SYNERGY - Shaney Livingston

Shaney Livingston is a community leader, serving as the Library Director at the Alachua County Library District, which comprises twelve library locations. Livingston began working at the library due to her interest in accounting and love for libraries - she started her journey with the district working as a budget manager in December of 1990. She subsequently went on to serve as the Financial Service Administrator, then Administrative Services Division Director, and now Library Director. Livingston says, the library changes lives,“The library is the gateway to the world. You can go places through books. You can find interests, and gain knowledge…there’s something for everyone.”

Livingston is responsible for the overall management of the district which includes the supervision of all staff, presenting policies to the Governing Board, and preparing the annual budget. She is also responsible for the overall dayto-day operations, which ensure that the Library District runs efficiently and effectively. While these responsibilities are significant, Shaney says what she cherishes most is her ability to help the community through servant leadership. The budgeting she does, for instance, helps to ensure that there is adequate funding for the numerous programs that the library offers to the community at no cost.

“There are so many programs, like the author visits, summer reading, our makerspace, or Battle of the Books...and there are many opportunities for teens to participate in as well. That’s another aspect that helps

to enrich our community. Most of our libraries now have teen spaces. These are spaces that have been dedicated just for the teens. I have watched our branches evolve over the years. We’re reaching out and helping our community to become better.”

Livingston says her most prized accomplishment has been being able to remain relevant in the 21st Century and being able to empower her staff. Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the library managed to have great turnouts for the programs that they were able to conduct virtually or in a socially distanced format. There are many takeaways Shaney says she gained through her 31 years with the library. “It is always important to aspire to be a servant leader, have compassion and empathy, always listen to what others have to say, and to try and find a way to make sure every day you are giving back to your community and helping people to better themselves. As a leader, you should make sure everyone is understood, that they have a chance to thrive and grow and be able to develop based on their personalities.” Most importantly, Livingston says that a leader should always be respectful, be open to listening, and carefully assess, analyze and evaluate a situation before making decisions. These steps are what Shaney says encourage collaboration and inspire her team to “buy-in” and invest in the overall goal.