While away in America celebrating my 50th birthday Jon and I spent the last few days of our trip in Boston so I decided to reach out to Harvard University to offer them a donated copy of my book to their library system. This is the response I received.
We would be grateful to accept a copy of your book as it meets an expressed need noted by our undergraduate students. Thank you for writing this book and for offering us a signed copy. I expect that it will have an impact on many of our readers.
With deep gratitude, Elizabeth Kirk
Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources and Services
Harvard University
Well, I was thrilled to say the least and so with that I dropped off two copies into the reception of the Widener Library as directed. Very keen to understand more about why Harvard University believed my book would align with their students’ expressed needs and what impact it might have on them, I wrote back to ask. This is the reply:
Two years ago, we invited undergraduates to respond to a survey on the Farnsworth Room and collection. This is a popular space in one of our libraries that caters to undergraduates and has a collection of leisure reading. Among the topics we were interested in learning about was what these students valued in an intentional leisure/non-academic collection. They told us that they wanted certain types of fiction, current affairs and self-help titles.
Self-help books reinforced for us how we in the library could support broader efforts across the university to help students maintain a sense of balance and bright hope for their futures. Our students are incredibly driven and intellectually voracious, but often expect so much of themselves that they may fail to see that one paper or exam is a moment in time and will not decide the rest of their lives.
Reading about how others have faced unimaginable challenges, survived, and remained optimistic about life can help put their worries into perspective. I expect that Focus on Why will do just that. Thank you again. Putting your grandfather’s hard-earned wisdom into prose will do our readers powerful good.
So there you have it. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you do ask, opportunities will present themselves in abundance.
I can’t explain how incredible it feels to know that two copies of my book are now sitting on library bookshelves within Harvard University for students to access. It is a dream I never even thought to dream however as various circumstances aligned this opportunity simply created itself. It was this opportunity that formed the foundation for choosing the word Collaboration as my focus for this year.
So, what’s your word and Focus on Why for 2025?
Focus on Asking. Focus on Why!
ACTION POINT - What is something you might dare to ask for, even if it feels unconventional or unlikely to succeed?
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