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10 The Art of Communication Get to the heart of what you want included in your Values Statement. The finished statement should be under two pages and represent the attitude you bring to others—what you communicate. It is an important step in ensuring that your library is a safe, welcoming environment for all. MISSION Your Values Statement is the library equivalent of your personal Core Val- ues. Your Mission Statement is the library equivalent of your Why. It declares your purpose and value. I have written much about Mission, but the more I explore the concept the more I recognize its importance. At the same time, I discover how this valuable piece of communication is mishandled. Having a Mission State- ment does not mean it serves the purpose. For example, libraries and school districts usually post their Missions on their websites. Too often, that is where it stays. If you ask the librarians what their Mission is, they turn to the website to retrieve it. You need to know your Mission. If you must look it up, it isn’t integrated into your daily work, and it has to be. When it is imbedded in you, you bring your Mission into your interactions with others. It is part of what you communicate to them. In addition to having it on your website, post it on the library wall so you and everyone can see it soon after entering or when checking out. The length of the statement is another issue. I recommend it be under 50 words, but some statements include almost everything the library does. The Mission should focus on what is important to the users. What is it that makes the library valuable to them? Choose words carefully. Using the future tense takes away the sense of immediacy from the statement. Saying “should” or “would” lessens what you are doing. Mentioning “21st century” skills places you in the past. We are over two decades into the century. Check your Mission Statement for weak words. You have a limited num- ber of words. Don’t waste them. “Support” and “enrich” suggest the pro- gram is an extra. While wonderful to have, it can easily be seen as a luxury when budgets tighten.