years. 00:00:27.626 --> 00:00:32.306 align:middle That I taught for SJSU SLIS for seven years. 00:00:32.556 --> 00:00:34.576 align:middle That I am from Sri Lanka. 00:00:34.626 --> 00:00:36.046 align:middle That I'm an immigrant. 00:00:36.106 --> 00:00:37.276 align:middle That I'm a traveler. 00:00:37.346 --> 00:00:42.006 align:middle That I am unabashedly a crazy cat lady. 00:00:42.586 --> 00:00:46.056 align:middle But I thought I would rather spend my time talking about some of the lessons 00:00:46.056 --> 00:00:50.246 align:middle that I have learned in my years in the library profession. 00:00:50.246 --> 00:00:53.436 align:middle And hopefully just impart a few things upon you that you can walk away 00:00:53.436 --> 00:00:55.906 align:middle that will hopefully help you in your career. 00:00:56.146 --> 00:00:58.776 align:middle And I've really kind of divided it up into two things. 00:00:58.776 --> 00:01:02.256 align:middle One, the work we do every day on our jobs. 00:01:02.436 --> 00:01:03.736 align:middle Serving our community. 00:01:04.016 --> 00:01:05.966 align:middle And whatever kind of community that is. 00:01:06.916 --> 00:01:12.706 align:middle And then the other piece of being a librarian, and that is our profession. 00:01:12.706 --> 00:01:17.366 align:middle And how we have an impact on that profession and how we serve that profession. 00:01:17.366 --> 00:01:21.426 align:middle So I really want to make sure that I try and get to all of these. 00:01:21.426 --> 00:01:24.416 align:middle I've got like a little top 10 list that I'm going to share with you. 00:01:24.416 --> 00:01:29.366 align:middle And I'm not really sure if you can see it, but I've wearing my League 00:01:29.366 --> 00:01:31.416 align:middle of Extraordinary Librarianship shirt. 00:01:31.416 --> 00:01:35.436 align:middle Which was the theme of my presidential conference. 00:01:35.526 --> 00:01:37.466 align:middle So I'm really proud of it. 00:01:37.466 --> 00:01:40.496 align:middle And let me start with number one lesson 00:01:40.496 --> 00:01:44.766 align:middle that I've learned is start early and build your brand. 00:01:45.106 --> 00:01:49.486 align:middle We talk a lot about branding in the commercial sector. 00:01:49.486 --> 00:01:52.016 align:middle We talk a little bit about it in the public sector. 00:01:52.176 --> 00:01:53.186 align:middle But I'm not talking about that. 00:01:53.186 --> 00:01:56.006 align:middle I'm talking about your own individual, personal brand. 00:01:56.006 --> 00:01:59.386 align:middle And the importance to establish a strong brand. 00:01:59.386 --> 00:02:01.696 align:middle It is equally important. 00:02:02.056 --> 00:02:07.886 align:middle For me, when I started thinking about this, I thought about what my brand actually is. 00:02:07.886 --> 00:02:09.656 align:middle And I asked people around me. 00:02:09.716 --> 00:02:13.016 align:middle Hey, what would you say are the three words that would describe me? 00:02:13.016 --> 00:02:16.046 align:middle And then I thought, what are the words that I want to be? 00:02:16.816 --> 00:02:18.806 align:middle That I want people use to describe me? 00:02:18.806 --> 00:02:21.766 align:middle Where do I want to get to and what do I need to do to get there? 00:02:22.276 --> 00:02:29.256 align:middle And the words that reflect my brand are the words innovative, strategic, 00:02:29.696 --> 00:02:31.896 align:middle someone with a vision for the future. 00:02:32.386 --> 00:02:35.276 align:middle Trustworthy, that's really important to me. 00:02:35.276 --> 00:02:39.286 align:middle And then also, someone who believes in my team. 00:02:39.826 --> 00:02:42.386 align:middle Those are things that I find really important 00:02:42.386 --> 00:02:45.006 align:middle and I do everything to try and maintain that brand. 00:02:45.336 --> 00:02:47.956 align:middle This didn't happen overnight. 00:02:47.956 --> 00:02:49.866 align:middle It took years to build. 00:02:49.866 --> 00:02:52.506 align:middle And the importance of spending that time building 00:02:52.506 --> 00:02:55.646 align:middle that brand is you're really building brand equity. 00:02:55.646 --> 00:02:59.456 align:middle So inevitably, in our careers, we're going to fail at something. 00:02:59.456 --> 00:03:00.506 align:middle It's going to happen. 