Process Over Product: Two Years (Almost) of Programming (and Anxiety)

Alex Byrne
Youth Services Librarian
Pierce County Library System
Twitter: @HeofHIShirts

for

Washington Library Association Conference
5 May 2022
#wla2022

The Washington Library Association Conference is situated on the traditional lands of the first people of Seattle and the surrounding area. The lands I live and work on are part of the traditional lands of the Coast Salish people and the Puyallup Tribe, and the conference is located on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish people as well. Their descendants deserve our thanks for their immense contributions, past and present, to our state and local history, culture, and identity as Washingtonians.

This presentation has funny things in it. It also has very serious things in it. I talk about things like

• Failure
• Perfectionism
• Anxiety
• Toxic Work Environments

and my experiences with all of these feelings and situations.

If you're a person with an embarrassment squick, or you are also dealing with any of the named issues above, there's no shame in hitting the back button or noping out if things get to be too intense or they start dredging up unpleasant thoughts and memories for you. It'll still be here if you want to come back to it later. I had a lot of Feelings going through this and writing it up, so you might have the same reading it.