The pot is bigger than you think.
In "The Class-Consciousness Raiser" from the NY Time Magazine, June 10, 2007, there's an article by Paul Tough about Ruby Payne, who offers trainings on understanding class differences. The article explains how she was inspired to do this work... "'The book said, Make a list of what you want in your life and ask the universe to bring it to you,' she told me. 'So I did. I wrote: 'I want a life without financial constraints. I want a life without institutional constraints. And I want to make a difference with children.' And it happened!'".
A few years ago at a strategic planning meeting the facilitator talked about how libraries' budgets aren't getting any bigger. She said- "The pot is never going to get any bigger, so you have to figure out how to do more with less." And then she reminded us that more people search google in a minute than visit our branches in a month... or some sort of equally upsetting statistic... I can't remember the exact number, only my ensuing sadness. I felt like I'd been told we only have three years left to live, and not any longer so better make use of that short time.
In our conflict management & negotiation class last night we split into partners to negotiate over a crate of oranges. We thought we were in a bidding war, and trying to figure out whether we could make do with only half the oranges, but then, after sharing some info, it turned out one of us needed the rind, and the other needed the pulp, but we were so focused on the size of the pot, we didn't stop to share information (and I'd even heard this dilemna solution before, and still didn't think to apply it last night-- it's unusually difficult to remember to share when you're competing against someone).
So, what I learned is that the pot is an artifically imposed limit that need not exist. And yes-- of course we should streamline library procedures, and yes- maybe there isn't money to justify offering programs that don't draw a crowd (especially since not drawing a crowd in NYC probably indicates you're not meeting the needs/desires of the community), and of course we need to work within budgets.
But please, public libraries. I implore you. Think outside the pot. Decide how you want to be, without thinking about the limits, and then figure out how to do it.