00:03:00.506 --> 00:03:01.306 align:middle It's okay. 00:03:01.306 --> 00:03:03.176 align:middle I'm here to tell you, it's okay. 00:03:03.176 --> 00:03:04.646 align:middle I have failed at many things. 00:03:04.646 --> 00:03:07.576 align:middle But that brand equity is what saves you. 00:03:07.576 --> 00:03:11.946 align:middle Because people look at you and go that's not who Michelle is, she's all these other things. 00:03:11.946 --> 00:03:13.716 align:middle And they look past that failure. 00:03:14.146 --> 00:03:16.186 align:middle They help you get through that failure. 00:03:16.336 --> 00:03:22.856 align:middle So really think about your brand image and think about perhaps what three to five words you want 00:03:22.856 --> 00:03:28.076 align:middle to reflect who you are and start working on that and building that that's who you're going to be. 00:03:29.426 --> 00:03:33.036 align:middle The second thing I will say, which is just as important, is be strategic. 00:03:33.646 --> 00:03:36.476 align:middle There are so many things to do all day long. 00:03:36.476 --> 00:03:39.936 align:middle We do not have time to get through everything that we need to do. 00:03:39.936 --> 00:03:43.626 align:middle So you have to be strategic in your decision making. 00:03:43.626 --> 00:03:49.086 align:middle Think about certain projects or services or pick things that are going 00:03:49.086 --> 00:03:51.266 align:middle to help you get to where you want to go. 00:03:51.416 --> 00:03:58.026 align:middle So for me, I wanted to try and have as much impact as I could both in my community, 00:03:58.026 --> 00:04:00.546 align:middle through my job, and also in my profession. 00:04:00.546 --> 00:04:06.136 align:middle And as I thought about that, like okay, what can I do to achieve that impact? 00:04:06.206 --> 00:04:12.136 align:middle So as a, I was probably a Librarian I or Librarian II, in the city that I worked for, 00:04:12.136 --> 00:04:17.316 align:middle I volunteered to help out with the EOC, the Emergency Operations Center. 00:04:17.616 --> 00:04:22.246 align:middle And the reason I did that is because all of the training, all of the meetings that revolved 00:04:22.246 --> 00:04:25.306 align:middle around that, were conducted by our city manager. 00:04:25.306 --> 00:04:27.876 align:middle So that put me in front of the right people. 00:04:27.876 --> 00:04:33.846 align:middle And it allowed them to see what I was capable of doing and it gave me a lot more latitude, 00:04:33.846 --> 00:04:38.876 align:middle a lot more experience, and a lot more potential for upward mobility in that organization. 00:04:39.846 --> 00:04:43.066 align:middle I also thought about the impact I want to make on my profession, 00:04:43.066 --> 00:04:45.266 align:middle which is equally important to me. 00:04:45.536 --> 00:04:50.616 align:middle And so, just like Lissa has made a huge impact on our profession 00:04:50.616 --> 00:04:52.596 align:middle through the American Library Association, 00:04:53.016 --> 00:04:58.676 align:middle I decided to work with the California Library Association and try and make an impact that way. 00:04:58.766 --> 00:05:02.146 align:middle And you know, it might be small, it might be large, 00:05:02.146 --> 00:05:07.456 align:middle but I spent the last 15 years volunteering from, you know, working on a conference 00:05:07.456 --> 00:05:11.766 align:middle to doing a program to being on the board and then being the president. 00:05:12.066 --> 00:05:17.546 align:middle And all of these things really helped me establish my brand and who I am. 00:05:17.546 --> 00:05:19.526 align:middle So those two go hand-in-hand. 00:05:20.586 --> 00:05:25.986 align:middle The third thing I will say is, and this was mentioned a few minutes ago, lead by example. 00:05:25.986 --> 00:05:29.316 align:middle It may sound cliche at times, but it's so true. 00:05:29.316 --> 00:05:32.156 align:middle We have to be able to walk the talk. 00:05:33.426 --> 00:05:35.826 align:middle You know, you can be a leader in any position. 00:05:35.826 --> 00:05:39.426 align:middle Don't have to just be a leader, you don't have to just be at the top to be a leader. 00:05:39.786 --> 00:05:41.256 align:middle You can lead from anywhere. 00:05:41.256 --> 00:05:46.076 align:middle But the important thing is think about those qualities that are important to you as a leader. 