"Constructive Bragging" - a fine art deserving more attention
When information professionals perform "miracles" for their clients, they sometimes modestly refrain from touting the accomplishment. That's a pity - for the organization in question, for the information profesional in question, and for the profession overall. Good news stories - how the investment in the expertise and content in the information center or library paid off in helping the organization move toward its goals or addressing its challenges - deserve to become well known, and it is our job to make that happen. But fear not - we can raise awareness without any 'cringe factor'. I know of one special library whose bulletin is eagerly read by constituents because it regularly brings stories about how a specific situation was addressed by the staff or by the tools made available. The "you can, too" value is high and the factual nature of the stories secures credibility. So let's not be modest and think "well, it's all in day's work" ... instead let's think "how can we tell others about this success in such a way as to add to the overall awareness of what is available in that mysterious entity called the library." Go ahead, brag away.
