Take Part in the Summer Reading Challenge

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It’s summertime! What are you going to read?

Libraries across the country are encouraging their members to grab an armful of books and make it a summer full of reading. For example, the Palm Beach County Library System has started the annual Summer Reading Challenge. As shared on their website:

Residents are invited to join the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge: Color Our World. Summer is a season that beckons everyone to embark on new adventures, explore faraway lands and lose themselves in the magic of stories. Where better to start your journey than at the Library!

Don’t live in Palm Beach County? Never fear! Almost all public libraries across the country engage in a summer reading program. Visit yours today to get started.

Summer reading challenges are happening at a time when many authors and researchers are highlighting the need for deep reading. An article from last October from the National Endowment of the Arts points to data showing a slump in reading for pleasure. An interview on NPR similarly discussed how Americans are reading fewer books. The effects of these trends are far reaching and still being studied. I intend to explore this topic more in future posts.

Meanwhile. I invite you to personally try to reverse this trend by signing up for your nearest summer reading program. Then pick your favorite books and enjoy the read!

Do Less

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When was the last time you did less?

Most of us live very full lives. Between work, exercise, housekeeping, and other commitments it seems like being on the go is the natural state of affairs. However, is it healthy to remain constantly picking up new projects, agreeing to new responsibilities and rushing to the next meeting?

In a Time magazine article from last year titled Do Less. It’s Good for You, journalist Jamie Ducharme explores how doing fewer things may bring greater health and life enjoyment. To do so, we must first rethink what it means to do less. Ducharme points to a set of studies that show how hard it is for most people to relax.

Researchers including Michelle Newman, a professor of psychology at the Pennsylvania State University, have also studied the concepts of “relaxation anxiety” and “relaxation sensitivity,” which relate to the discomfort, boredom, or unease some people feel when they slow down. For some, “There’s this view that, ‘I should always be busy doing something,’” Newman says. “Often people feel like it’s not okay to just be reading a good book or watching a good program on TV.”

She then points out how relaxation through doing less is vital to staying healthy.

The truth is, rest and relaxation are vital to well-being. Chronic stress negatively affects nearly every aspect of mental and physical health, even contributing to higher risks for chronic disease and premature death. Meanwhile, rest may boost your health, quality of life, and longevity. Getting better at resting and relaxing, then, isn’t frivolous; it could actually be lifesaving.

The challenge of doing less involves setting boundaries between work and home, relaxing the body, and starting small with changes. To learn more about how to reprogram yourself from a state of constant doing to a lifestyle that values relaxation, please read the rest of the article.

Who Should Attend?

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Have you ever attended a meeting and wondered why you are there?

Sometimes people send out meeting invites across the entire organization on the assumption that many heads are best. However, more attendees often make a meeting less productive. An article from Flowtrace indicated that 35% of survey respondents believed that limited the number of people in the room was important for meeting success.

When participants start to believe the meeting is a waste of time, their engagement slips. This can lead to mildly disruptive behavior, such as looking at phones or side-conversations. At worst, it can rise to active disruption in the form of pointless argumentation or snide comments.

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A cardinal rule of meetings is to invite as few people as possible, but enough to make the meeting effective. How should a meeting planner determine whom to invite? Here are a few parameters:

  • Does the meeting topic directly affect a potential attendee’s core job functions?
  • Are they directly responsible, or part of the team responsible, for the item discussed?
  • Will they carry out actions resulting from decisions made at the meeting?
  • Do they have specific expertise relating to the topic of the meeting?
  • Could a team leader attend in place of the whole team and report back?

For example, an early high level meeting to discuss the allocation of the materials selection budget could be attended by the division leaders, including collections, finance, and administration. A future meeting where the discussion reaches branch level allocations could be expanded to include the branch division head and specific managers who oversee special collections.

In addition, keep in mind that not all participants need to stay for the entire meeting. When someone is done with their portion of the meeting, allow them to exit if feasible. To that end, it is helpful to organize the meeting agenda to enable participants with limited roles to have their items discussed early so they can leave to resume their regular duties.

Remember, employees work time is valuable. Don’t waste their contributions by obligating them to attend unnecessary meetings. They will appreciate it.

Statement from the Urban Library Council

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The library world was shocked last week by news of the abrupt firing of the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. She was fired by email.

