War Ink is an extraordinary and moving online experience presented by Contra Costa County Library (CA). The exhibit, created by Contra Costa County Library manager Chris Brown, together with Jason Deitch, expert and scholar in the combat veterans’ post military experience, brought together veterans from nearly every county in California, to describe, display and record their war memorial body art.

Check out the trailer for War Ink:

The finished project, body art and narratives, came together on Veterans Day 2014 in a finely conceptualized and equally masterful documentary-art experience, entitled War Ink. The public library exhibit, entirely online, was made possible by the support of partners who joined the vision shared by its co-creators to make possible the veterans’ war experience through the stories told in tattoos. Funders for War Ink included The Institute of Museum and Library Services, Pacific Library Partnership, and Cal Humanities. Support was also given in a variety of ways from Eureka! Leadership Institute, StoryCorps, along with generous businesses, and dedicated individuals.

War Ink provides an online storytelling platform for all veterans, their families, friends, and anyone who is interested in understanding the experience of war and its lifelong impact on returning veterans to all of our communities. Through documentary photos, personal and poignant stories told by veterans returning from war, War Ink visitors begin to understand why war experiences were documented as a permanent reminder to wear throughout a lifetime.

After your visit to War Ink you’ll understand why over twenty public libraries partnered to provide access to the exhibit for their public library communities. Veterans were contacted by both Chris and Jason after calls for entries were made in counties throughout California. This was accomplished by searching for veterans’ participation through online queries, sought from men and women veterans from all branches of the US military.  Veterans responded to the call and were selected on their unique story and the way in which their tattoos memorialized their unique experience. The exhibit required the participation of library leaders, veterans, partners and many others interested in supporting telling the veteran story.

This collaboration helped patrons spark an overdue dialog, truly hear veterans’ stories, and begin to understand how painful it is to return home with all of the war stories held inside. Visit War Ink About to experience a poignant and intimate glimpse into how War Ink’s production affected each veteran’s life.

The success of the project—and perhaps what makes the exhibit so visually moving—is the juxtaposition of the armor-clad warrior toughened by war with the vulnerable and intimate images displayed on their exposed skin. Veteran participants report that War Ink opened the door to tell their story, which was so impactful that they memorialize it on their body for a lifetime. Their stories surprised and touched both online visitors and those who are closest to them. But for everyone who visits War Ink, the stories delivered by this unique medium will bring a new awareness of the veteran experience. Patrons will be drawn in by the revealing portraits of war told by the men and women who survived and want to share their story with an audience.

War Ink unfolds their experiences in four touching chapters: We Were You; Changed Forever; Living Scars; and Living Not Surviving. Men and women recount the pain and loss of combat, how it changed their entire world, and describe the self-actualization that returning home often brings.

War Ink has been covered nationally and internationally by news media including Newsweek, Inked Magazine, PBS News Hour¸Veterans Today and continues to draw attention as a result of newspaper, radio and television coverage.

The Creators of War Ink

Chris Brown is the project director, grant writer, and co-curator for War Ink, and has the ability to create community by leading momentum for library projects that are relevant to peoples’ lives.

Jason Deitch is co-curator, a social researcher, and a veteran advocate. Chris and Jason recruited men and women veterans from every branch of the service by making calls, connecting with veterans’ centers and tattoo artists, and by driving up and down the state of California. Some meetings happened by chance and others by word of mouth. Chris feels that War Ink is a natural extension of public library service since libraries are in the story business, and veterans have stories to share as they re-enter civilian life.  Chris manages the Walnut Creek and Ygnacio Valley libraries at Contra Costa County Library.  His enthusiasm for the project and for making connections with grantors, partners, and dedicated community supporters created mounting momentum and strong supporters in and out of public libraries.

“…In an ideal world we would all recognize each other as rich and complex people, each deserving of respect and compassion.” –Chris Brown, Project Manager and co-curator, War Ink

“…Without shared understanding, the men and women who have served cannot come all the way home.” –Jason Deitch, co-curator, War Ink

The post War Ink: Veterans, Tattoos, and Public Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

My original plan this month was to write about “Outreach to People with Disabilities.” Yet that subject was soon replaced by a topic that preempts and precedes the concept of disability outreach: attitudinal barriers to library accessibility. While none of us sets out to block library accessibility with our attitude, attitude does in fact inform decisions about all library products and services. This mindset may unconsciously affect planning for library remodels and new facilities; how we present our physical and virtual collections; how we plan and market public programs; how we determine assistive technology needs, and whether to conduct outreach to people with disabilities. Attitude has a direct bearing on how we deliver all of our library products and services, but disability awareness should inform and support our ability to provide the best library service and materials possible.

