True Confessions: Will anyone care?

True Confessions
Image credit: Colin K on Flickr

Image credit: Colin K on Flickr

Here we are. We’ve made it this far. Our team started a website, bought some things to try, programs are scheduled, and we are ready to play. I’m not scared of the programs, I’m not scared of our robot kits. I fully expect some frustrations as we try things out. But this is thought that keeps creeping in: What if no one cares? What if this whole thing is a flop? What if the STEAM stuff goes away in six months? Does this even matter?

I know, loaded questions. But I’m not the only one wondering. I think a lot of us became librarians so that we could make an impact, even if it is a small one. We are people who want to serve. We want to help kids discover their thing. We want them to know that adults our on their side. We want to help them figure out how to love learning. And we know we do not always succeed. Haven’t we all tried that program that we thought was going to be great? Then no one came. Or they came once, and then never showed up again. You tried, you put in a bunch of effort, you learned new stuff! But no one cared. Or at least, it felt like no one cared. It’s a fact, some things you try will not work out. And sometimes you will never know why they didn’t work out. That doesn’t mean you are a bad librarian. It just means you need to take some time to evaluate and move on from there. But that does not make it any easier.

So here I am, excited about trying new things. I know I’m going to learn a lot and I will discover some new ways to serve my community. I can deal with people who wonder why librarians are branching out and exploring these concepts. I can work with someone who is a little timid because robotics is not a subject they feel comfortable exploring. I can handle figuring out how to find time to put this in my already busy work schedule. But what if no one cares?

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