Today in one of my sessions, the faculty member, Susan Whyte, referred to Millennials as “change hardy.†I like the combination of those two words. I think it expresses the willingness to change. It does not imply that change is always good, but that one can be ready for it, be willing to go through changes with fortitude and grace.
I want to be the kind of instructor who can face change with fortitude and grace. I want to remain true to myself while incorporating new ideas into my experience. It could be as simple as allowing conversation to go a way I had not intended. I could plan classes by not planning them, letting the students guide their own learning experience.
I want my library to be “change hardy,†to be nimble, graceful, and willing to look changes in the eyes with a feeling of expectation and excitement. Like any challenge, change requires fortitude and an open mind. The open mind should contain a strong sense of where we have been so that our history can inform where we are going.
It is my inclination to throw caution to the wind and change. I am mindful of history, but I am honest enough to admit that our history can hold mistakes as well as triumphs. We have to change with both in mind because both have created our reality.
What would I change in my library? Oh, lots of things, but if I had to choose one that affects my job everyday… I might choose how we staff the reference desk. I think we could schedule less people to allow the librarians more time to liaise with faculty. We should keep in mind parts of our history, that we have great student workers for example, when making our decision about what a new schedule might look like.
What would you change about your library if you could only pick one thing at this moment?
–Jane, thinks the moment might guide the decision