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Paula Brehm-Heeger
President, Young Adult Library Services Association, ALA
Manager, TeenSpot Teen Department: Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Main Library

Focus on the content, not the container… information can be amazing in a variety of formats and we need to figure out how to make these information formats a meaningful, sustainable part of library services.

How do you describe what you do as a librarian to your family or to people at a party?
Oh, I would probably mention how I try to connect teens with books, reading and information. And, I often point out how librarians work with an amazingly wide array of people from all walks of life. I don’t think many people realize the diversity of our customers – at least in public libraries!

What special projects, initiatives or committees have you been or are involved in? How did you first got involved? What experiences in ALA have been the most rewarding?
Currently I am the President, Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of ALA in which I have been an active member for some time. I have chaired several YALSA committees, including the Intellectual Freedom, TAGS (Teen Advisory Groups), and PAT (Partnerships Advocating for Teens) committees and served on YALSA’s Popular Paperback for Young Adults Committee. I have also chaired the ALSC Notable Children’s Video Committee. On a state level, I have served on the Ohio Library Council’s Young Adult Services Division and chaired OLC’s state Intellectual Freedom committee. I have written several articles for the Young Adult Library Services Journal, including “Cosplay, Gaming and Conventions” Young, “A Real Princess: An Interview with Meg Cabot.” and “A Case for Making Original Content Part of Your YA Web Page.”

All of my ALA experiences have really been rewarding! There is nothing like the experience of being the President of a Division, however and I am so honored and grateful to be able to serve YALSA and ALA members in this capacity.

I first became involved with ALA thanks to Therese Bigelow – a very active ALA member who has served as the ALSC President and also served on ALA Council. I was working for Therese at the Kansas City (MO) Public Library and she made it a point to support and encourage me professionally early in my career-that has made all the difference!

What advice would you give to up and coming librarians?
Focus on the content, not the container. Lots of people talk about how they love books – and I do too! But information can be amazing in a variety of formats and we need to figure out how to make these information formats a meaningful, sustainable part of library services.

What do you think are the top three issues facing librarianship(positive or negative) that could change the course of things? If we should try to change that course, how should we go about it?

Funding

Funding

Funding

Libraries face enormous challenges in securing resources. We have the good fortune of having a real foundation of good will among so many people in our communities – OCLC’s recent Environmental Scan demonstrated that the idea of a Library has much support with the public. But as we try to move libraries forward in terms of technology and resources, that traditional idea of what a Library is and why everyone should value libraries may not be there for us. Our challenge will be to keep libraries relevant and well funded as the information landscape changes and evolves.

Tell us from your own experience one lesson you have learned.
Patience. It is very important to gather as much information as you can before making a decision. We know that libraries need to be responsive and nimble. I think the greatest skill is being patient in gathering data. But also realizing that you’ve got to make a decision and ultimately having the courage to make that decision with whatever information you have available.

What values (personal traits or characteristics) do you look for and admire in a leader?
Courage and Optimism. Additionally, I think the idea of “being the same person every day.” I like that because in the world of libraries there are lots of ups and downs – budget issues, difficult customers, challenging staff issues, finding out the young people you work with live in extraordinarily difficult situations – and more. But when you’re leading staff and a community as a leader of their library you can never let those challenges affect your performance or your response to people. No matter what, you have to be the same person every day, every moment.

How do you recognize contributions of others in your library and in your community?
A very wise man (my husband – also a librarian and a long time manager) once told me that people don’t always remember compliments but they never forget criticism. I think it is easy to misunderstand the impact of criticism and the appreciation and value of a genuine compliment. I make it a point to send thank you notes to staff, peers, partners and, most of all, library administrators and directors. Those are difficult, challenging jobs. The people doing them deserve respect and appreciation for the burden they bear and the challenges they conquer on behalf of all librarians and the communities we serve.

Who do you think is a library leader? Name one person.
Mabel Williams (1887-1985) from the New York Public Library. She was a pioneer in the field of library service to young adults and I admire her leadership style and accomplishments immensely.

What or who influenced you to become a librarian?
When I was an older teenager I had an experience where I was not permitted to check out a book at a public library because it had been deemed inappropriate. I think that experience helped me to realize the importance of making sure information is free and open to all people. The foundation of our democracy is built on the idea of libraries and free access to information. I felt (and still do) compelled to be a part of that.

If you could do anything in your career differently, what would that be and why?
I would enter a management track earlier. Often I think youth services librarians do not have the opportunity to learn management skills early enough in their careers. By the time youth services individuals have the chance to (or make the decision to) move into management experience they are competing against others who have 5-10 years of experience. I don’t believe that experience is always the most vital factor for being the best candidate but as I’ve advanced in my career I certainly have seen time and again where experience can really make a difference in how effective people are in positions of leadership.

What are the top three things they don’t teach you in library school that you think are critical?
1. Adolescent development

2. Effective ways for working with and understanding customers with mental health issues

3. Courses on very current technologies and how library customers actually use them

What should every librarian know?
It’s a vocation, not a job.