It’s been a rough fall, with catastrophes and tragedies and outrageous things happening in the world.  Many of my closest friends and family are dealing with tremendous personal challenges and hardships .  And, on a much less traumatic note, there has been more work to do than time to do it in, including some unwieldy projects.

But then last week, I had a virtual meeting with a bunch of youth services librarians.  It wasn’t even face-to-face (which I usually prefer), but I spent the rest of the day feeling energized and inspired.  This group of busy librarians took time out of their schedule to help me think more about some Media Mentor resources I’m creating (look for publication of those at the end of the week), discuss ways they might use these resources, and brainstorm ways to connect with and support other librarians.

The generosity of my colleagues always gives me warm fuzzies.  Getting constructive criticism on the Media Mentor pieces I’ve been wrestling with was useful, and it was also helpful to hear how much they liked them and thought they could use them.  I try not to rely on other people to give me my self-esteem, but let’s hear it for some positive feedback!  It is also really heartening to hear busy people brainstorming about ways to support each other and the wider IFLS community.

The lesson here?  I guess it is that I am lucky as can be to get regular infusions of positive energy from a group of dedicated librarians–pretty much all of you.

Image credit:  Pixabay