When I was growing up, I used to make up stories about numbers to help me remember math facts. I would imagine them with personalities and how they might interact when they were added or multiplied. When I became a parent, I found I wasn’t alone in my quirky imaginings—or at least listening to songs by They Might Be Giants and playing educational games with my kids made me feel less weird.
Numbers stay with us longer when they are connected to a narrative. Quantifying what our libraries do and illustrating it with charts and graphs gives us a picture, but often one that is linear, sharp-edged, and stark. It’s a warmer, deeper experience when there’s a human story told alongside those numbers, charts, and graphs.
How do we practice telling those kinds of stories?
Explore Create an OpeningThis week’s story prompt: The story behind the number
Choose one number your library reports: visits, questions answered, items used, classes taught, resources accessed, or something else.
What is one human story hidden inside that number?
You do not need to share sensitive information or identify anyone. Simply help us see one experience that the statistic represents—and what the number alone cannot tell us.
You’re invited to practice telling your story within the Fosgail Community. Open Membership is free. Join us when a prompt brings a story to mind. Read what others notice. Respond as you are able.
This is an invitation to practice, not a contest. A few honest sentences are enough.
An invitation to conversation about storytelling practice
I hope you’ll join me next Wednesday, October 28 for an Open Table conversation about storytelling as practice. What have you enjoyed these past few weeks as we’ve explored this practice? What have you found difficult or challenging? Do you have a story you’d like to practice telling? Are you still working out where your library’s stories are and which ones are worth sharing?
👉 Learn more about the Open Table on Wednesday, October 28 and RSVP
🗓️ Explore all of our upcoming events