The KDL Way: Furthering All People Includes Staff Too! 

By Jacob Huber, Branch Librarian

One of my favorite things about working for KDL is the commitment we have to Further All People. I love coming to work each day, knowing that my coworkers and I share this common goal as we engage with the communities around us. However, KDL’s investment in furthering people doesn’t just stop with our wonderful patrons; it includes those of us on staff as well!  

Every year a certain number of employees are selected to attend conferences and workshops around the state and country for professional development and enrichment. This year I was invited to take part in the Creating Change Conference in Washington, D.C. Creating Change is an annual conference that hosts a variety of workshops and sessions designed to help attendees develop and hone the necessary skills to be advocates of justice and equity in their personal and professional spheres.  

Creating Change is a multiple-day conference with sessions starting as early as 8:00 AM and going until past 8:00 PM. There are a wide array of subjects and topics to choose from. I was able to attend sessions where I learned the ins and outs of successful grant writing, how to engage and cultivate positive relationships with local media and news outlets, the importance of disability advocacy and creating accessible spaces, and many other engaging and helpful topics that are relevant to the work I do as a librarian who cares about creating a welcoming and inclusive community.  

Since I had the opportunity to be in the nation’s capital for the very first time, I made a point to visit the National Mall and take in the sights. As I read the Gettysburg Address at the Lincoln Memorial, saw the quotes on the walls of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, witnessed a political speech underway at Capitol Hill and walked through the hard to see, but impossible to turn away from exhibits of the Holocaust Memorial Museum, I felt a sense of gratitude and pride to live in a country where leaders and citizens are able to champion and advocate for the rights of all people to live in freedom. I also felt responsibility, because this freedom isn’t something that is simply given or should be taken for granted. It needs to be cared for and cultivated with care and intention.  

And that’s what we strive to do here every day at KDL. We provide access to information, materials and resources for all our community members regardless of socio-economic, religious, sexual, cultural or other identities. I’m grateful to work for an organization that goes above and beyond to invest in not only in its patrons, but in its staff members, by providing them with exceptional learning opportunities such as this one. I left Creating Change and Washington D.C. with a renewed enthusiasm for who we are as a library as well as the tools and resources to make a positive difference in helping to promote justice, equity and freedom.

Also, like any librarian worth his salt, I couldn't visit DC without stopping by the Library of Congress (the world’s largest library) and signing up for my very own LOC Library card!