RA for All: Call to Action- Nominate Your IL RA Peers [Or Yourself]

I know the headline says to nominate your IL peers, and while I do want to focus on getting all you Illinois RA people psyched for the ARRT sponsored award, today's Call to Action is a reminder to everyone out there to brag about yourselves and let people know how much great work you are doing.

Look, I know most library workers are uncomfortable with what I am about to say, but please hear me out....

You all need to be better about shouting to the world about how great you are.

Stop worrying about being a bragger. You aren't. You are promoting your great work. And by promoting yourself, you are reminding library users all over the country of the amazing things we- as Libraries, as an institution- can do. Yes, that's right, when you brag about yourself you are actually bragging about all of us. [Does that make you feel better?]

There are so many of you out there doing wonderful things. I am one of the only people that gets to see even a fraction of our country's awesome workers who are serving adult leisure readers in America's public libraries. I work very hard to spread the very best ideas and work that all of you do, but I need some help.

Finding ways to honor your colleagues or yourself is part of your job. And yes it is not only okay, but encouraged, that you nominate yourself for honors and awards. Most of us work in a vacuum. We do not know what others are doing. But, if you think something you are doing is working very well why aren't you letting everyone know?!?!? That is a detriment to us all.

That's right, I am telling you that NOT bragging about yourself and your work is hurting all of us and the good work we do. [Now do you feel less awkward about promoting yourselves?]

So get out there and find an award and nominate a colleague or yourself. Make it your goal to submit one nomination for something this year. Seriously. That's an order.

And if you live in IL, start with the award below. Full disclosure, I am on the ARRT Steering Committee, but I am NOT on the subcommittee that handles the nominations and chooses a winner. You can contact me to discuss who you are thinking of nominating, but I cannot nominate anyone for you.

Commence nominating.....

From the ARRT website:

Time to put on your thinking caps and nominate someone for the third annual ILA Readers’ Advisory Service Award conferred by ARRT. 

ARRT knows a lot of exciting RA work is being done in Illinois.  Help us recognize and promote all the innovative ideas being explored! 

This award recognizes excellence in the planning, development, or delivery of RA services to adults or teens.  Nominees can be individuals, departments, teams, or entire libraries so long as the person (or their library) is an ILA member.  (You can also nominate yourself!) 

Previous winners include:

• Downers Grove Public Library‘s wonderful Book Genie

• Mike Hominick and Tracy Gossage for their Watch This, Read That social media campaign at Northbrook Public Library

We’ve received wonderful nominations the last two years and are looking forward to seeing the new crop!  The recipient will be selected by a subcommittee of the ARRT Steering Committee and the ILA Reference Services Forum.Nominations can be submitted online until May 15, 2017.

If you have a similar award that a group you are a part of sponsors, please let me know. I have readers from all over the country (and the world). I would love to promote your award here too.

For past Call to Action posts click here.