Tuesday, Library day in the life

Day two of event:

7:45 to 8:20am: re-read retreat agenda, and skim over related notes

8:20: walk to retreat venue

8:30 to 8:40am : wonder where the coffee is, call caterer … they forgot to deliver it but will deliver it right away

8:40 to 11:15 am:

• begin attacking agenda,
• coffee arrives!
• make good headway with first items, I work with great people and the ideas they come up with are ingenious

11:15 to 11:30 am : caffeine and fruit break

11:30 to 1:00 pm:

• Director/boss arrives for this section to provide input into the more strategically challenging topics
• Lots of thinking and brainstorming,
• make productive headway into determining direction and “next steps” for projects

1:00 to 2:ish pm: Lunch at Sanchez on the patio in the sun

2:ish to 4:30 pm:

• Decide to forgo afternoon break and keep momentum going through the rest of the agenda
• more brainstorming
• The 3 new staff members (out of 6 staff) make awesome contributions to discussion … they have both fresh eyes and new ideas; while the “more seasoned” staff members bring lots of experience and organizational knowledge to the table …  this combo enables well-rounded discussion … passion tempered with experience and practical “get it done” mentality enhanced by lots of enthusiasm
• Uh oh, left a very detailed technical discussion to the end … not the best time for this discussion … but we meet the challenge head on and identify and prioritize both technical and strategic “next steps” for our next digitization project
• Finally, round out the day by re-visiting all agenda items, and come to consensus re: top 2 priority projects for the coming year.
• DONE!

5:00 to ??? pm:

• mentally exhausted, but also invigorated … stepping away from the library for a day for annual retreat is a great way to determine priorities and figure out how to move projects forward
• home to enjoy the +30C sunny evening (which will last until approx 11pm … living north of 60 is great!)
• employed grazing method for dinner (too hot to cook!) …lots of tomatoes, cheese, celery, cucumber, …. and ice cream to finish!