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Written by Gail Madziar, MLA Executive Director   

Executive Director's Desk - December 13, 2018

Gail Madziar headshot

I just finished reading Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. Gretchen spent an entire year researching the cause and effect of happiness in an effort to determine if she could make herself happier. While the conclusion I came to after finishing the book was that we are all responsible for our own happiness, it also made me see that we can have a big influence on other's happiness as well if we so choose.

I also follow Gretchen's blog and in a recent post, she listed 30 Tips I Use to Make Myself Happier, Right Now. While I found number 16 amusing and probably quite an accurate statement: "Make sure I'm not cold, hot, thirsty, hungry, need to go to the bathroom, or experiencing mild discomfort: in other words, treat myself like a toddler." I also noticed number 18 was: "Go to the library." So, while it took the author a year of research to come up with some very good and often common sense suggestions, it tells us that sometimes we can make ourselves happier with some simple effort.

The list also highlights something the rest of us knew all along. If you want to be happier, visit the library. Expanding your mind, imagination, creativity or even just escaping into a good read for a while can make you happier. That's not news to us.

Every one of us has life circumstances that would preclude any of these mentioned efforts at some time. But for the most part, we can have an impact on our own frame of mind. And as librarians you enhance those efforts by the very work you do. Thank you for the expertise, creativity and patience you show every day as you assist your patrons with their own personal happiness projects.

Mentee and Mentor Positions Available

As the new year approaches, it's a good time to review the MLA Mentoring Program. If you are looking for a boost in your own career or would like to assist someone new to the profession, there are opportunities waiting. Learn more

MLA New Library Director Academy: Survive and Thrive as a Library Director

This new program begins in February 2019 and will address the many issues confronting directors. The program includes an in-person workshop, three webinars, an individual consulting session with Maxine Bleiweis and wraps up with a networking event. Learn more and register online

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