I am a big library person. I always have been — I come from a library family. Earlier today, I texted my mom a question about a childhood library memory, and she responded, “I’m not sure, I’ll ask Dad. We’re at the library right now.” Lol. I had my library card number memorized for years before I committed my social security number to memory.
And now, I have a (very) part-time side gig as the substitute librarian in my small Saskatchewan town. I only work a handful of shifts each year, but I’m also on the board. And I run the book club. And attend events. And volunteer a lot. (In a small town, we wear a lot of hats, okay?)
This week, we had some special visitors at our little library; we’re partnering with a local company to do a fundraiser in September, and their marketing team came to film some footage to promote the day. I volunteered to answer some questions on camera. They mic’ed me up and everything.
It was incredibly easy to talk about what my library means to my community. Our main librarian does a fantastic job of organizing events and programming for all ages, from preschool storytime to art classes for adults. People come to the library to use the wifi or to print things. I once proctored an exam for a student taking an online class. And that’s all on top of the books!
I feel confident in saying that 90% of the books I read growing up came from the library. I was on a first name basis with the librarians. Honestly, I still mainly read library books, and I would be completely lost (and broke) without my Libby app. Libraries are fucking awesome. Librarians are superheroes.
As was, of course, Dolly Parton.
I sort of vaguely knew that she was passionate about literacy and education, but my social feeds are now serving me story after story of her relentless philanthropy and advocacy. I’m also seeing headlines about how she could have been a billionaire, but she was too generous. This is why billionaires piss me off. No one needs that much wealth, and it can do so much good if it’s shared.
Between Dolly’s larger-than-life legacy and my little local library, I’m just feeling a little warm and fuzzy this week — about books and libraries and free access to knowledge and how powerful that is.
I hope you use your library, and I hope you love it.
See you later,
Kara
Out of Office
What I do when I’m not at my desk
Reading: I started reading The Artist’s Way for the first time! I’ve owned it for over a year, but I’ve been intimidated. To maximize the chance of finishing it, I’m listening to the audiobook at a pace of 1-2 chapters per day and sort of doing a “lite” version of the tasks and morning pages instead of following the prescribed 12-week protocol. Because I’m the boss!
Watching: I binged My Brilliant Career, a mini series set in rural Australia in the late 1800s. It had everything I love in a period piece: amazing costumes, headstrong women, yearning.
Doing: Trying to keep my high-energy dog calm while he recovers from his neuter surgery 🤪 I’ve had time for little else this week.
Kara Detwiller is a writer and artist based in small-town Saskatchewan. She specializes in long-form content writing for enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, and manufacturing clients. She is also working on her first novel, among other creative pursuits. To connect, reply to this email or find Kara on LinkedIn.
Why Wishful Working? I want to help people thrive in a world obsessed with work and productivity. Together, we’re expanding the definition of productivity, rediscovering life balance, and exploring the many kinds of work that make life possible.
