By Craig Scott, Director of Gadsden Public Library
One of the things I’ve learned throughout my career is that no matter how long you’ve been doing something, there’s always something new to learn. Sometimes the best ideas don’t come from sitting behind your desk. They come from stepping outside your surroundings, listening to others and discovering how different communities approach the same challenges we face here in Gadsden and Etowah County.
That’s precisely why I recently traveled to Winter Park, Florida, to participate in the 2026 Library Journal Directors’ Summit.
I was honored to be selected as one of 100 public library directors invited to this national gathering. The opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow library leaders, hear from respected voices in our profession, and reflect on the future of public libraries was both rewarding and thought-provoking.
But perhaps the most important part of attending isn’t what you learn while you’re there. It’s what you bring home and what you actually do with that knowledge.
One of the speakers who particularly impressed me was Bob Gogel, president and CEO of MSI Information Services, the parent company of Library Journal. During his presentation, he challenged us to consider what he called the Library 10-10-10 rule.
The idea is remarkably simple, yet surprisingly powerful.
Where was your library 10 years ago? Where will your library be 10 years from now? And what will you do in the next 10 days to begin making that future a reality?
Think about those questions for a moment.
Ten years ago, in 2016, the Gadsden Public Library was a very different place in many respects. Technology was changing how people accessed information, digital collections were expanding, and libraries everywhere were beginning to redefine what it meant to serve their communities.
Today, the Gadsden Public Library offers opportunities that would have been difficult to imagine just a decade ago. We’re about to launch a Makerspace called “Genesis” where patrons will be able to explore creative technology. We have an expanding collection of digital resources, many new partnerships with educational and community organizations, and even a social work internship program helping connect individuals with important services.
And yet, books, reading, literacy and lifelong learning remain at the very heart of what we do.
That brings me to another memorable speaker at the summit, Nancy Pearl, the nationally recognized librarian, author and champion of reading. Her message was a timely reminder that, amid all the technology, innovation and expanding responsibilities of today’s public libraries, we should never forget the basics.
Reading matters. Books matter. And most importantly, the people who come through our doors matter.
I found her message particularly meaningful because it reminds us that progress doesn’t always mean adding something new. Sometimes it means renewing our commitment to what made libraries important in the first place.
Now, back to that 10-10-10 challenge.
The timing of this message couldn’t be more appropriate for Gadsden.
Just this week, Mayor Craig Ford began his second four-year term leading our city. During his first four years, we’ve witnessed remarkable changes throughout Gadsden, with renewed attention to economic development, infrastructure, downtown revitalization, and opportunities for continued growth.
And Mayor Ford isn’t finished. His vision for “GROW Gadsden” is about building upon that progress and preparing our city for an even brighter future.
That same forward-thinking spirit should guide our public library.
As new businesses arrive, neighborhoods develop, families move into our community and opportunities expand, the Gadsden Public Library must be prepared to grow alongside the city it serves.
After all, a growing city needs a growing library. Not necessarily a larger building or more books on the shelves, but a library that continually expands its ideas, its partnerships, its services and its ability to meet the changing needs of its community.
Mayor Ford’s plans for Gadsden encourage us to think beyond tomorrow and consider what kind of city we want to become over the next decade and beyond.
Shouldn’t we be asking those same questions about our library?
Where should the Gadsden Public Library be in 2036?
What will our community need from its library a decade from now? Will we need different types of programs, additional technology, new approaches to literacy, or even new ways of delivering library services beyond our walls?
I certainly have some ideas of my own. But I also know that the best answers won’t come from one person sitting in the director’s office.
That’s why I’ll be bringing this 10-10-10 concept to my library employees, inviting them to think about where we’ve been, where we should be headed and what practical steps we can begin taking right now.
Our employees work directly with the public every day. They hear your questions, understand your needs, recognize your frustrations and often see opportunities for improvement that might otherwise go unnoticed. Their perspectives will be invaluable.
But I don’t want the conversation to stop with our staff.
I’d like to invite you, our community, to participate as well.
What would you like your public library to look like 10 years from now? What services do you value most today? What could we be doing better? And perhaps most importantly, is there something we should begin doing now that would make your library an even greater asset to Gadsden in the years ahead?
I hope you’ll share your thoughts with us. Whether you’re a frequent library visitor, someone who hasn’t visited in years or a parent hoping to introduce a child to the joy of reading, your perspective matters.
After all, this is your public library.
As I returned home from Winter Park, I was reminded that libraries cannot simply rest on what they’ve accomplished in the past. We must continue learning, listening, adapting and preparing for the future.
But we must also remember Nancy Pearl’s message: Never lose sight of the reader, the book or the personal connection that makes a public library so special.
The 10-10-10 challenge offers us a wonderful starting point.
We can look back 10 years with pride, look forward 10 years with imagination and use the next 10 days to begin turning good ideas into meaningful action. So, let me know your thoughts. Let me know your ideas. I’m eager to hear from you!
My email address is: [email protected].
As Gadsden grows, our library must grow with it. And the future of the Gadsden Public Library isn’t something we should simply wait for. It’s something we should create together.
- Gadsden Public Library: 254 South College Street, downtown Gadsden (next to the U.S. Post Office). Phone: 256-549-469
- Genealogy Branch: 2700 West Meighan Boulevard, Alabama City (next to the Ritz Theater at the corner of West Meighan and Wall Street). Phone: 256-549-4688
