President's Update - September 11, 2014

As I write this, tomorrow begins my opportunity to make the ultimate impact on someone. I’ll be a first time father around 3 pm on September 10, 2014. I hear being a father is a lot of things; fun, stressful, exhilarating, a privilege and a lot of hard work. I checked out a couple of books and used MelCat to watch an essential video so I think I’ll be ok.

As I contemplate my child’s life (and the need for me to write something for this update) I continue to circle back to you. I’m going to need your help. I want to impart a love of reading and a spirit of lifelong learning in my child’s life. He needs library professionals to continue to do what you do so well while also capitalizing on your innovations.

He needs public libraries to welcome him when he comes into your buildings. He needs you to show enthusiasm in his interests and his favorite books. He needs your help to discover new books and new interests. He needs you to develop programming to keep him engaged with your institutions throughout his primary and secondary school years.

He’ll now have the foundation of being an excellent reader. Next he'll continue his education where he’ll need help from other library professionals. At an institution of higher learning he’ll need the support of librarians to teach him information literacy, how to cite a paper, how to judge information sources and organize information. When he graduates with an advanced degree I can imagine him going to Consumers Energy and asking a corporate librarian to help him find information for his MBA.

That is only a little of what my child and all library users in Michigan need from you. Understand that you make an impact on individuals in your daily interactions. You change their lives and open up an infinite of possibilities to them. I know you can do it Michigan library professionals.

Make it an outstanding day!

Asante

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