This is a poem that my great grandmother wrote and I came across it while sorting through some of her writings. I really felt like she was touching my mind with this poem and I wanted to share it with you.

The other night my wife and I hosted friends for dinner. They live a couple miles from us and arrived via bicycles. My family and most of my friends are avid cyclists, not just for environmental or economic reasons but because it is a very social form of transportation and a bit romantic.

During dinner Dan made an observation about a recent trip to a craft store. Why do so many people purchase model villages, complete with pedestrians and quaint shops but not an SUV or Wal-Mart in site? There is some sort of desire in them to reminisce about a time when we were much more social and community focused; when we lived locally.

As we face the energy and banking crisis - not to mention poisonous vegetables from our broken food system - isn’t it time that we stop fantasizing about those days?

My family spends a lot of time bicycling and walking around our community, taking advantage of everything it offers. The exercise hasn’t hurt us any either.

We don’t worry much about the bacteria in our food because we grow much of it and buy the rest from local farmers. At one time we had to justify the local organic produce; remind ourselves how it is cheaper in the bigger picture. Now, thanks to the current economy, the local organic farmer is actually dollar for dollar cheaper than the salmonella roulette megastore bio-food.

Getting around by foot, bike and bus allows us to stop and talk to neighbors and explore things we might otherwise have just driven right by. When you slow down like this you have a chance to appreciate what is available to you right outside your door. We also don’t worry much about the gas prices.

So what do we do with all of the extra money we’re saving? Well like most American’s we don’t actually save enough of it, but we do invest it. When it was time to get my daughter a new life jacket for canoeing we went to the local outfitter instead of Target; it may have cost a few more dollars but having local businesses stay in business is a bargain to us. Local merchants generally invest 50% back into the local economy while national chains barely scratch 15%.

For entertainment we find that there is no lack of community activities to take part in. When there isn’t an activity then we have been known to take it upon ourselves to create one. This has allowed us to get to know more of our fellow residents - at least the ones who are also taking advantage of living locally.

The silver lining of the economy and energy crisis is the way it is forcing more people to stay close to home. The more people that participate in living locally the better your locale will become. Put away your miniature village and take advantage of what living local can do for your wallet, your waist-line and your social life.

We all take for granted that libraries are full of books, audio and video materials; all of which we can borrow and review. When I consider what I use the library for most it is to borrow these types of items. But as digital media and the internet grow at an exponential rate how will libraries remain relevant?

Imagine a time when no new information is being kept physically; no new books, no new CD’s or DVD’s. I believe we will eventually live in a fully digital world. There may always be some niche publishing going on; even today some musicians press vinyl records, but eventually we’ll be close to 100% digital. In such a world what becomes the important literacies? According to author Daniel Pink, the 21st century set of literacies are to know how to find information, how to validate it, how to leverage it, how to communicate it, how to collaborate and problem solve with it. With such a focus on information shouldn’t libraries be a natural fit?

Libraries have historically served as a place to find and validate information. Many people argue against using only internet research due to the issue of validation. Over time a person can learn how to validate, which is what Daniel Pink promotes. It requires the full set of those 21st century literacies to move learning forward.

Our libraries act as a place that people can come together, to discuss what is important to them and their community; and they act as a place to share information equally and freely to people of all stature and background. The library affords people the opportunity to pursue their interests to the benefit of the community. In effect the library has been a beta version of web 2.0, acting as an information repository as well as a gathering place for social networking. It is this history and set of values that I believe will help libraries succeed.

Having a physical space to share information important to the community is what keeps us connected to each other and is a core building block of society. This space doesn’t need to be separate from the online spaces; in fact the library can facilitate this connection. This connection of physical and virtual, of local community and online community is the key to learning and using collaboration and communication of information. Likewise libraries can teach leveraging relevant information to affect positive local change. Libraries are already a wealth of information about the community they serve and should remain a resource for this. The library connects the final literacy to meet the needs of patrons in the 21st century.

Obviously libraries have taken on many other roles as well. Libraries are as much about information and knowledge as they are about entertainment and relaxation. I don’t expect that aspect to change. My family enjoys a wide range of programming at our local library; from story time to concerts the library is as important to us as the grocer. One is food for the stomach and the other is food for the mind and soul.

Just walking home thinking about what's local and what's the connection between my physical locale and my online community.

Leadership is as much about failing as it is about success.

 

Leadership often requires the lessons of failure to make way for the successes of the future. Opportunity can be found in these lessons. Through these opportunities I can find new success.

 

Leadership is as much about doing as it is about being.

 

For a long time now I’ve felt that only through my doing was I able to lead others. Gandhi suggests that we be the change we want to see. I believed that my doing was the same as my being. I’ve learned that my being is separate, yet connected, to my doing; and that both are essential to my leadership.

 

Leadership is as much about knowing as it is about learning.

 

Knowing myself, my strengths and my weaknesses; knowing my area of expertise; knowing my vision, my mission. These are all of great importance in my leadership; however, without the desire to continue learning my summit will come at the hilltop and not the Himalayas.