“Imagine, I thought, the impact I could have on a person who is discouraged and disheartened about their employment prospects or financial situation.  They come to the library and experience a kind of oasis, and see new possibilities, rather than feeling stigmatized about their situation.  In the process, they also discover the many other things their library offers.”

Project Compass has spent the last year leading workshops around the country about how libraries contribute to workforce recovery and local economic health. We’ve heard from so many workshop participants about the high level of energy and enthusiasm for taking the next steps to keep their libraries vital and central in the community. We’re excited about the impact of the project and we’d like to share our excitement with you through this webinar.

The project has reached nearly 2000 front-line library staff all around the country, stimulating conversations and actions to take those next steps. We have lots of stories and strategies to share from the amazing library staff we’ve worked with. The reflections from participants in the workshop preceding the ARSL conference—Jamie, Pamela, Hope and Joan—are a representative sample of how rural libraries have taken the Project Compass curriculum ideas and run with them.

This webinar is for anyone who is interested in how libraries are supporting their communities through these turbulent times. Whether you work in a large or small library, whether or not you attended a workshop, join us as we review the highlights of the project and look ahead to a thriving future.

Go to registration page »

From Pamela Thompson, Director, Mason County Library System (WV):

As I attended the Project Compass workshop, I had mixed feelings about what our small library system could do in helping unemployed and small business entrepreneurship. With limited budgets I thought we were doing all we could to help our community. Unemployment rate is high in our county. After a half day in the Project Compass workshop I was wondering why we haven’t done more!! The ideas I brought back to Mason County were affordable and helpful to our community. I have already implemented various ideas at the libraries. I also realized that we are not alone in this “Not enough funding, what more can we do.” As I participated and listened to all the people we met, I realized that we all in rural libraries face the same problems, whether it be West Virginia, Texas, Kentucky, Arizona, or wherever a rural library is located. By the time the day was over, I was more excited about returning to work to start sharing ideas and implementing programs in our system. After talking to the other WV libraries in our group, they felt the same way.

On returning to Mason County, I immediately came up with a game plan and talked to staff about what we intended to accomplish. In a week’s time we have two libraries with couponing stations, a couponing group in two libraries. Also will be attending County and Town meetings more often, allowing patrons to fax resumes free of charge, allowing patrons to print resumes free of charge and we will be starting a Computers 101 class twice a month at each library to help patrons get an email address, learn how to print resumes, or whatever the need is.

Thank you for the scholarship to allow us to attend an awesome workshop!!

From Hope Wilson, Fremont Public Library (IN):

The pre-conference workshop was inspiring and refreshingly well-organized. I had visited the Project Compass website before attending (before I was even aware of the conference) and had downloaded the Project Compass workbook for myself and the other two librarians on staff. The workbook is so resourceful that it can be a bit overwhelming. We were unsure as to where, when, how to begin.

Attending the workshop gave me the big picture.  I now see that the resources are there when/if needed; for example, I don’t have to visit all the links in the manual before proceeding, because proceeding today is the important thing. I was able to return to my library and put some small things in practice immediately. Now, we offer free resume faxes and have purchased a new bulletin board just for local entrepreneurs. We can revisit the resources as we progress.

This workshop came at a great time for me as an administrator. We just added an online, self-paced computer training program and are asking the staff to improve their computer skills. Project Compass reiterated the need for them, as employees, to keep enhancing their own job skills.

I appreciated the positive, encouraging approach of the PC workshop. During my brief staff meeting I found that my employees felt good about what they are already offering and felt validated that their work is indeed a service in ways not considered before. For example, I don’t think that they thought of gardening programs as a help to the un/underemployed. Yet they well might be. This is not to say that the staff does not realize how much more we can do. They are looking forward to seeing the library meet the goals they suggested at our staff meeting.

The PC workshop was so beautifully organized and offered such great discussion ideas that I found it easy to pull out an hour’s worth for my staff.  Next month I’ll be attending a six-county consortium where I’ll present a short summary to other directors.  And next month we’ll have another staff meeting to measure our progress on Project Compass goals.

From Joan Pellikka, Outreach Services Coordinator, North Country Library System (NY):

We are a cooperative library system of 65 member libraries, all separate entities governed by their own boards of trustees. The largest library in our system serves a community of roughly 27,000; the smallest, 121. More than half of our libraries have annual operating budgets of less than $50,000; fifteen have budgets of less than $25,000. We have some of the poorest libraries in the State and everyone works very hard with limited resources. The ARSL conference offers programs tailored to meet the specific needs of the smaller, rural library presented by people who clearly understand that work environment.