00:05:46.076 --> 00:05:47.456 align:middle Who have you seen? 00:05:47.456 --> 00:05:52.396 align:middle There's several people who are on here right now who are major leaders in the library profession. 00:05:52.396 --> 00:05:55.726 align:middle And think about the work that they've done and what they stand for. 00:05:56.756 --> 00:06:01.046 align:middle As you look at those characteristics and those traits, that's what you want to try. 00:06:01.046 --> 00:06:06.746 align:middle And if you want to embody those, you've got to walk that every single day and be that person. 00:06:06.826 --> 00:06:09.106 align:middle That's what other people are going to see. 00:06:09.106 --> 00:06:10.846 align:middle And it's so important to do that. 00:06:11.206 --> 00:06:12.336 align:middle Leaders have vision. 00:06:12.886 --> 00:06:15.076 align:middle They are strategic. 00:06:15.076 --> 00:06:18.926 align:middle Leaders in their organizations build a culture of trust. 00:06:18.926 --> 00:06:21.326 align:middle I can't emphasize how important that is. 00:06:21.596 --> 00:06:24.346 align:middle They inspire creativity in other people. 00:06:24.396 --> 00:06:30.246 align:middle And that is such an amazing thing to do, to be able to bring something out of someone else 00:06:30.246 --> 00:06:33.466 align:middle and empower them to be able to do things on their own. 00:06:33.696 --> 00:06:38.646 align:middle And they really are able to get people to follow them. 00:06:38.806 --> 00:06:41.456 align:middle And follow them in their vision that they have. 00:06:43.646 --> 00:06:45.016 align:middle And those are all big things. 00:06:45.266 --> 00:06:49.786 align:middle But leaders are also, they illustrate that nothing is beneath them. 00:06:50.106 --> 00:06:52.046 align:middle They're willing to do whatever it takes. 00:06:52.046 --> 00:06:55.896 align:middle And that sometimes means, and I am definitely one of those people, 00:06:55.896 --> 00:07:02.296 align:middle who at the end of a large event at my library or my recreation department, 00:07:02.296 --> 00:07:05.596 align:middle I am going to be the first person to help pick up a chair, fold a table, 00:07:05.596 --> 00:07:08.346 align:middle or fold down an easy-up and load the truck. 00:07:08.346 --> 00:07:13.046 align:middle Because it's important to stay humble and it's important for your team to see who you are 00:07:13.046 --> 00:07:19.656 align:middle and that you are willing to lead and do anything it takes to support the group. 00:07:19.656 --> 00:07:22.686 align:middle Number four, the next thing I'll mention is be innovative. 00:07:22.686 --> 00:07:24.516 align:middle Be creative. 00:07:25.246 --> 00:07:26.606 align:middle Reinvent something. 00:07:27.036 --> 00:07:29.296 align:middle That's so exciting to do. 00:07:29.296 --> 00:07:36.806 align:middle There's the business guru, Peter Drucker, who once said the only way 00:07:36.806 --> 00:07:39.596 align:middle to predict the future is to create it. 00:07:40.236 --> 00:07:41.516 align:middle Let that settle in for a minute. 00:07:42.226 --> 00:07:44.126 align:middle That means taking a risk. 00:07:44.126 --> 00:07:47.046 align:middle That means trying something perhaps you haven't tried. 00:07:47.046 --> 00:07:51.006 align:middle But it means creating something that perhaps never was. 00:07:51.006 --> 00:07:54.506 align:middle And that was just one of the most amazing things to try and do. 00:07:54.506 --> 00:08:00.966 align:middle So I encourage you to take the time to innovate, take the time to iterate, to trend watch 00:08:00.966 --> 00:08:04.886 align:middle and think about how you can change the way you do things. 00:08:05.086 --> 00:08:08.576 align:middle Or perhaps do something new that has never been done. 00:08:08.676 --> 00:08:13.506 align:middle A few years ago, my former boss was the president of CLA 00:08:13.506 --> 00:08:15.236 align:middle and he asked me to be his conference chair. 00:08:15.236 --> 00:08:18.826 align:middle And he said hey, really quick, come up with something 00:08:18.826 --> 00:08:20.776 align:middle for conference that's never been done before. 00:08:20.776 --> 00:08:23.536 align:middle I was like oh okay, let me come up with that really quick. 00:08:23.536 --> 00:08:28.066 align:middle And I thought about it for a while and thought what hasn't been don at conference? 