1. Read more - I know this one sounds pretty obvious (and maybe a bit lame) but in 2014 I found myself in a bit of a reading slump. I had just come off of an exciting experience on an awards committee where I had to read a crazy amount of books, so I found myself a bit book fatigued. This year, I plan to get back into the swing of it and resolve to read more. I set my Goodreads goal to a modest 100 books and will try The Hub's reading challenge to help keep me on task.
2. Put myself out there more - Amy Koester had a great blog post a few month's ago about her experience at ALA conferences in regards to meeting new people in a professional setting. I, myself, am not a wallflower per se, but the thought of heading to Midwinter this month not knowing anyone else attending kinda terrifies me. I'm lucky to be connected with some really great librarians on Twitter and such, but I'm a bit intimidated to just approach one of them in-person. Also, the sheer scope of an ALA conference in and of itself can be overwhelming. Amy had some truly sound advice and I'm going to resolve to follow it in Chicago.
3. Let it go - In 2014, I found myself wanting to do it all and be it all. So then I found myself stressed out, overwhelmed, and over-extended. This year, I resolve to realize that I don't have to take on everything myself and that it's okay to let others share the load with me.
4. Become good enough at the ukulele to play in storytime - This goal is a carryover from last year. I tried videos, books, and even some not-so-helpful private lessons, but I've just never felt comfortable enough to "pull the trigger" and play in storytime. This year, I'm going to try at least 1 song in storytime in front of an audience.
5. Blog more - I'm pretty comfortable blogging write-ups of my programs and storytimes, but I haven't really tried my hand at blogging on the more theoretical side of librarianship or reviewing the books I've read. I'm going to see if that's something I can do well and will be helpful to other youth librarians out there.
What are your goals for 2015?
I know exactly what you mean about number 4. It took me forever to actually bring the ukulele to story time, but the best thing you can do is just go for it! It gets so much easier to play for an audience after that first time. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katie! I've been practicing some storytime standards, but I've been hesitant to just bring it in and play it. You're totally right...I just have to do it. :)
ReplyDeleteThese are great resolutions! I completely understand about #2. I was terrified to go to my first conference too and latched on for dear life to the first friend I found (Amy Koester). I'll be at midwinter so I'll keep an eye out for you. If you see me first come and say hi! Also, I've owned a ukulele for 7 months and have yet to touch it, so at least you're ahead of me there :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brooke! Amy was the first librarian I met at an ALA conference that wasn't a coworker. I'm always awe-struck by her ability to just go up and talk to people.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep an eye out for you too and likewise! I'm planning to go to at least one of the Guerrilla Storytime sessions since they're always so good. :)
Ditto what Brooke said. Approach! Says the one who hid in the corners for her first midwinter. But I regret it SO much! You'll make tons of friends at Guerrilla Storytime. :)
ReplyDeleteLol, Kendra. I'm not so much hiding in corners as standing around awkwardly and feeling uncomfortable about what to do. I'm hoping to come to the Flannel Friday meetup as well as Guerrilla Storytime to hopefully meet all of you fabulous people in person. :)
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