Library Envy, Part 2

I’ve got two words for you:  Queens Library.

 Yes, Queens.  That Queens.  Queens, New York.

I attended an ALA session, entitled “Transforming your staff” on Sunday, June 24th.  I won’t attempt to cover the whole session (informative as it was), because honestly my brain was consumed by the portion of the program that Tom Galante , Queens Library Director, presented.  And I kid you not, as I was sitting on the floor of the overcrowded, “fire marshall violation” room, I was actually contemplating the idea of moving to Queens to work for their fabulous library system.  Alas, I am now a gal with obligations (and desires) keeping me here in sweet NC.  But oh my – it was more than tempting!

And here’s why:  Queens Library is a large system (63 branches, 20.2 million circulations each year) with clear leadership, vision, values, and commitment to recruiting the BEST to come and work for them.  And apparently, this recruiting happens anywhere – and quick decisions are made to offer positions to bright sparks.  Not the usual “I’ll recruit you, but still make you jump through multiple hoops to apply for a job with us”, as he offered a library position to a person currently employed with Seattle Public Library after speaking with her at a DC bar – just the night before.

Their Leadership:  This was instantly recognizable in Tom Galante.  The man oozed charisma, in a lovely Northern way.  And I say ‘oozed’ not to imply that it was any way disingenuous, because he was a straight talker.  And his statement “What makes a library great?  Constant change!” made my heart sing.

Their Vision:  “You need to have a leader that staff trust, and that people know care”.  Gee –  trust, empathy, maybe those aren’t “fluffy” things after all…

Their Values:  Ideas that everyone can rally behind.  “Service is what we’re all about.  We value individuality of staff and customers and value teamwork.”

And lest you think this is another example of nice talk with very little to show for it, I’ll share some other nuggets Tom threw our way:

-When talking about performance management, he talked about how each employee is reviewed in the following three areas:  1) Major job responsibilities (with clear expectations for each) 2) Core competencies (customer service, initiative), and Professional Development.  He focused on core competencies, stating that “these aren’t skills, it’s how you do the job” – and that in their system there are six levels of competencies, different competencies for different folks.  He also made the fabulously bold statement that as far as he’s concerned, “competencies are more important than degrees or experience”.  SWEET!

He also elaborated upon his idea of holding people accountable when answering a question from the crowd.  The question, heavily paraphrased here, was “What do you do if different library ‘teams’ are in a contentious situation – not working together?”  His answer was short – he’d talk to the managers of those groups, and if things didn’t improve, people would be let go.  Amazing.  He advocates actually addressing problems and problem staff by asking them to change or move on.  And not even mentioning the concern about a potential lawsuit…

But he’s not all tough, as evidenced by his examples of staff recognition, which is very important to the system.  Flowers are sent to employees or an entire library when the management hears “good news” from the public.  The director holds regular town hall meetings with staff 2 times a year – and methinks that heavy hitting questions are NOT avoided here.  Staff in all 63 branches receive employee newsletters every two weeks, and  “thought of the day” emails.

One of his final thoughts was the best:  “Remember, the most important resource in your library goes home every night (YOUR STAFF)!”

Good golly, is it no wonder this system is a leader in it’s community, and our profession?  Their local buses have pictures of their diverse library staff with the words “I am Queens Library” underneath.

…oh, and one of the best things I learned about Queens Library:  They have 63 branches, a service population of over 2.3 million, 50% of whom came to the United States in the past 10 years, and only FOUR of their library branches have security guards.  If they have problems with teens and/or gangs, guess what they do?  They hire teen counselors to engage these teens, playing chess or other mind-expanding activities. 

Oh so much food for thought.  What are yours?