One of our greatest joys at WiLS is hearing our members tell the stories of the big and important work they are doing – interesting new projects or initiatives, or even interesting and new approaches to old projects. And, in addition to hearing about it, it makes us even happier when we can share those stories with other members. Each month, WiLS is proud to feature an interview with one of our library members. This month, we interview Connie Meyer, Director of Bridges Library System.
Why did you, personally, choose to work in libraries?
I believe libraries have the power to transform lives. As far back as my memory goes, the library has been transforming mine. From discovering that I could study any interest to feeling the kindness of staff to experiencing the importance of the place itself as a sanctuary for the soul–I’ve never been far from the doorstep of a library. My first volunteer opportunity as a 5th grader led to my first job as a page which led to a job as a cleaning person, which led to a job as a clerk, which led to – well, you get the idea. I ended up being a library director for more than 20 years in the town where I grew up. One of the reasons I have so thoroughly enjoyed every position I’ve had is that I’ve understood the connection between the work being done and the person for whom it matters. Sure, shelving books got tedious, but I knew that if I got it wrong, someone might not be able to find what they needed. So instead of thinking of it as labor, I thought of it (mostly) as a labor of love. Being the director of the Bridges Library System has been a true joy for me personally because now I have the privilege of helping many libraries do their important work.
What is unique about the culture of your library system and membership? How do you influence it?
I’d have to say it’s our esprit de corps. Everyone believes in their own mission at the local library level but also our library system mission which gives us strength individually and together. It’s a positive environment that allows ideas to be fully explored by many smart people and the results are always better than having just one person doing the thinking. The positive team environment we have recognizes that we aren’t all the same, and fair isn’t always the same as equal, but we are all trying to move forward together. The talented and dedicated Bridges Library System staff plays a critical role in helping to influence the positive culture. They listen, advise, dream, plan and lead. And they work hard to build strong relationships with staff at all of our libraries which ultimately positively influences our ability to bring people together and move our initiatives–and libraries–forward.
What do you think is important to know about the patrons or community you work with? What helps you understand those needs?
As a library system, our customers are the libraries, so we make efforts to understand their needs on a daily basis. In any field, successfully meeting the needs of your community relies on having strong relationships. If people feel you are open to their ideas, they will tell you what they need. We also make formal efforts to query our libraries on important programs or services by surveying them and through discussions at our directors’ meetings. Our directors’ meetings are the most thought-provoking and inspiring day of each month!
In 2016 we grew from 16 to 24 libraries, with the addition of Jefferson County, and that brought some challenges in terms of workload, space, and physical distance—just to mention a few issues. It was crucial to us that our service program not be negatively impacted by adding libraries. In order to ensure that we would be successful, we studied the impact of the change thoroughly and planned for it carefully. We also included Jefferson County in that planning process. We think planning is key to good decision-making at all levels and are actually currently working on adding a planning requirement for the Waukesha County libraries as a part of the new county library plan. As we’ve worked through our various planning processes, it’s been evident that one size certainly doesn’t fit all—for our libraries, our counties, or even our library systems throughout the state. What works in Waukesha County might not be successful in Jefferson County.
Because the best libraries truly are a reflection of their individual communities, we know a cookie-cutter approach isn’t the road to success. Differences do make us stronger. So our challenge is to keep it local while coming together to expand the possibilities. That’s a pretty tall order. We do that one relationship, one library at a time. And we base our decisions on data, listening, and planning that attempts to look at both inputs and outcomes.
What big ideas are being worked on at your system or member libraries? What problems are being solved?
We will be wrapping up the Waukesha County library plan, which will include mandatory county library standards, so that’s been quite a focus over the last six months. During the planning process, we took an in-depth look at our funding formula, our standards, and our structure. We came up with new minimum standards based on our current environment and scaled them for population. It was a significant effort and involved a number of brilliant people—including several of our library directors and a Waukesha County senior financial analyst. Jefferson County will benefit from that work when it’s time for their county library plan update.
Additionally, we have many irons in the fire, including continuing to improve our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten app which has had great support from library systems throughout the state but still has a long way to go before it’s on the phone of every possible parent of a preschooler. (We have big goals!) We have recently hired a database management librarian who is helping us get a handle on our shared catalog data and is also currently working on a LEAN project for our office’s electronic files. Our marketing and communications librarian is beginning to work on creating a local version of the ALA’s Libraries Transform campaign. We are planning the professional development program for southeastern Wisconsin and will be adding some new locations in 2017. And, just in case that’s not all enough, we need to upgrade our ILS servers in 2017.
Do you have anything else you’d like to share here?
I think this is a pivotal time in the history of libraries. We can no longer assume that people just automatically value what libraries do and the vital role we have in the overall health of our communities. I believe we have to focus on being very visible in our communities, making contributions in a meaningful fashion and on having relationships with the people who make decisions about our future. Legislative Day is right around the corner. As the 2017 co-chair of LD&L, I would urge folks to get signed up so they can make an effort to build strong and important relationships with their state legislators.
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These interviews are part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners. Your feedback is appreciated. If you have any to offer on this article, or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at acoffin@wils.org.