00:08:28.066 --> 00:08:30.366 align:middle I mean, I'm sure there's lots of things that take money. 00:08:30.366 --> 00:08:31.636 align:middle So that was off the table. 00:08:32.546 --> 00:08:36.806 align:middle So, I said to him, hey, what if we, instead of stopping like we do normally our conference 00:08:36.806 --> 00:08:39.486 align:middle at 5 o'clock, what if we went all night long? 00:08:39.626 --> 00:08:42.106 align:middle And he was like oh hold on, that's a lot. 00:08:42.106 --> 00:08:42.746 align:middle And I said okay. 00:08:42.746 --> 00:08:45.096 align:middle What if we went until midnight or 1 o'clock in the morning? 00:08:45.236 --> 00:08:48.936 align:middle So anyway, out of these discussions came the Night Track 00:08:48.936 --> 00:08:52.226 align:middle at the California Library Association conference, which is super popular. 00:08:52.226 --> 00:08:57.306 align:middle And the first year we did it, I did a program at 10 o'clock on a Friday night on failure. 00:08:57.306 --> 00:09:02.086 align:middle And I had 200 people in that room wanting to listen 00:09:02.086 --> 00:09:05.346 align:middle to those library directors talk about a failure they'd had. 00:09:05.346 --> 00:09:09.076 align:middle It was an opportunity to do something different, something edgy. 00:09:09.486 --> 00:09:13.836 align:middle We knew there were lots of new librarians coming into the profession who wanted 00:09:13.836 --> 00:09:18.676 align:middle to spend time together, wanted to socialize, who wanted to be out later than 5 o'clock. 00:09:18.936 --> 00:09:20.746 align:middle Who wanted a bar. 00:09:20.746 --> 00:09:23.366 align:middle And so we provided all of those things. 00:09:23.366 --> 00:09:26.026 align:middle And that Night Track is still going on today. 00:09:26.896 --> 00:09:31.336 align:middle In my job, when I was the Director of the Rancho Cucamonga Library, actually, 00:09:31.546 --> 00:09:33.266 align:middle this was when I was the assistant director. 00:09:34.286 --> 00:09:37.956 align:middle We had started introducing toys into the children's room. 00:09:37.956 --> 00:09:40.436 align:middle Which most libraries have done. 00:09:40.576 --> 00:09:47.026 align:middle And one day I was at a museum and I saw this geography exhibit that really captured me. 00:09:47.026 --> 00:09:54.286 align:middle And I thought to myself, as I was coming home, I thought wow, what if we were to create some kind 00:09:54.286 --> 00:09:59.646 align:middle of interactive exhibit for our children's room that featured all of these different kinds 00:09:59.646 --> 00:10:02.976 align:middle of toys or different kinds of play and tactical experiences? 00:10:04.546 --> 00:10:09.816 align:middle And we got a grant to do a proof of concept, hired a museum designer. 00:10:09.816 --> 00:10:13.546 align:middle And we created these interactive exhibits that were scalable, 00:10:13.546 --> 00:10:17.006 align:middle that were small enough for a library to use. 00:10:17.336 --> 00:10:20.436 align:middle And that were flexible and moveable and all of that. 00:10:20.436 --> 00:10:23.156 align:middle And they were the most popular things in our library. 00:10:23.186 --> 00:10:29.036 align:middle And what was great was all these other libraries heard about it and we ended up selling like 50 00:10:29.036 --> 00:10:34.926 align:middle or 60 of these museum exhibits, really, that worked in libraries to other libraries. 00:10:34.926 --> 00:10:38.506 align:middle And it was great to be able to create something that wasn't. 00:10:38.696 --> 00:10:40.736 align:middle And introduce it into the library world. 00:10:40.736 --> 00:10:43.286 align:middle And really try a different type of service model. 00:10:44.166 --> 00:10:47.686 align:middle So the bottom line is, look around you all the time. 00:10:48.106 --> 00:10:51.806 align:middle Whether you're at the grocery store, whether you're online at the gas station, whatever. 00:10:51.806 --> 00:10:55.486 align:middle There are so many places that you can look and get inspiration. 00:10:56.026 --> 00:10:59.816 align:middle You just have to always think about how could I apply this to what I'm doing at work? 00:10:59.816 --> 00:11:01.366 align:middle Or what am I doing in my profession? 