Twenty-oh-Nine

It's a new year and it's time to set some goals (which are not to be confused with new year resolutions - something I realized the futility of long ago and therefore don't do). This is purely off the cuff and not a comprehensive list:

Read. I already read a lot, but I'm sloppy as hell. I found/rediscovered three books last year that inspired me to spend some quality time with great literature (How to Read a Book by Adler and Doren, The Well-Educated Mind by Bauer, and The New Lifetime Reading Plan by Fadiman and Major). I've kicked around with Moby-Dick and The Education of Henry Adams each for at least a decade, but I've never tried to truly understand them. This is the year.

Get out. By this I mean to hike, backpack, camp, snowshoe, and climb. I love nature and I want to learn as much as I can about it and explore as many out-of-the-way places as possible.

Pitch in to preserve landscapes and places. I volunteered a weekend at Riverside Cemetery last summer and felt like I did something truly worthwhile. I'm going to find more projects that appeal to my love of architecture, neighborhoods, and natural settings.

Develop my expertise as a cultural resource manager. I really don't think of myself just as a librarian anymore, because my professional interests go far beyond that. My job has cultivated my appreciation and sensitivity about donor relations, what's worth saving, and information design. My colleagues William Turkel, Hugh Graham, Beth Heller, Erin Landeck, and Nina Simon have been inspirational on these fronts as well.

Become involved in my community. It's amazing how easy it is to live in a town and not really know what's going on next door. The Arvada city council is looking for members to serve on the boards of the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority and Arts and Humanities Committee, so I hope to be soon contributing on one of those.

Increase my professional participation. Work stays interesting if you get out of the office once in a while to see what your colleagues are doing. The Colorado Association of Libraries just started a new chapter for special collections libraries (like mine). I'm also going to write for publication. I'll probably begin by doing some guest blogging on some high-traffic CRM (cultural resource management) blogs to develop ideas.

Build healthier relationships. I always say I'm going to do this, but the sands shift so much and I too often find myself lost when it comes to effectively managing them. Personal relationships are what I find the most bewildering in this life, but since I also find them the most worthwhile, I keep getting back into the ring. A specific point I'll work on is being aware of my own behavior triggers and owning my own "stuff." Everyone (spouse, friends, family, co-workers, etc.) will be subject to this treatment.

That's enough, I think.