Michael Stephens > Quotes

“Being a good, innovative librarian means taking a humanistic stance toward policy, decision-making, and experimentation. It means focusing on the heart.”
― Michael Stephens, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change

“Curiosity about the world and how people create, use, and access information should fuel our practice.”
― Michael Stephens, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change

“For me, the heart of librarianship is learning. It's a cyclical process of support, engagement, and discovery with deep roots in the concepts of service, access, and freedom to pursue interests of all kinds. No matter what type of institution, someone is gaining knowledge, finding information, or creating something new based on our facilitation.”
― Michael Stephens, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change

“We are the heart of our communities, and that only works because of what the people who run libraries give of themselves. They do it knowing that there will be hard days and disappointment, budget fights, and individuals whom they may not be able to reach. The best librarians make that emotional investment because they believe in the institution and the community they serve.”
― Michael Stephens, Wholehearted Librarianship: Finding Hope, Inspiration, and Balance

“Libraries encourage the heart, which means we should lead from the heart, learn from the heart, and play from the heart. It means we are all-in all the time, not just when it’s convenient.”
― Michael Stephens, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change

“The need to be vocal can't be overemphasized: "We need to change the concept of the library as restricted, quiet space--we bustle, we rock, we engage, but so many people in the community do not know this.”
― Michael Stephens, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change

“Losing a bit of control opens the heart and the mind to what the future will bring.”
― Michael Stephens, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change

“Let your actions speak louder than words, however: professionalism matters, while popularity is illusory, fleeting, and short-lived. Your contributions to the field, by enhancing service, creating new models to replace outdated practice, and quietly working to improve communities, matter most.”
― Michael Stephens, The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change

“Yet, Jesus saw Matthew in a way that no one else saw him. He did not define Matthew by what he was doing, but by the dreams of his heart. He did not see a man for what he was, but what he could be, and he loved him for it. He loved him in a way that produced worship, honor, and love”
― Michael Stephens, Lattes, Mochas, and Jesus