Like many of my colleagues, I was sad to hear this news. I am a big admirer of Ms. Hayden and believe that her career is an inspiration for librarians everywhere. From her background as a public library Director and her extensive experience working at the national level, Ms. Hayden was a natural fit for the Library of Congress. Despite this set back, I know that Ms. Hayen will continue to advocate for libraries across the country in her next role.

Below is a statement from the Urban Library Council regarding this situation.

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The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) is deeply dismayed by the dismissal of Dr. Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress.

A visionary leader, Dr. Hayden modernized the Library of Congress, expanded its digital reach, and championed access and transparency. Dr. Hayden worked tirelessly to ensure that this vital institution served not only scholars and policymakers—but all people, in every corner of our country. She also made history as the first woman and first African American to serve in the role—an appointment that carried deep significance for the institution and the nation.

At a time when truth, history, and civic knowledge are under strain, Dr. Hayden stands as a steadfast advocate for open information and the enduring value of public institutions. Her leadership reminds us that libraries are, at their core, dynamic engines of democracy, equity, and the public good.

Her removal is not simply a personnel decision—it is a profound rupture in our national commitment to knowledge, access, and public service. This moment demands clarity, courage, and conscience—from Congress, from civic leaders, and from all who believe in the integrity of our democratic institutions. The Library of Congress is more than a building on Capitol Hill. It is a symbol of our nation’s belief in the power of knowledge and the free exchange of ideas. Its mission must not be subject to political whims.

The Urban Libraries Council calls on Congress to recognize Dr. Hayden’s historic contributions, to celebrate the transformation she sparked, and to protect the independence and integrity of the Library of Congress. Let this moment not diminish her legacy but instead galvanize a renewed commitment to libraries as pillars of democracy.

ULC stands in solidarity with library leaders across the nation in honoring Dr. Hayden’s vision, her service, and her unshakable belief in the power of libraries to change lives.

The Curse of the Eternally Urgent

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Have you ever fallen into the urgency trap?

This is the mode of thinking where we believe the most important thing to attend to is the latest and loudest item. Whether it comes from people demanding your time or a frantic email from your boss, it is all too easy to default focus to the item that everyone is worried about. However, does tending constantly to the most recent item lead to problems down the road?

In a classic David Allen article called The Curse of the Eternally Urgent, he starts out by clearly stating why ignoring seemingly unimportant items can backfire down the road.

Ignoring secondarily important actions and projects because you are too busy and concerned with urgent things fosters continual crisis management. It never self-corrects; it self-perpetuates. Where do fires and crises come from? Usually from not-so-urgent things that people ignore because they are distracted by the crises of the moment. Then, ignored, they cause the next fires and crises.

One of the paths forward is to use the famous two-minute rule. It is the idea that if something can be done in under two minutes then do it right away. Storing it for later is a counterproductive strategy that costs more time in the long run. Surprising, Allen has heard criticism of this simple rule, for which he has a straightforward response.

Someone heard second hand about my “two-minute rule” (if the action on something takes less than two minutes, do it as soon as you look at or think of it) and thought it was ineffective. “I’d waste my whole day doing two-minute things, many of which are not that important.” My retort was: if they’re not important enough to do, they’re not important enough to do at all! You’re either going to do something or you’re not. If you’re going to do it at all, and it takes less than two minutes, 95% of the time you’ll save time and be much more proactive if you do it immediately.

To learn more about avoiding “The Curse of the Eternally Urgent”, please read the rest of the article.

The Kindness Extremist

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It seems like our world is growing meaner by the day and civility is harder than ever to find. That said, there are people out there championing the cause of kindness. And one of my favorite champions has just launched his own podcast.

If you want some hard-hitting positivity in your podcast stream, then look no further than Shola Richards‘ new show, The Kindness Extremist. I’ve known Shola since 2019, and I can attest that he brings his full life experience into the message he delivers. Here’s how Shola describes his podcast.

