The 80/20 Librarian: Focusing on the 20% that matters

Here are some of my professional accomplishments in 2025 that merit mention on the blog

• Featured in the September/October 2025 Public Library Association Magazine article, “From Idea to Action: How Maryland Libraries Support Emerging Adults” written by Tim Pratt, Communications Manager of the Maryland State Library Agency. The article starts on page 15 and ends on page 21.

• Presented with colleagues at the Maryland Tech Connect conference on December 11, 2025. The presentation title was A Public Library Partners with a State Archives: The story of Prince George’s County Memorial Library System and Maryland State Archives working together

I find inspiration in the quote below from Choctaw elder and retired Episcopal bishop Steven Charleston in his book Ladder to the Light: An Indigenous Elder’s Meditations on Hope and Courage

If someone asks you why you are such a dreamer, tell them it’s because reality can’t keep up with you. Claim your right to be a visionary, to see into the future with hope, to imagine what could happen if the sacred could just tip the scales toward justice. Don’t settle for what is, but reach for might be. Let your mind gather the facts and let your heart sort out the reasons, but open your spirit to soar to the realm of possibility. The bland prophets of the status quo may think they own today, but dreamers like you slip past them to discover the way to tomorrow. Reality is just a rearview mirror.

I really enjoyed being part of the Prince George’s Community Television (PGCTV) newscast the other day. The topic of our discussion was the Therapy Through Art program at the Hyattsville library offered by Jesse Raudales, the first Latino Olympic artist for the US. During July 2025, the Therapy Through Art program took place at the Hyattsville Library on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons for those in the 16 through 24 age range. This program took place with grant assistance through the Urban Libraries Council. Happy to report that 25 young adults regularly came to this program in July 2025. You will enjoy seeing the finished artwork in the the newscast. These pieces reflect their growth in artistic skills, self-awareness, and emotional healing.

I attended a meeting recently and heard the acronym GELMO used. This stands for Good Enough Let’s Move On. There are variations of this saying that you can check out online, but I like GELMO the best thus far.

When enough time in a meeting has been spent analyzing a situation and a reasonably sound plan is in place to take action, it is important to then take next steps. In essence, action rather than continual discussion which entails going over the same ground once again, is what is required. Saying GELMO is a way to break through getting bogged down on one particular meeting agenda item. You can then move on to cover other topics.

Before saying GELMO, be sure that

• The one wanting to say GELMO is fully familiar with the situation at hand
• Those impacted stakeholders that wish to comment on the situation have done so or at least had a chance to do so
• All questions, that need to be addressed, have been answered so all information is available to make a decision on next steps
• The pros/cons of potential action plans (or options) have been addressed and the team generally knows which plan (or option) is best used to move forward
• There is an opportunity cost to not saying GELMO, namely that the discussion will potentially go in a continual loop if GELMO is not said. GELMO will signal the need to move on to other discussion topics so time can be spent addressing other matters.

I was given the wonderful opportunity to share some thoughts for a section of the The Crab, which is the Digital Magazine for the Maryland Library Association, regarding Emerging Adults.

You will find the article on Page 46 of the Fall 2023 issue.

I liked reading the following excerpt from Gregory Boyle’s book Barking to the Choir on page 26. One point worth reflecting on is thinking of ways to give library customers positive feedback. To make it in the book, this positive comment must have been very encouraging for Hector. What are some ways libraries might celebrate their customers in 2023 and beyond?

“Hector has his four young kids for the weekend and takes them to the Central Library on a Saturday morning. The kiddie floor is a little crazy, so he takes a couple of books and leads his crew to the adult section, which is nearly empty. They plant themselves in a corner on plush, spacious leather chairs, the kids’ little legs barely reaching the ends of the chair’s cushions. Hector, both a recovering gang member and heroin addict, begins to read in a hushed tone. But he notices the librarian, a gentleman in his thirties standing behind a desk, giving him what he thinks is the hairy eyeball. Hector feels a flush of self-consciousness. Maybe I shouldn’t be here, he thinks to himself, feeling judged. He finishes the two books, corrals his gaggle of four, and makes for the door. But the librarian waves him over. Hector, readies himself to be chewed out for reading to kids in the adult area. He situates his kids at a distance, in case what the librarian says takes everybody south for a second. But the librarian only looks kindly at Hector, smiles, and says simply, “Good job.””

