Library Resolutions

Happy New Year Youth People!!

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Are you a New Year's Resolution person? Personally, I'm not, but I was thinking about what I want to accomplish this year at work, and thought that I might just be a resolution person at work. 

My 2026 library resolutions:

1. Say no more often. I think in this profession, we often tend to be yes people. We like fun things and want to be involved. But, we need to think about boundaries and burnout and the fact that those are real things. In an article for the American Library Association, Matthew Weirick Johnson says, "Causes of burnout can be extensive and multifaceted, including overwork but also erosion of work-life balance..." Saying no is necessary sometimes, even though it can feel hard. 

2. Plan ahead more. Our library has a really great programming model in which four departments work together on programming (youth services, adult services, outreach, public services). This allows us to do so much more than we could otherwise, but also creates an interesting dynamic when it comes to planning. Youth librarians, at least in our library, tend to do more of the programming in house, which means more planning and prep time is needed. This often means that looking forward is harder, and things are not planned as far in advance as in the adult services department. In an effort to work together in a different way, I'm working on planning a little bit differently this year.

3. Get more people to write for this blog! This is where you come in! If any of you are interested in contributing to the blog, please reach out to us at yss.wla@gmail.com. We all do such cool things, and we'd love to share more of what you're doing on a local level with a wider audience. 

Do you have any work resolutions for 2026?

You can read the full article on burnout here. [Keeping Up with...Burnout. Weirick Johnson, M. ala.org]  https://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/burnout

8 Ways to Save Money on Programming

Over at ALA's Programming Librarian blog, Director of Meservey Public Library (Iowa), Chelsea Price has shared some great ideas on how to stretch your programming dollars (without sacrificing sanity or quality).  One of my favorite suggestions is to "mine your community for programming gold," meaning call on neighbors and community members to share their talents at the library.  Check out her other suggestions and ideas HERE.

I'm Your Neighbor

I'm Your Neighbor is a project which promotes the use of children’s literature featuring “new arrival” cultures and groups to engage the entire community in a discussion of commonalities and differences. 

The project features a recommended list of books and an evolving list of engagement projects for educators, librarians, and community organizations who seek to build bridges.

The goal of the project is to both support communities as their cultural makeup evolves and to create opportunities for children’s literature featuring refugees, immigrants, and “new” marginalized groups.

Recent topics covered by the I'm Your Neighbor blog include: the new Muslim children's book imprint at Simon & Schuster, the keynote address by author Maria Testa for the Citizenship Ceremony in Portland, and book reviews!

We're The People 2016 Summer Reading List

The We're The People blog began in early 2015 when Edith Campbell invited a handful of colleagues who share a passion for children, literacy, and diversity to work with her on a Summer Reading list. Books recommended on the blog are ones written or illustrated by Native Americans or writers/illustrators of color that have withstood a critical review.

Their 2016 Summer Reading List is a great resource for creating your own summer reading book lists, or as a stand-alone resource to share with families at your library!