The Kindness Extremist with Shola Richards

The Kindness Extremist with Shola Richards

In a world on fire with division, misinformation, and performative outrage, The Kindness Extremist is the calm in the chaos. Hosted by bestselling author, speaker, and CEO Shola Richards, this weekly podcast is where radical civility meets real talk. With solo episodes that are part personal story, part practical strategy, Shola goes deep on the topics no one else wants to touch—cancel culture, DEI backlash, intellectual humility, misinformation, mental health, and how to lead with empathy without losing your edge. No fluff. No fake neutrality. Just bold conversations, sharp tools, and a mission to bring humanity back to the conversation. Whether you’re a leader trying to navigate toxic workplaces, a changemaker seeking clarity in chaos, or just someone who wants to hold your values without burning bridges—this is your space. 🔥 Come for the truth bombs. Stay for the transformation. New episodes every Monday.

Download it for your weekly dose of kindness. It is available wherever you get your podcasts.

The Secret to Success – Take Time Off

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When was the last time you took a vacation from work? I mean a true vacation where you unplugged completely from the office, not even peeking at your email once.

There is a mindset that we need to keep working to succeed. Breaks and vacations are seen as distractions from accomplishing goals. However, is this true or simply a recipe for burnout?

In an article on his website, Darius Foroux suggests that taking time off is actually vital to completing your goals. In fact, time off not only is good for your physical and mental well-being, but it also a way to increase creativity and focus. To start, he chastises the idea that taking time off is for wimps.

People who never take time off to do nothing are short-term focused. “I want to reach my goals! NOW!”

But as always, short-term thinking harms your long-term development and growth. What happens when you power through work and burn yourself out? In most instances, your results suffer, and you become less productive.

In some cases, you even become depressed — which will set you back even longer. 

His solution is to embrace time off from work. Whether it is deliberate breaks during the day or taking an unplugged vacation, time off has many benefits. One of the primary reasons breaks are important is that they give us time to think and process.

All ideas require processing. Are the ideas any good? Do I really want to do those things?

Again, that’s a thinking process. When you go from idea to execution, without processing, you often waste your time in hindsight.

Of course, you can never entirely prevent that. But by taking the time to process your ideas, you can prevent your future self a lot of pain, worry, and even money.

Read the full article on Foroux’s website to learn more benefits of taking time off.

The Path to Happiness

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Given the choice, most people would prefer to be happy. Yet, happiness remains frightfully elusive. Why is that?

It may have to do with where we place our attention. Quite often our happiness is a result of what we are choosing to do, and who we are with, in the moment. With that theory in mind, is it possible to mindfully improve our happiness?

According to Scott Young, the answer is yes. In an article on his website, Young proposes that the path to greater happiness is focusing on the things we love as opposed to the things we merely like. Early in the piece he lays out his logic.

Each of us has things we love. These things are both deeply enjoyable, and they fit ourselves into the vision of who we would like to be. When we’re doing them, we feel both fun and joy in the moment, but also feel content with the person we’re aiming to be.

We also have things we just like. These things may offer some momentary pings of joy, but the activity itself doesn’t really make us feel better about ourselves or deeply fulfilled. It’s just something to pass the time.

A route to greater happiness, in both the day-to-day enjoyment and long-term fulfillment with who you are and where you are in life is simple: do more of the things you love, and cut back on the things you merely like.

Young believes that by being methodical about identifying the things we love to do and the places and people we love to be with, our happiness will improve by focusing our time on them. To learn more about his theory and follow his step-by-step guide to make it happen, please read the rest of the article.

Tips for Better Public Speaking from TED

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Do you enjoy public speaking or does the thought of standing in front of an audience give you the chills?

Whenever you see a list of the top fears, public speaking is usually close to the top. There are many reasons for this trepidation, such as concerns about forgetting their speech or being seen as a fool. Yet the skill of public speaking is often required to succeed professionally at high levels. Therefore, how can someone overcome their fears and become a better speaker?

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

On their website, the Bright Network has an interview with Chris Anderson – Head of TED – the non-profit devoted to spreading ideas. From his experience watching and assisting people perfect their talks on the TED stage, he has compiled five important tips for effective public speaking. They can be applied by anyone from novice speakers to the most experienced orator. For Chris, the starting point is the idea.

The most successful presentations focus on one, coherent idea – something that will change the way your audience thinks, acts and approaches the world.

Your idea should take centre stage, not you. As a speaker, your job is to successfully share your knowledge with those listening. Think of it this way – you’re offering your audience the gift of an idea and your presentation is the wrapping paper.

To learn the other four tips, please read the short interview on the Bright Network.