My first day in Frisco, I attended the Project Compass workshop, which left me with a more focused direction for collecting and presenting workforce development resources on the NCLS web site. From there, my goal is to offer training for member library staff, who in turn will share these resources with the public. More importantly, I gleaned bits of information that will stay with me for a long time. The following quote was probably the most important thing I saw and heard at the conference:

Lifelong learning is not an option anymore; it’s a necessity. SMART is the new RICH.
~Bernie Trilling, 21^st Century Skills

One librarian pointed out that this statement clearly illustrates the value of libraries at all times, not just in times of recession. Her comment, along with the quote, struck me very powerfully. Also during Project Compass, we viewed the video, Did You Know 3.0, which provided statistics that were, for me, eye opening. I am working on integrating both the quote and the video into advocacy efforts for our member libraries.

In the same session, we were reminded that it is so important to not make assumptions about job seekers. Highly skilled professionals such as physicians and pilots are finding themselves in situations where they must learn to assess their abilities and market them in another industry. We must be flexible and prepared to assist everyone with varying levels of expertise.

A total of 1965 people registered or attended the event and 1082 logged in for at least one of the sessions. Many of those who logged in were doing so in order for staff in their library to join a Viewing Party. See the long list of Viewing Parties!. A special thank you to you viewing party hosts, and sorry if we didn’t get you on the list.

Also a special thanks to our sponsoring WebJunction Partner States who brought over 889 registrants and 500 attendees to the conference and who continue to support the networking and collaboration critical to the success of WebJunction’s online learning!

Many others are represented in the list of top 20 participating states:

And 90 participants represent these cities and countries around the globe:

Here’s the breakdown of the many library types represented:

As you can see from the broad representation across the globe and across the types of libraries you work in, the topics presented are indeed universal. From brain development to instructional design, from creating videos to creating community, the presentations were top-notch and inspirational. Betha provides an excellent summary of the 2 days in her post, Two-day online conference was a brain booster on the Learning Round Table Blog and you can view all the live-blogging we did here on BlogJunction. And be sure to check out the tweet archive for #learntrends!

I’d like to personally thank all of the planners (especially Sharon and Mary Beth from the LearningRT!), presenters, emcees, producers, viewing party hosts and all other participants, for joining the conference and for contributing to the success of WebJunction’s third online conference! I look forward to connecting with all of you in future online events.

Conference home »

Buffy is intent on shifting the perception of the library, to bring back the human element and help people find themselves in the story of library. It’s about keeping the best of what we have always done, no matter what type of library, and amplifying the aspect of the library as learning space and a communal space. She explored a variety of ways to weave in the talents and passions of patrons to create a more interesting concept of what the library means—as a place for “self-excavation” and  discovery.

Buffy channels the thought leadership of Dr. David Lankes and Dr. Henry Jenkins, both of whom have promoted the concept of “participatory librarianship” and identified the conditions to make a learning space participatory. Jenkins believes that “relationships are the cornerstone of libraries and participation.”

Buffy is her own verb as she demonstrated the range of items in her participatory toolbox that she has deployed to achieve maximum participation with her students and to “ignite the conversation”:

1. Google forms: to invite a conversation  through survey  and assessment and collect data to adjust direction and programs.
2. Poll Everywhere: to allow learners to use mobile devices to participate by voting in real time and text polling to brainstorm ideas.
3. Polldaddy: embed polls in a website to collect ongoing input on what’s working (or not); get user input on design and selection of learning resources and strategies.
4. Blogging platforms and videos:  to celebrate student voices and talents and to bring in the larger (global) community with the library as the funnel.
5. Digital storytelling: to tell multi-generational stories and build essential social connections as patrons explore stories from the community.
6. Information dashboards: to help people become curators of knowledge and build collections of digital resources and share original content. (tools like Netvibes and Symbaloo)

There’s a lot more practical and inspiring detail in the archive. Watch for it to be posted Friday.

So let’s start the “Get libraried!” campaign. (thanks Zola for that bit of brilliance.)

What will you do to invite participation, to foster shared ownership, to make your library the place that both creates the conversation and thrives at the center of the conversation?

“The serpent that is biology conspires against us.”

Jay elaborated on 8 best practices for getting through to the learner’s brain:

1.       Keep learning enviro fresh

2.       Encourage exploration

3.       Separate the need to know from the nice to know

4.       Use appropriate scaffolding strategies

5.       Master the art of the story

6.       Help learners turn inward to connect outward

7.       Boost performance through self-efficacy

8.       A formal training class is not always the solution

There is so much more information in the space between those best practices. You’ll just have to listen to the archive, which will be available after the conference at:

• http://www.webjunction.org/trends-training-learning/-/articles/content/122387849