Surviving The Stacks Podcast

When It's Time For A Change (54:13)

Sometimes it’s time to move on from a job, either because the environment is toxic and unhealthy, the job is not a good fit for the person’s interests, skills, or priorities, or just because the person is ready for a change or a new challenge in their career. In this episode, Beth and Jane talk with Alison King, a career coach, job search guide, and former librarian who specializes in what she calls “Leaping Librarians.” Alison talks about signs that it’s time to move on, other types of roles often pursued by library workers, limiting beliefs that often hold library workers back from new opportunities, and practical steps for exploring new career options.  Key Links:King Career Services [https://kingcareerservices.com/]Librarian Linkover Podcast [https://thelibrarianlinkover.com/]

Restorative Practices (53:30)

As many libraries continue to experience significant behavioral problems from visitors, they are often looking for ways to address these challenges from a trauma-informed approach. In this episode, Beth and Jane talk with Stephen Jackson, a licensed professional counselor, consultant, and trainer who specializes in restorative justice. Stephen has spent years overseeing restorative approaches in libraries and other public spaces and provides guidance to the STS audience about strategies for preventing behavioral problems as well as strategies for responding when challenges occur. Stephen also compares how approaches might differ for youth versus adults.

Hiring + Supporting Staff (46:20)

As library visitor needs have changed over the years, libraries have found that they often need staff to have different skills and characteristics compared to what they may have needed in the past. If there is a mismatch between someone’s skills and the needs of a particular position, this increases staff stress as well as impacting the customer experience of the library.  In this episode, Beth and Jane discuss some of the training needs of staff to help them be as prepared as possible for the contemporary realities of the work. They interview Anne-Maree Pfabe, Library Manager at the City of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia). Anne-Maree shares strategies she uses for hiring staff who are a good fit for the library environment as well as ways her library tries to support the ongoing professional development needs of staff.

Meeting Your Community's Needs (38:22)

With libraries struggling for limited resources in many communities around the world, growing politically motivated protests, and some people questioning libraries’ relevance, it is more important than ever to ensure a library’s services and programs meet the needs of the local community. Small and rural libraries, in particular, struggle to survive if not well supported by their community members. In this episode, Beth and Jane interview Dianne Connery, previous Director and current Development Director of Pottsboro Area Public Library in Texas (US). On the verge of closing its doors, Dianne led a group of dedicated stakeholders who transformed this small, rural library into the vibrant community-gathering place it is today. She shares her experiences and strategies that worked for her to engage her local community and ensure the library met their needs. She also shares her opinions about how this process may look different for rural versus larger or more urban libraries.

Partnering With Local Government (50:42)

Libraries can’t do their work alone, and many benefit from collaborating with local government partners. In this episode, Beth and Jane interview Leanne Mitchell, a private consultant and previous government worker from Australia who focuses her work on helping local government bodies address issues related to homelessness. She has collaborated with a number of libraries throughout her work, including supporting libraries to implement and carry out innovative programs and services for their most marginalized patrons by partnering with other local government entities. She shares her experience and guidance for libraries trying to build collaborations with local government partners to meet the needs of their communities, users, and staff.