'Fotched-On' Librarian

Newsletter September

Promoting an Eclectic Librarianship in Rural Appalachia Are You A Gaebler? . . .

Be one or be out of business!
As a noun, a Gaebler is a person who is able to succeed even though the odds are against him or her. I think you could say that handicapped athletes are Gaeblers; or cancer survivors, or even premature babies. But did you know that the term can also be used as a verb? It means to persevere and succeed especially when others dont think you can. Gaebler not only personifies the plight of the underdog, but is also used to denote action! So how does Gaebling relate to rural librarianship? In your small or rural community what do you think your odds of survival are? Is your library able to go the distance and face the years ahead financially and technologically? Have you secured the hearts of your residents with an emotional connection through your staff, your services and your story? Do you have the attention and dedication of the influentials in your community who can provide and promote necessities for your continued existence? As a librarian, if youre not Gaebling, the answer to all of the above is No, and your odds of survival are less than none. What you need is direction for getting personal. Do you know that philanthropy giving has increased every year by 6 or 7%? Do you know that 82% of all philanthropy is given by individuals? And that traditionally, library donors are usually older people? Do you know that the largest challenge to fundraising success is negativity or fear? And that effective advocacy is the heart of fundraising? So how do you stay in business?

WELCOME
It is my hope that you will find the content of this newsletter helpful as you strive to serve your community and embed your library into its DNA. Please share what you like with others by sharing this newsletter with a friend. Thank you.

THE QUOTE
The library should function as the interpreter of the desires of its service community. The worth of that library will be judged by its ability to satisfy the needs of the community. Nancy C. Ruccio

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT ON THE NEWSLETTER ?

The first rule for creating a successful advocacy campaign is to create an idea in which you believe. Nobody wants to support a looser, so the Gaebler needs to create a strong and consistent personality for his/her library through the staff and the services. Part of the objective should be to create a fundraising staff within your library and promote fundraising programs which are always in line with your community needs. Your library services should adapt to the relevant needs and interests of your community, and your staff must be approachable, reasonable and supporting. Fundraising is a science. Because the flavor of your board has the potential to make or break your library, recruit members who know former elected officials; who are not necessarily book lovers, but rather, movers and shakers; not necessarily library users, but Civic minded influential, philanthropic individuals. Make sure you focus on retaining loyalty. Individualize your membership campaigns. Become personal with your donors through personal contact; personal letters; telephone follow-up; end of year gifts; donor recognition events, lunches, etc. Because like attracts like and strengthens your position, use your givers to recruit others. As a Gaebler, your stand should be strategic, persistent and unique. If youre going after a foundation, focus on projects which align with the organizations interests. If youre going after a family foundation, focus locally and if youre going after an individual, use personal recognition to create a strong partnership. Fundraising is an art. Giving is a personal commitment. Invite donors by playing to your strengths with fresh ideas. Create a compelling case through specific goals and a strong staff. Your proven strategy should include: Identifying donors Cultivate relationships with them Solicit them Steward them A Gaebler is no whiner. To survive, your small or rural library must nurture relationships to create your very own advocacy champions. So, create a high personal relevance factor for your library within your community.

Are you resistant to change? Do you like things the way they are? Perhaps your librarys greatest challenge is your attitude . . .

MORE ABOUT ADVOCACY AND FUNDRAISING

How to raise money for your rural library Use some of these ideas or call your very own library fundraiser specialist! Go Kroger!

WHAT IS A 'FOTCHED-ON' LIBRARIAN?

Check out this link to see if you qualify! Special Libraries

THE QUOTE
Libraries are unique. They have the potential to serve people from pre-natal to golden age. What other public agency has the same potential?

Nancy C. Ruccio Be a Gaebler Librarian and survive against the odds! IN THIS ISSUE Gaebling for Entrepreneurs No Librarian Left Behind: Career Pathing

PRESENTATIONS FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND PUBLIC USE

Video presentations available at

Its All About Who Knows You . . .

So get known!
Have you created your career? Do you understand how to develop your professional skills to enhance your resume? How you feel about yourself affects how others perceive you by about 20% whether for the good or bad. Understanding yourself and your role in your library enables you to excel. This is how you gain credibility. Understanding your next step is key to your career happiness, and career pathing is critical to remaining engaged on the job. Seek out and get clarity on your next challenge. Make sure you understand how your role contributes to your librarys objective. Whats your function? Are you in a rejuvenating role? A brand awareness role? Is your mission to delight the customer? Knowing how your role fits into the big picture will give you inspiration, a sense of accomplishment adding to your career confidence, and will help you to understand your physical impact. Because its not about who you know, but rather, who knows you! Simple Win #1: Listen and Communicate Be sure you pay attention and learn from others to become more productive. It doesnt have to relate to your skills set. It may be as simple as understanding how to work with customers or even the

'Fotched-On' Librarian's Channel PowerPoint presentations available at The Settlement Library Project Published Works available at Fotched-On Librarians Documents Profile available at 'Fotched-On' Librarian's Network

