‘This is a Library.
Crossroads of civilization.
Refuge of all the Arts, against the ravages of time.
Armoury of Fearless Truth against whispering rumour.
Incessant Trumpet of Trade.
From this place, words may fly abroad, not to perish as digital waves, but fixed in time.
Not corrupted by the hurrying hand, but verified in proof.
Friend you stand on sacred ground:
This is a Library. ‘
Derived from a quote by Beatrice Warde
When I joined Bookworm, the team was about 15 strong, with three core teams under the Bookworm Trust head, and a fourth formally just birthed.
About two years later, we have grown in number, with four core programs (Professional Development seeded, rooted and growing), a bigger space and a vision that is ever growing. Work Culture at Bookworm? I am still learning.
I think the first thing that comes to mind, to OUR mind, is the Team. Our strength comes from a platform of working collectively towards a common goal. Each person is both the support and the lynchpin of the team. While tensions, drama and words fly back and forth from time to time, when we do something, we do it together. The moment someone joins Bookworm, they are gathered into the team, sheltered under its wings and grow within that space. This is not an individual characteristic, it is a product of years of emphasis on TEAM over ME or YOU.
We Learn, literally and figuratively, hypothetically and realistically, across mails and in person, everyday. Through conversations, through mails, through books, through children, through the space that lies between logic and dreams, we learn. Within these walls composed of books and people, our training is ongoing, professionally and personally. This Learning is both demanding and challenging. And it is one of the reasons why people stay and why people leave. Stagnation is not an option at Bookworm.
Appreciation and critical feedback is imparted in equal measure. You are as likely to be appreciated for something small as you are to be critiqued on something big. Over time I have come to realize how important both these are and how much they both contribute to individual
growth.
And lastly, each person in the team is regarded as important and critical to the overall well being of the organization. From the seating arrangement (always a circle), to rounds of responses where everyone is needed to express how ‘you’ felt, to compulsory attendance of ALL team members for professional development workshops. Growth is because of each one’s contribution, and each one is part of this growth.
Work Culture at Bookworm? It is a reflection of what we do, built on experience and subject to nothing. It is held in the hands of good leadership and rests on a bedrock of core values. This is a Library first and foremost, and it stands by what a Library should be.