Resolution #8. Develop Partnerships
Regarding some of the resources I’ve used on my del.icio.us pages, in the ALA Library Bill of Rights (saved by 56 del.icio.us members!), Articles 1 and 6 form the framework of why libraries need to work hard on community relations:
Article 1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
Article 6. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.
In 2004, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine started a terrific campaign to build awareness and provide resources for the building of partnerships, Public Libraries and Community Partners: Working together to Provide Health Information. They have a simple process that can also be applied to areas outside health partnerships, using these steps:
- Set the Direction with a Community Assessment
- Define Stakeholders and Partners
- Define Measurable Goals, Outputs, and Outcomes
- Plan Activities to Reach Project Goals
- Define How a Program Will Work
- Define an Evaluation Plan
Each of the above is linked to great ideas and easy-to-implement partnering methods.
In my book I do use a number of magazine articles. Currently Librarything is geared towards books, but there’s no reason a person couldn’t build a catalog of professional articles linked with appropriate tags.
Some articles I cited in the book include these:
Morton, Norman. “Beyond Public Exhibits To Partnerships.” American Libraries 36 (November 2005): 42-45
From a librarian in Louisville, Kentucky, a best practices-type article; it contains five steps to successful collaborative programming:
- Build contacts with community relations and development staff of high-profile arts, cultural, and social action organizations in your community.
- Conduct informal meetings to identify common communications and community relations goals.
- Generate a cooperative program idea.
- Develop a program plan utilizing manpower and assets of both organizations.
- Execute the plan utilizing promotional assets of both organizations.
Welch, Jeanie M. “Silent Partners: Public Libraries and Their Services to Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs.” Public Libraries 44 (September/October 2005): 282-285
This article presents a historical perspective as well as good present day best practices on how to help, and network with, an important community sector.
For books in my Librarything account, my most popular professional resource tagged with planning is the “Blueprint for your Library Marketing Plan”, by Patricia H. Fisher. Let’s look at the data record for the book through the link above. A limited number of library professionals share this book. Their content is usually very specialized!
Another “best practice” profile belongs to rangeview.
Created by a library district in Adams County, Colorado, it illustrates how beneficial it is to plan the categories for your site.
Some features of this detail record are automatically taken care of by the Librarything software, and are on all detail records on the right. Notice the box on the lower right. It shows members who share rangeviews’ collection books. It shows Castles shares 3 of theirs in the my collection of 47 books. NorthernLights’ has 13 out of the 799 in that collection.
It’s fun seeing who has what! It can also lead you to creative ideas, which is related to the 9th Resolution…to create great programming!
-Ed Rossman, Interim Branch Manager for the Bertram Woods branch of the Shaker Heights Public Library and author of Castles Against Ignorance: How to Make Libraries Great Educational Environments
Click here to access an archive of Ed’s webinar and a PDF of the slides he used.