Movers & Shakers, Shovers & Makers

March 25, 2009

Every March the good folks at Library Journal publish their list of the year's "Movers and Shakers." Whether the chosen ones were more into moving or more into shaking, LJ cites the list as a "Who's Who of creativity and library trends in the field." Well, it's March, and the 2009 list is out. Composed of 51 new Movers, one of whom is from Washington State (congrats Libraryman!), the 2009 class is divided into Community Builders, Trendspotters, Activists, Marketers, Advocates, Innovators, and Tech Evangelists. I'm not sure what all those things are, or where the line is drawn, but I'll go out on a limb and say that they are fine things, all. If you're looking at the list and wondering where YOUR favorite Trendspotter, Activist, etc is, then you might be interested in knowing that people become Movers & Shakers by being nominated. So the next time someone mentions it to you (perhaps as a not-so-subtle hint that you should nominate them), take a few minutes and write a note about how great they are. This year you'll just have to face the music and watch your brilliant co-workers fume as they go unrecognized. Or maybe not. The Library Society of the World, who believes we are all brilliant, has a different plan. If you can't move & shake, why not shove & make? The LSW's "Shovers and Makers" believes that you are already a winner, and that while "the Movers and Shakers are moving and shaking", the rest of us are surely not standing still. And if you're brilliant and unrecognized (and likely to remain that way because you're just plain unappreciated in your own time), then here's the best part: you get to nominate yourself. Better yet, you simply get to declare yourself a Shover and Maker. And you know what, if you stop and think about it, I bet you deserve it. Maybe we can't all move and shake, but we all add something of value to this profession, and we all deserve a moment's recognition from time to time, even if it's just from ourselves.

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