Taking steps to include people of all abilities in public library programs and activities changes the outlook of both staff and visitors. We know in our personal lives that attitude shapes our thoughts and motives, so why would it not also affect decisions we make for our libraries? The goal of this discussion is to bring attitude into our awareness radar. Library accessibility first requires the level of awareness that places us as leaders in access, rather than reactors to accessibility issues. The difference between leading in access and reacting to accessibility begins with disability awareness. Considering the needs for all types of learners when planning library programs, activities, materials, and online services promotes the idea that increased access for people with disabilities means increased access for all. Planning for library accessibility opens doors to diverse and broad community connections. Moreover, it ensures people get connected with libraries, our goal!

Libraries that address access concerns during planning phases will face fewer challenges that result from accessibility blunders. Some of the most common reasons we review accessibility in our libraries include: Strategic priorities, legal requirements; demand from an individual or groups; or the topic is trending and brings renewed awareness. Most hasty accessibility quick fixes could be avoided if attitudes were honed for inclusion from the beginning. This not only applies to facility access, but when planning story times and other popular programs. Since we know that nearly 20% of the US population has one or more disabilities, we can assume people in our communities appreciate efforts toward access and inclusion. It’s not that libraries intentionally set out to ignore access issues, but inclusivity may not be considered early enough in the process of planning, training, and implementation of programs and activities. When accessibility demands originate from an individual or group, we often react as a result of that demand and consider it fixed until further notice. With library accessibility planted in the forefront of our minds, we will be ready to provide programs and services for people with disabilities before they are requested.

We can make huge strides in library accessibility beginning with our own attitude. Customer service delivered with the right attitude, one of inclusion and acceptance, can be easily accomplished. What will be remembered by library visitors is the attitude library staff conveyed, not the information shared. Consider the following attitudinal helps for providing a welcoming library experience:

• Share a friendly face
• Converse with a nonjudgmental look
• Provide encouragement and acceptance during the reference interview
• Make eye contact
• Acknowledge the importance of the person and their information request
• Abandon assumptions about physical or intellectual disabilities in favor of making a personal connection
• Relax and throw away fears that stem from lack of expertise

Source:

Nearly 1 in 5 People Have a Disability in the U.S., Census Bureau Reports, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/miscellaneous/cb12-134.html

The post Making an Attitudinal Change to Disabilities first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

We’ve always known that food brings people together, but we didn’t know that Lunch at the Library would build such a strong bond with our community. And, it’s only been a few weeks since our library began this exciting new program.

Kids up to age 18 munch on daily delectables, feast on books, and eagerly eat up story times in the library. The consumption of lunch and books is perfectly paired with summer reading activities—all of which promote the healthy cycle of borrow-read-return-repeat. Fresh, delicious lunches arrive daily, while volunteers and/or school food service personnel take care of delivery, distribution, and leftover pick-up. Attendance at our library’s Lunch at the Library grows each day, adding to the number of lunches ordered and the number of kids served. The kids eating at our libraries are delighted with their very own tray of treats, often giggling with excitement over their favorites.

Summer lunch programs are popping up in public libraries around the country, and are made possible by partnerships with federal or state hunger organizations, food banks, foundations, and other nonprofit organizations. Our library was invited to participate by Patrice Chamberlain, Director of the California Summer Meal Coalition (CSMC), and Natalie Cole, Associate Executive Director of the California Library Association (CLA), who both co-direct “Lunch at the Library.” “Lunch at the Library” began in 2013and is funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.  Everything is provided:  training, meetings with meal sponsors, evaluation tools to analyze data; resources such as recruiting, working with volunteers, and support for developing programs to complement the service.  As a result of CLA and CSMC involvement in expanding Lunch at the Library in California, the program has expanded to nineteen library systems throughout the state.

