Wise words come from city librarian

Friday was Jan Sanders’ last day as director of the Spokane Public Library. She’s moving to Pasadena, Calif., to head that city’s libraries. Sanders, 57, was never afraid to tell it like it was. I couldn’t let this honest, funny and smart woman escape Spokane without leaving behind some of her wisdom. So here are 10 things Jan learned about libraries and leadership during her four-year tenure in Spokane.

•Never underestimate the public’s love for the institution.

People always tell Jan their how-I-fell-in-love-with-libraries story. Jan’s love story: “I grew up in rural Missouri. In 1957, I was 10, my sisters were 11 and 12, and we had spent the entire summer reading the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ books. Miss Virginia, the librarian, said one day, ‘Girls, I have something sad to tell you, Mrs. Wilder has died.’ “

•Never underestimate loyalty to a neighborhood branch.

When the library faced budget cuts, the message Jan received at each branch was the same: We know you need to save money. But don’t close our branch. Close theirs.

•Develop plans that are “out of the box.”

Jan adopted the fish philosophy of management from Pike Street Market in Seattle. Its four tenets: Be there. Play. Choose your attitude. Make their day.

Library workers often found on their desks a fish photo glued to a Popsicle stick with a note thanking them for going the extra mile with customers.

•Never assume it won’t work.

In 2002, when the library downtown was forced to close on Saturdays due to money woes, Jan and the staff brainstormed a way to keep it open. Employees from throughout the library system work two Saturdays a year on a rotating basis.

•Stretch, stretch, stretch.

Jan saw untapped talent in staffers and then encouraged them to stretch to meet her vision of them. They did.

•Expect more from people than you have a right to.

There were 115 full-time library positions when Jan started in August 2001. Now there are 78. She often told her staff, “I’ve gone to the well, and I can’t get you more money, and I can’t get more staff.” And then she said, “We’ll do the same caliber of service. We’ll keep customers satisfied.” And her staff delivered.

•Be candid but thoughtful.

Jan was born a Midwesterner, used to directness. Then she worked in the South, where she picked up a slight Southern accent and the need to temper her bluntness.

“There is a fine line between being forthright and being thoughtless and offensive,” Jan said. She honed that fine-line walking skill here.

•Gather support before you need it.

The library director does not report directly to the Spokane City Council or the mayor, because the library operates under a five-person board. But it never occurred to Jan not to attend the mayor’s daily 8 a.m. meeting with department heads.

She said, “Someone needed to be at that table saying, ‘Support libraries, support libraries, support libraries.’ “

•Show compassion and concern. It makes even bad news more palatable.

As the library suffered through funding bloodbaths, Jan kept her employees posted, with compassionate but truthful e-mails. The staff felt included, even though it was inclusion through the sharing of pain.

During one difficult stretch, Jan broke an arm, an ankle and totaled her car. Much compassion was showered upon her by employees. Jan learned that leaders can show vulnerability at times, and it’s not viewed as weakness.

•Never, never, never give up.

Jan believes the survival of libraries depends on library advocates. These advocates must share their why-I-love-the-library stories. They must articulate why, in our Internet and Amazon.com age, we still need vital and free libraries.

As Jan says, “You never know when a conversation will fall on the right pair of ears and make all the difference.”