Moving Forward AND Having Fun!

Anyone who lives in the Sacramento area or who follows events in "library land" in general is probably aware that the past couple of years have been rough ones at Sacramento Public Library. There have been a string of unpleasant events and negative publicity related to those events that, to the outsider, paint SPL as seriously dysfunctional. To be fair, some SPL "insiders" feel the same way. I'm not among that group (I know that among the 300+ folks who comprise the SPL staff, there are many, many wonderful, talented, enthusiastic, positive, intelligent, motivated, and happy people), but neither can I blame anyone for how they feel. Clearly each individual's experience is unique and all are valid.

Whatever has happened in the past, though, there is a palpable sense that SPL is turning a corner. Our interim Director, Phil Batchelor, is impressively talented, inspiring, and sincere in his leadership. Many other staff, whether members of the management team, branch staff, or internal service department folks, share Phil's talent and desire to bring about positive change. With Phil's guidance, the optimistic members of the SPL team have put together an ambitious plan for self-renewal that is garnerning a great deal of interest both within and without our organization. And while we are totally dedicated to accomplishing all 302 tasks on our assessment successfully and within our own, self-imposed deadlines, we've agreed to do all this hard work with a sense of fun that hasn't been nearly as pervasive as it should have been. I feel lucky to be very much in the thick of things SPL reinvents itself over the next year or two. Keep an eye on us as great things happen here in Sacramento!