00:11:01.366 --> 00:11:03.846 align:middle And think of that way to translate it. 00:11:03.846 --> 00:11:09.696 align:middle And that will really give you a leg up on a lot of other people who don't think like that. 00:11:09.696 --> 00:11:12.426 align:middle Next thing I'll say is pay it forward. 00:11:13.666 --> 00:11:19.736 align:middle Everyone here who's spoken today has had someone in their career or probably someones 00:11:19.736 --> 00:11:23.506 align:middle who have been remarkable and done something great for them. 00:11:23.506 --> 00:11:26.366 align:middle I know I've had great mentors in my career. 00:11:26.366 --> 00:11:29.016 align:middle And I am so grateful to them. 00:11:29.016 --> 00:11:30.396 align:middle They've helped me on my journey. 00:11:30.396 --> 00:11:34.596 align:middle And they've really helped me, you know, through their generous spirit, become who I am today. 00:11:34.596 --> 00:11:37.396 align:middle So I would say you know, be a mentor one day. 00:11:37.396 --> 00:11:42.776 align:middle Get involved with an organization like Lissa has, like ALA, 00:11:42.776 --> 00:11:45.516 align:middle or like I did with the California Library Association. 00:11:45.516 --> 00:11:48.326 align:middle Or PLA or Reformer or [inaudible], there's so many. 00:11:48.326 --> 00:11:54.806 align:middle Become a member, volunteer, and give back to our profession and to the next generation 00:11:54.806 --> 00:11:57.486 align:middle of librarians as you go on in your career. 00:11:57.596 --> 00:12:03.896 align:middle Like I said, I volunteered for many years for CLA, and I've never regretted one minute of it. 00:12:03.896 --> 00:12:05.396 align:middle It's really been very fulfilling. 00:12:05.396 --> 00:12:10.876 align:middle And it's important for us to really make sure we're giving back to our profession. 00:12:10.876 --> 00:12:16.436 align:middle The next thing I'll say is ask yourself a question when you're faced with issues. 00:12:16.526 --> 00:12:18.166 align:middle Is this your hill to die on? 00:12:18.846 --> 00:12:22.116 align:middle There are so many things that you're going to come up with. 00:12:22.116 --> 00:12:26.816 align:middle And I was just, you know, just starting out, I probably felt like everything was a problem. 00:12:26.816 --> 00:12:30.036 align:middle It's like I blew up everything, I made it bigger than it needed to be. 00:12:30.496 --> 00:12:33.686 align:middle And if it's just the usual routine stuff that's bugging you at work, 00:12:33.686 --> 00:12:36.286 align:middle you know, that's why we get a paycheck. 00:12:36.286 --> 00:12:36.976 align:middle Let it go. 00:12:37.036 --> 00:12:39.536 align:middle We have so many other hills to die on. 00:12:39.836 --> 00:12:43.806 align:middle Lissa mentioned some of them that we really need to focus on as librarians. 00:12:43.806 --> 00:12:47.396 align:middle And you guys are coming out of library school at such a great time. 00:12:48.586 --> 00:12:51.076 align:middle You know, we're in this post-pandemic world 00:12:51.076 --> 00:12:54.596 align:middle and we are really reinventing the way that libraries are getting used. 00:12:54.596 --> 00:12:57.596 align:middle Because people, the way people do things has changed. 00:12:57.986 --> 00:13:02.386 align:middle The way we eat, the way we pick up food, all of that has changed. 00:13:02.386 --> 00:13:04.956 align:middle So, and libraries have, too, and our traffic has. 00:13:04.956 --> 00:13:07.326 align:middle So you're coming out at such a great time to do that. 00:13:08.136 --> 00:13:12.516 align:middle But some of the things that you're going to have to really take the mantle on is freedom to read. 00:13:12.516 --> 00:13:17.986 align:middle You know, I cannot believe we're still having this conversation about banned books in 2023. 00:13:17.986 --> 00:13:19.246 align:middle I mean, this is ridiculous. 00:13:19.246 --> 00:13:21.666 align:middle But this is something that we are dealing with. 00:13:21.666 --> 00:13:27.116 align:middle Sustainability for funding sustainability in libraries is something huge. 00:13:27.116 --> 00:13:30.066 align:middle And that is something that we really need to think about. 00:13:30.406 --> 00:13:34.986 align:middle You know, when you look at an organization like a city or a county and you're funneling 00:13:34.986 --> 00:13:37.726 align:middle so much money into public safety. 