Recruiting is a topic that appears often in library literature. Recruiting staff with special skills. Recruiting a diverse staff. Recruiting volunteers and friends from all sectors of the community. Recruiting active library users.
But now that we are here, part of the library community, what next? How do we sustain and deepen our commitment to libraries, through fiscal crises, galloping technological change, and the ups and downs of any long-term relationship? How do we avoid burn-out, boredom, and complacency? How can individuals, libraries, and library organizations aid in nurturing th
This unusual issue of Alki, “The Care and Feeding of the Library Community,” shows how we do just that. Articles describe forums, workshops, and staff development days; consider unions and professional organizations; discuss the role of friendships and collegial work relationships, the pleasure of learning new skills, the excitement and risk of developing new services such as shared database licensing. In several cases, nourishment of the library community is literal, involving celebration and food, a symbol of library hospitality and the connection between body and spirit.
And if you need a laugh—there’s Angelynn King’s hilarious “Library Olympics.” Enjoy!
Alki Editor: Carolynne Myall
Alki Editorial Committee: Sue Anderson; Kathleen Ardrey, chair; Tami Echavarria; Cheryl Farabee; Nancy Huling; Eva-Maria Lusk; Carla McLean; David Hurley, intern; Cameron Johnson, asst. editor; Cathy Brownell, Link editor
