When it’s Christmas, you cannot help but have your Christmas wish list (written or not) either for yourself or for others you care about. A librarian that I am, I thought of what librarians would wish for Christmas.
I searched the internet for some related articles and I found one noteworthy. Gillian Davis (2002) had her Librarians' Christmas Wish List which are as follows:
1. More funding, more funding, more funding!
2. Higher salaries.
3. Increased staff.
4. Additional space.
5. Internet/information access for everyone.
This was back in 2002, eight years had passed, but sadly for many of us here in the Philippines (and perhaps in other countries as well), these wishes remain unanswered. Budget, staff and salary have been a perennial dilemma. Without budget and additional staff, additional services (like internet access) to library patrons are difficult to come by.
I will adopt Gillian Davis wish list and I’d like to add my own:
1. Supportive Boss/Staff
Whether you are in public or private institution, a superior (or management) who gives full support to the librarian and the library will surely go a long way. Likewise with a supportive staff. A harmonious relationship can make any projects or endeavor easier to tackle.
2. Recognition
Alright, some work as required, some gives more than what is asked. For those of you who do more and who stamp their work with excellence, you definitely deserve one. Recognition may come in any form and may come from different people and that’s wonderful. Recognition within the organization though it the type of recognition we aim for. It is a good and effective way to boost people’s morale and somehow inspire one to persist more.
3. More opportunities for Self-growth and Professional Development.
“You want to be the most educated, the most brilliant, the most exciting,the most versatile & most creative individual in the workd because then you can give it away.” – Leo Buscaglia
You can only give what you have. May Librarians continue to learn and unlearn. As my friend Leo Buscaglia said, “To learn something is fantastic because every time you learn something, you become something new.” We improve and develop through the things we learn along the way. When we have more, we can give more – to our clients and to the community we serve.
May our wish come true.
Have a Merry Christmas and Joy-filled New Year!
