Words With Color - May 5, 2022 | Kids Out and About Phoenix <

Words With Color

May 5, 2022

Debra Ross

Each year for the past several years, I've had the honor of serving as a judge in my area's regional library council awards. In a world where worry is thrust in our faces daily, there are few tasks more conducive to mental health than to read through glowing descriptions of individuals who are a net positive to the planet, people who ensure that their libraries are warm, comforting, safe places where learning flourishes and creativity is nurtured. The most influential nominations are always those with specific observations about why a library deserves the award, like these:

Our neighborhood book club was able to use the community room at the library for our monthly meeting when in-person activities started to feel safe again and home living rooms still felt too small for social distancing. The director hired staff for Friday after hours so we could meet there and even use the kitchen.

[They do] an amazing job with an online genealogy group. The top five picks every week show me materials I didn’t know the library had. They also host the Anomaly Film podcast.

Staff puts out a basket of mittens, scarves, and hats for patrons in the winter. They had a food truck (good old fashioned wooden one) for people to donate food for patrons... In the spring, patrons can receive packets of seeds for their garden. For Valentine’s Day, they had grab bags with candy and romance DVDs. Patrons could sign out the movies and write a review for prizes.

The end of the school year is coming up, which presents many opportunities to shine a spotlight on what makes you grateful. It costs nothing but a little time to add your comments to a card, to send an email to a supervisor, to dictate a few words into a text. The more vividly you paint the picture of exactly what makes someone special, the more likely it will capture the attention and heart of the recipient (or judge!), and also the more likely the good thing you love will continue in the future.* Be sure to color in the lines on your comments with specifics so the picture lives forever.

Deb