Introducing Ben Phinney! He is an Adult Services Librarian at Seekonk Public Library. Recently we asked Ben to share his Project SET experiences.
How did you become aware of Project SET, and what elements drew you to the program?
A colleague of mine turned me on to Project SET after she had gone through the program. The skill building nature of the program attracted me to it. I’ve always seen myself as a life-long learner and try to jump on any chance I get to advance my skillset.
What are your first impressions of the program and its intended outcomes?
The program is exciting so far. Just the public speaking workshop alone was full of invaluable information and feedback. I’ve seen myself as a fairly decent public speaker, but after the Project SET workshop on public speaking I realize how much better my presentations could be. There are so many factors I hadn’t even thought to consider.
Project SET begins each year with a study of trends currently impacting libraries. Of the trends you’ve learned about which one do you feel will have the biggest impact on your library and why?
Of the future trends we have discussed so far at Project SET, the one I believe will have the biggest impact on my library in particular is Aging Advances. Our core population group is older adults. Seekonk has a median resident age of 44 which is 5 years older than the Massachusetts average. As technological advances allow people to live longer and live better, this core population is only going to grow. Communities, like mine, will experience a large impact from this trend and will need to adjust their services accordingly.
Want to know more about Project SET? Visit our LibGuide!