00:13:37.726 --> 00:13:39.396 align:middle And I'm not saying that that's not important. 00:13:39.396 --> 00:13:43.816 align:middle But the more money put into libraries and community services and 0 to 5 00:13:43.816 --> 00:13:47.426 align:middle and after school programs, the less money down the road you're going 00:13:47.426 --> 00:13:49.006 align:middle to have to put into public safety. 00:13:49.046 --> 00:13:49.866 align:middle That is proven. 00:13:49.866 --> 00:13:53.126 align:middle So, that is something else that you're going to have to contend 00:13:53.126 --> 00:13:55.176 align:middle with as you're coming out of this. 00:13:55.356 --> 00:14:01.106 align:middle And I will say, librarians have been talking about equity since God was child. 00:14:01.106 --> 00:14:04.406 align:middle I mean, this has been part of our language forever. 00:14:04.406 --> 00:14:05.986 align:middle I've never known it not to be. 00:14:06.396 --> 00:14:11.486 align:middle And now, the rest of the world seems to have jumped on board about equity and diversity. 00:14:11.756 --> 00:14:15.716 align:middle But it seems like whenever we take a step forward, we're taking steps back 00:14:15.716 --> 00:14:17.876 align:middle when it comes to diversity and LGBT. 00:14:17.876 --> 00:14:23.556 align:middle And we need to really make sure that we are on the right side of that in libraries. 00:14:25.116 --> 00:14:31.666 align:middle So all of these things, so my message is, really think about is this your hill to die on? 00:14:31.666 --> 00:14:33.736 align:middle And which ones are you going to choose? 00:14:34.006 --> 00:14:36.286 align:middle The next thing I'll say is have a nimble career plan. 00:14:36.396 --> 00:14:41.856 align:middle And I say nimble because you want to be able to move and bob and weave as you need 00:14:41.856 --> 00:14:44.206 align:middle to when new opportunities come up. 00:14:44.356 --> 00:14:48.516 align:middle There's -- it's always important to have, even if it's a one year plan, that's okay, 00:14:48.516 --> 00:14:50.466 align:middle or three year, five year, even a 10 year. 00:14:50.466 --> 00:14:52.016 align:middle It really doesn't matter. 00:14:52.016 --> 00:14:55.136 align:middle Just have an idea of what you want to do. 00:14:55.136 --> 00:14:56.636 align:middle The skills that you're going to need. 00:14:56.756 --> 00:14:59.656 align:middle The training you're going to need to achieve that. 00:14:59.656 --> 00:15:02.336 align:middle It is so crucial because things will happen. 00:15:02.336 --> 00:15:04.926 align:middle And it might not happen right in front of you where you think it will. 00:15:04.926 --> 00:15:06.566 align:middle It might happen over there. 00:15:07.156 --> 00:15:11.626 align:middle And you have to be always thinking at gosh, will that get me where I want to be? 00:15:12.166 --> 00:15:18.626 align:middle Decide on the kind of impact you want to have in your job, in your profession. 00:15:18.626 --> 00:15:21.256 align:middle And think of the -- look for the opportunities that are going to give you that. 00:15:21.846 --> 00:15:24.156 align:middle For instance, do you want to supervise or manage? 00:15:24.646 --> 00:15:28.426 align:middle What training or skills are going to make you more marketable to get to that role? 00:15:28.426 --> 00:15:32.136 align:middle What can you volunteer to do in your job that's going to give you what you need 00:15:32.136 --> 00:15:34.326 align:middle to then be competitive for that next job? 00:15:34.656 --> 00:15:36.276 align:middle Do you want to be a director? 00:15:37.246 --> 00:15:38.456 align:middle I'm hoping some of you do. 00:15:38.456 --> 00:15:41.316 align:middle But it's not for everyone. 00:15:41.316 --> 00:15:46.706 align:middle But what I would encourage anyone who's interested in really moving up 00:15:46.706 --> 00:15:51.986 align:middle and becoming a director and trying to effect change is to not stop at being a director. 00:15:52.376 --> 00:15:54.946 align:middle Please, if you hear nothing else from me, hear this. 00:15:55.176 --> 00:16:01.376 align:middle It is so -- as a library director, I am given a pot of money to spend every year. 00:16:01.376 --> 00:16:04.946 align:middle And if I want more money, I've got, you know, I've got to do a lot 00:16:04.946 --> 00:16:06.386 align:middle of maneuvering to try and get it. 00:16:06.386 --> 00:16:09.216 align:middle Or I've got a fundraiser, I've got to go to my friends. 