Web Junction released the tag cloud they made of responses to the question: What is the biggest challenge you face in your library job in the coming year?
At CIL, Rachel said the words that stuck in her mind were “find, funding, getting, keeping.” She reiterates that again for her post. The words that jump out at me are “staff, technology, training.” Getting more staff to do the job we need or moving staff to new duties. Training staff, new and old, on all the things workers in libraries need to know, new and old. Technology: learning, maintaining, and teaching technology.
I say without hesitation that technology and how it fits into our organizations fascinates me, occupies my time, makes me jubilant, and looney with frustration.
It is interesting to me that “patrons” only appeared in Web Junction’s survey only a third as many times as technology. I wonder if we are giving the needs of our patrons enough thought. Everything we do is not important if we do not consider what it means to our patrons. Technology is useless without applications that make sense and serve our community.
Twenty-one respondents said their challenges included “everything.” I have those days too.
–Jane, “Not afraid to emphasize the curtains.”