Fiels identifies education, democracy, and driving force in economy as 3 main public services that libraries deliver. He also points out that attendance and circulation has grown significantly during this economic downturn.
The irony: as libraries become more valuable to the community, their budgets are increasingly jeopardized.
In response to current situation, Fiels announced that the ALA is busy advocating for libraries and providing tool kits to help state and local libraries make a case for survival.
His presentation left me surprisingly upbeat. He is right. We have to make a case for what we do. Not just in bad economic times, but all the time.
It is imperative for an organization’s survival to account for the value it creates.
We must continually strive to understand the full impact of what we do and seek to identify and cultivate its fullest potential. It is then that our work achieves its highest purpose. It is then that our organization is successful.
These are extraordinary times. Times that I believe are rich with extraordinary opportunity. Let us uncover that opportunity. Let us understand the breadth and depth of what we do. Let us all make a case for ourselves and our organizations.
Stand up and be accounted.
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