00:16:09.656 --> 00:16:12.216 align:middle I wish I thought about this earlier in my career. 00:16:12.716 --> 00:16:15.296 align:middle Is think about what's beyond a library director. 00:16:15.296 --> 00:16:22.706 align:middle If you can become a city manager, or a county CAO, or the director of a school 00:16:22.706 --> 00:16:25.716 align:middle or the dean of a school, or of a museum. 00:16:26.376 --> 00:16:32.936 align:middle These are the decision makers that decide where the pots of money go and who gets it. 00:16:32.986 --> 00:16:35.406 align:middle That's where we need more librarians to go. 00:16:35.406 --> 00:16:38.486 align:middle We need you to move up into those decision making roles. 00:16:38.486 --> 00:16:40.516 align:middle Even into those political roles. 00:16:40.516 --> 00:16:43.096 align:middle Because that is what's going to make a difference. 00:16:43.096 --> 00:16:46.826 align:middle And give libraries far more power than we already do. 00:16:46.826 --> 00:16:49.066 align:middle If you hear nothing else, I hope you hear that. 00:16:50.356 --> 00:16:54.856 align:middle The next thing I will say, and I'm sorry I'm moving quickly, but I want to get through my 10. 00:16:55.006 --> 00:16:56.986 align:middle Please celebrate success. 00:16:56.986 --> 00:17:01.506 align:middle I cannot emphasize how important it is to celebrate success. 00:17:01.506 --> 00:17:06.226 align:middle You all need to celebrate this accomplishment that you have just achieved. 00:17:06.226 --> 00:17:09.076 align:middle It is remarkable, it is important. 00:17:09.076 --> 00:17:10.586 align:middle And you need to take a moment. 00:17:11.936 --> 00:17:17.776 align:middle And when I talk about what you've got right now is true success, I mean it's huge. 00:17:18.126 --> 00:17:20.606 align:middle But success is also trying. 00:17:20.736 --> 00:17:23.556 align:middle And that is something that we sometimes forget about. 00:17:23.806 --> 00:17:27.126 align:middle The importance of celebrating someone who tried. 00:17:27.316 --> 00:17:34.296 align:middle One thing we try and do, and I try and do, is whenever we do some large staff report 00:17:34.296 --> 00:17:38.276 align:middle for city council or get something that's almost across a finish line, 00:17:38.276 --> 00:17:40.866 align:middle we celebrate turning in the grant application. 00:17:41.206 --> 00:17:42.436 align:middle Never mind that we get it. 00:17:42.686 --> 00:17:46.576 align:middle It's important to try and celebrate those accomplishments. 00:17:46.576 --> 00:17:48.956 align:middle Because that's, it was a heavy lift for people. 00:17:48.956 --> 00:17:53.386 align:middle So think about celebrating the try as well as the success. 00:17:53.606 --> 00:17:57.556 align:middle It can be simple, it can be a hey, thanks so much, great job. 00:17:57.556 --> 00:17:59.536 align:middle It could be a handwritten note. 00:17:59.536 --> 00:18:01.796 align:middle I will tell you, a handwritten note goes a long way. 00:18:02.516 --> 00:18:05.256 align:middle Or an email or a cupcake or a cookie or a party. 00:18:06.446 --> 00:18:14.496 align:middle One of my proudest moments of my career was 10 years ago, my library won the National Medal. 00:18:14.606 --> 00:18:17.676 align:middle Which is given out by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. 00:18:17.676 --> 00:18:20.436 align:middle And we got to travel to Washington DC 00:18:20.436 --> 00:18:24.416 align:middle and Mrs. Obama presented my library with this National Medal. 00:18:24.416 --> 00:18:27.526 align:middle Talk about like the eclipse of a career. 00:18:28.726 --> 00:18:36.416 align:middle But as great as that was, the most exciting thing was the week before we had a huge party 00:18:36.416 --> 00:18:38.126 align:middle to tell staff we had won. 00:18:38.766 --> 00:18:44.096 align:middle And we invited anyone we could think of that had some kind of influence. 00:18:44.096 --> 00:18:47.806 align:middle Other library people, people in the community, to have a party 00:18:47.806 --> 00:18:50.416 align:middle and just celebrate the work of achieving that. 00:18:50.646 --> 00:18:55.376 align:middle To really think about the importance of celebrating those wins. 00:18:56.496 --> 00:19:05.536 align:middle And then sometimes I'll say take time to reflect on those special moments in your career. 