Reading through Gregory Boyle’s The Whole Language, I really like’s Boyle’s insights on the importance of Culture and Community. Have you ever seen business cards emphasizing leadership in Culture and Community? In what ways can Culture and Community be explicitly identified as a priority that merits a leadership role in organizations?

On Page 51 Boyle writes, “Jose Arellano and Steve Avalos oversee the Case Managers and Navigators (at Homeboy Industries). Their business cards say that they are in charge of “Culture and Community.” Often, in nonprofits, we dedicate ourselves to a certain amount of strategizing on our processes and structure. All very necessary. But strategy, process, and structure must be at the service of culture and community, not the other way around. Because culture is about holiness and wholeness. Culture eats strategy for breakfast; processes for lunch; and structures for dinner.”

I started reading Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet by Thich Nhat Hanh, shortly after the author’s death.

Most enriching for me was Sister True Dedication (T.D.)’s essay on taking ten breaths without thinking, found on pages 62 through 64. Sister T.D. had to train to engage in this simple life changing practice. As part of the training, when a thought emerged, she had to go back to starting the count (to ten) at zero.

It took Sister T.D. more than two months to do the breathing mediation correctly.

When mental despair came upon her one evening and thinking as well as walking didn’t work, “through the storm an inner voice came from somewhere deep inside, “Who are you to know what to do if you can’t even take ten mindful breaths!””

After an hour of repeated failures came ten breaths without thinking. Sister T.D. felt relieved and vividly present. “To my surprise, the whole landscape of my perception had changed. The situation looked and felt completely different-and all the possible solutions were there clear as day.”

What would our daily lives be like if we could all take ten breaths without thinking?

Many people look at the top priority of their day as directly related to what they can do that is most effective and productive given time urgency. This is an excellent way to plan.

Recently, I have wondered if the top priority of the day might be re-framed differently or adjusted to allow for another way of thinking.

One question that keeps returning to me is; what is one thing that I can do to help someone today?

A little bit of action can go a long way. There might be something positive you can do for someone that only takes five to ten minutes at most, but might make a world of difference to them.

So, why not consider one thing that may help someone today as a consideration for the day’s top priority?

I’m finding that if one sets their mind to it, you can take a simple amount of gratitude and extend it into infinity.

For example, let us look at a standard method of daily transportation that is often taken for granted; the car. The example below uses the car, but this exercise can be used for other transportation methods such as a bus, train, boat, plane, etc.

We can self-reflect using the sample template below:

Getting into the car and starting it, we can thank the makers of the car.

Pulling out of the parking space, we can thank the people that taught and trained the makers of the car.

Proceeding down the road, we can thank the suppliers who provided the supplies for the car.

Why not also express thankfulness for those that made the car available for purchase?

Hearing everything running smoothly we can give thanks for the mechanics that keep the car running.

Let’s not forget to thank those that made the resources available to keep the car going.

Turning on the radio to listen to music, we can be thankful for those that made this function available in the car.

Now we will be taking the gratitude further than the car.

We can thank the musicians playing the music that we hear coming from the car’s radio.

Then we can thank those that trained and taught the musicians.

Then we can thank those that invented the instruments the musicians play.

Then we can thank those that made and supplied the instruments.

Keep going with this thought process and see how much gratitude you can show.

I’d like to start off the new calendar year with this saying by Lao-Tzu

Be content with what you have;

Rejoice in the way things are.

When you realize there is nothing lacking,

The whole world belongs to you.