ONLINE SEMINARS
Library Journal Webcast Archives WebJunction Webinar Archives SirsiDynix Institute Webcast Archives

media. The world is full of people just waiting for their turn to talk. You can really distinguish yourself by simply listening to others. Ask questions. Remember important details. There is no better way to make a person feel valued than to spend some of your focus on them, and the ability to listen is a primary skill needful for success. As information professionals, letting people wait for answers is very unproductive. If you are in an email environment, return them promptly. If you are at the reference desk, dont leave the hold button on. And let people know what you are doing in the library setting. Talk to people; give them a heads-up on your projects. Bad communicators are plentiful - Dont be one of them. Remember to listen and communicate to make your impression on others a positive one, because first impressions generally stick. Simple Win #2: Embrace Integrity Make integrity part of your physical resume and bring integrity to your job. Whether you are running things or cleaning the bathrooms, be honest in all you do. Be accountable to peers, coworkers and customers alike. Follow through, because honesty and reliability can make or break your credibility as a professional and make your career pathing efforts fruitless. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Consider how you can go above and beyond your job description to make your library a community hub. Come up with your own ideas and work to implement them. Stretching yourself will only add to your marketability putting your library on the map. Seek to form partnerships with those around you that utilize everyones best points. Remember that people hear what they see, so let them see you as the complete professional in word and deed. Simple Win #3: Build Relationships The basis of career pathing is success, and building relationships is the

IS YOUR RURAL LIBRARY A SETTLEMENT LIBRARY? IT'S ALL ABOUT ACTION . . .

A 'Settlement Library' is a social enterprise and symbolic site of collective memory for each individual rural community it serves. A 'Settlement Library' encourages individual learning and self-mastery as a way to address change personally, socially, environmentally, and politically. A Settlement Library is a trusted neighborhood think-tank, equitable source for civic thinking, and clearinghouse for community-wide resources.

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foundation for success. Once you have established your ability to listen and communicate with others, share knowledge, share assignments, and share credit. Help others to get where they are going by recognizing the contributions of those around you. Dont take anything for granted. Even if you work primarily alone be sure to make time to get involved with others. You never know when you may need something that someone else has to offer. And dont disconnect when partnering is needed for others to excel at what they do. Be everyones advocate and everyone will advocate you. Remember that the greatest impact you can forge in your field is through positive representation of yourself and your industry. So create yourself through a physical resume which everyone can easily see and define.

ARE YOU A FREE AGENT?

Open to Create Less is More Able to Deliver Ready to Impact

THINK ABOUT IT

Housekeeping Tricks of the Trade . . .

For the rural librarian, funds may be scarce for housekeeping. Here are some easy solutions to everyday problems in the library that wont break the bank.

THE QUOTE
A library is part of a social organization and librarianship is a social process inextricably bound up with the life of a community. D.J. Foskett

Your air is polluted!

The U.S. Environmental Protection agency estimates that indoor air is two to five times as polluted as air on the other side of the window. The American Lung Association claims even higher levels and calls indoor pollution a health hazard for millions of Americans with asthma or allergies. Indoor pollutants range from visible particles of dust, pollen and smoke to invisible combustion byproducts such as carbon smoke, carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide, as well as other gaseous invaders such as fumes from carpet adhesives and upholstery. For the small library there are two commonsense approaches: ventilation and controlling the pollutant at the source. If dust is a problem in your library, you might want to leave floors bare or use area rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. Vacuuming may help, though some vacuum cleaners just stir up dust. If your rooms are small, a room air cleaner can generally clean a single room. Do you have a Window Air Conditioner? Clean window units once a month when you are using them regularly. Turn off the power, remove the units front panel, If the filters cant be cleaned, follow the manufacturers instructions for replacing them regularly. Keep the outside condenser unit clear of leaves, grass clippings, dirt and shrubs. Follow the

THE JOKE
We were told that if one put one million monkeys at one million typewriters, in time they would produce the complete works of Shakespeare. Now that we have the Internet, we know thats just not true!

and vacuum any visible dirt from the interior coils. Remove the filter and wash it at the sink with dishwashing liquid and warm water. After the filter is completely dry put it back into the unit. Brush leaves, dust and dirt off the outside of your window unit. Do you have Central Air? If you happen to have central air, youll need to clean the air filter once a month during heavy use.

manufacturers instructions for keeping the coils clean. If there is a pipe for draining condensed water from the unit, check it regularly for blockages. Make sure that leaks in ducts are sealed and that ducts in uncooled spaces are insulated. And check that weather stripping around windows and doors is air-tight and vents and grilles inside the library arent blocked.

THE WORD
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them: and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. . . we pray you in Christs stead, be ye reconciled to God. II Corinthians 5:18-20

COMMUNITY FOCUS=CUSTOMIZED SERVICES=CUSTOMER VALUE