00:19:06.226 --> 00:19:09.186 align:middle Sometimes we've all had one of those days. 00:19:09.186 --> 00:19:14.756 align:middle We may have had many of those days where we have self-doubt, and you know, quite frankly, 00:19:14.756 --> 00:19:16.686 align:middle maybe we're throwing ourselves a little pity party. 00:19:16.686 --> 00:19:17.996 align:middle I know I've done it. 00:19:18.306 --> 00:19:22.006 align:middle It is in those moments that I take time to reflect on some 00:19:22.006 --> 00:19:23.846 align:middle of the special moments in my career. 00:19:24.656 --> 00:19:27.586 align:middle Obviously the National Medal was, you know, one of those. 00:19:28.636 --> 00:19:33.406 align:middle But I remember probably about 10 years ago I ran into a former student of mine 00:19:33.406 --> 00:19:35.536 align:middle who wasn't sure what she wanted to do. 00:19:35.536 --> 00:19:39.496 align:middle And she went through our class, we taught reference. 00:19:39.496 --> 00:19:42.816 align:middle This is how long ago this was, when it was required. 00:19:43.136 --> 00:19:45.106 align:middle And we taught a reference class. 00:19:45.106 --> 00:19:50.536 align:middle And she came out of that class feeling she was going to be a public librarian. 00:19:50.536 --> 00:19:56.066 align:middle And when she ran into me probably five, six years after she graduated she saw me 00:19:56.066 --> 00:19:59.146 align:middle and she literally threw her arms around me and said I just want to thank you, 00:19:59.146 --> 00:20:00.976 align:middle you changed my life with that class. 00:20:01.506 --> 00:20:06.556 align:middle And that is a moment that when I have a bad day, I look back on and think about. 00:20:07.026 --> 00:20:12.426 align:middle I think about the time when we had this huge black history night celebration 00:20:12.426 --> 00:20:14.696 align:middle with about 500 people at the library. 00:20:14.986 --> 00:20:18.596 align:middle And this one mom came to me with her about five year old son 00:20:18.596 --> 00:20:22.436 align:middle and she said I never had anything like this growing up as a child. 00:20:22.756 --> 00:20:25.986 align:middle And you are changing these children's lives by doing this. 00:20:25.986 --> 00:20:31.316 align:middle And I knew the importance of that program to her and her family in that moment. 00:20:31.316 --> 00:20:36.486 align:middle And how important it was to keep doing programs like that. 00:20:36.486 --> 00:20:43.006 align:middle And I will be really honest with you, I graduated, gosh, I finished in 1996 in December 00:20:43.006 --> 00:20:50.126 align:middle and I graduated at the ceremony in May of 1997 from San Jose State. 00:20:50.126 --> 00:20:54.706 align:middle And this is when we had the split campus and I was down south. 00:20:54.786 --> 00:20:59.596 align:middle And I will tell you that it is full circle for me to be able to speak to you here today. 00:20:59.596 --> 00:21:03.126 align:middle And this moment right now will be one of those moments that stay 00:21:03.126 --> 00:21:04.536 align:middle with me that I will look back on. 00:21:04.536 --> 00:21:08.976 align:middle So I thank you for including me today, and I thank you for listening. 00:21:09.206 --> 00:21:14.626 align:middle It you for selecting librarianship as your calling in your life. 00:21:14.716 --> 00:21:21.966 align:middle I wish you all a career filled with success, with fulfillment, and with a little surprise. 00:21:22.856 --> 00:21:26.806 align:middle Congratulations, graduates on your graduation. 00:21:27.066 --> 00:21:29.026 align:middle On this momentous occasion. 00:21:29.206 --> 00:21:31.556 align:middle And I will leave you with number 10. 00:21:31.556 --> 00:21:33.216 align:middle My 10th tip. 00:21:33.216 --> 00:21:40.566 align:middle And that is something that I was told on my graduation day by someone very important to me 00:21:40.566 --> 00:21:45.736 align:middle and wrote it down on a little card which is still on my refrigerator 27 years later. 00:21:45.896 --> 00:21:49.916 align:middle And he said, and I am saying this to you, do great things. 00:21:50.536 --> 00:21:51.506 align:middle Thank you very much.