Passing the Baton #1
Gerry Meek's retirement reminds me...
Keeping up the momentum for an organization or a community of communities such as libraries is an awesome task. Alberta libraries have been blessed by a balance of visionaries, macro thinkers, micro thinkers, cheer leaders and even naysayers .
Visioning for the library community is very much like a relay race but not a short distance race.....a marathon relay race where the baton is handed from generation to generation. The baton is successfully passed when looking ahead not looking at your own feet!
The challenge is maintaining the visions, maintaining the positive cultures of collaboration and passing on the stories of how we achieved what has been achieved. It is recognizing the roles of staff, trustees, politicians, public policy and maintaining the positive relationships locally, regionally, provincially and nationally.
Alberta has truly been blessed with the right people, at the right time, and in the right place........going all the way back to 1907 when the first Libraries Act was signed. Now the baton is being slowly passed again and I am very confident that the “nextgens” of libraries will continue to carry the baton with pride and dedication.
Judith Umbach pays tribute to Gerry Meek's tenure at Calgary Public Library.
Keeping up the momentum for an organization or a community of communities such as libraries is an awesome task. Alberta libraries have been blessed by a balance of visionaries, macro thinkers, micro thinkers, cheer leaders and even naysayers .
Visioning for the library community is very much like a relay race but not a short distance race.....a marathon relay race where the baton is handed from generation to generation. The baton is successfully passed when looking ahead not looking at your own feet!
The challenge is maintaining the visions, maintaining the positive cultures of collaboration and passing on the stories of how we achieved what has been achieved. It is recognizing the roles of staff, trustees, politicians, public policy and maintaining the positive relationships locally, regionally, provincially and nationally.
Alberta has truly been blessed with the right people, at the right time, and in the right place........going all the way back to 1907 when the first Libraries Act was signed. Now the baton is being slowly passed again and I am very confident that the “nextgens” of libraries will continue to carry the baton with pride and dedication.
Judith Umbach pays tribute to Gerry Meek's tenure at Calgary Public Library.