Similar programs have sprouted up throughout the country. Ypsilanti District Library, Michigan hosts Lunch and Listen; The Public Library of Cincinnati hosts Summer Learning-Summer Lunch; and at St. Louis County Library, Free Lunches at SLCL;  Miami-Dade Public Library, Lunch is @ the Library;  and Prince their George (Maryland), Meet Up and Eat Up. Public libraries are joining to fill the hunger and reading void that occurs during the summer months with nutrition for both body and brain.

Kristin Sorth, director of St. Louis County Library stated, “Studies show that hunger is a barrier to learning.”¹ If hunger is a barrier, then summer lunch programs are breaking down that barrier and encouraging young readers to come inside, be nourished and grow at the public library. The lunch table is a good place for all of us to grow.

To read more about summer lunch at public libraries:

California Library Association, “Lunch at the Library: Program Information,”

California Summer Meal Coalition, http://www.summermealcoalition.org/about-us/

Blythe Bernhard, “Free Summer Lunches provided for children at libraries, other sites,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 4, 2014,

Kimberli Buckley, “Summer Reading Festival 2014: Summer Lunch @ the Library,” Contra Costa County Library, June 2014,

Matt Durr, “Free Summer Lunch Program for Kids being hosted at Ypsilanti District Library,” Ypsilanti News, June 23, 2014,

Jane Henderson, “3 County Libraries to offer Free Lunches for kids,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 27, 2014,

Katy Murphy, “Food for Thought: This Summer Oakland Libraries are serving free lunches to children, five days a week,” San Jose Mercury News, August 3, 2012,

Suburban Life Media, “West Chicago Library, D-33 Team up for Summer Lunch program,” mySuburbanLife.com, June 26, 2014,

Resources

1. 3 County Libraries to offer Free Lunches for kids

The post Calling Kids to the Library Lunch Table first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Susan Hildreth, Director of Institute of Museum and Library Services, blogged in “Is a Village Post Office Coming to a Library Near You?” in 2012, “When a rural post office reduces hours, people often feel that in addition to losing a place to receive and send mail, they have lost a place that gives their community an identity and a place where neighbors can meet and share news.”² Public libraries have always held together the fabric of the community with easy access to resources. VPOs seem to be a natural extension for increased access for the entire community when they are paired with the accessibility, customer service, and convenient hours of the public library. Potential for increased foot traffic, customer appreciation, along with the extension of a service inside an established community resource, seems like an obvious win.

Libraries with VPOs report that very little training is required for library staff, and to date there’s been few negative concerns raised by participating libraries. The first public library VPO made Library Journal news in Meredith Schwartz’s “Libraries Could Double As Post Offices.” Schwartz reported when rural Leighton Township Library was under threat of closure in 2012, Library Director Andrea Estelle considered what she’d recently learned from USPS officials earlier in that year about how to offer the community a VPO.³ As the first library location in the country to offer a VPO, the Leighton Township Library reported relative ease for its VPO rollout. The Library received approximately $3,800 per year, which varies by locations, and the contract can be cancelled with 30-days’ notice and without penalty.⁴

Some of the conveniences VPOs offer include: stamps, mail center kiosks, and post office boxes. To add to the legitimacy and the trusted anchor that the USPS represents, out front you’ll find the blue mailbox and signage bearing the USPS logo and the unique zip code of the community. These iconic symbols remind visitors that their VPO-library hybrid is very much official.

In May 2012 the 600^th VPO was opened in two Kansas City, Missouri public Libraries: The Lucile H. Bluford Library and North-East Branch Library.⁵  Kansas City KSHB Action News 41 announced the VPO openings in their Breaking News story.⁶ There could be as many as 2,450 libraries rural areas affected by post office closures⁷—a couple of thousand more opportunities to increase public library service and potentially save a unique zip code from disappearing.

For more information on opening a Village Post Office see USPS Village Post Office.

RESOURCES

1. Meredith Schwartz, “Libraries Could Double As Post Offices,” Library Journal.com (August 2012).
2. Susan Hildreth, “Is a Village Post Office Coming to a Library Near You?” Up   q11 Next IMLS Blog, August 22, 2012.
3. Meredith Schwartz, “Libraries Could Double As Post Offices,” Library Journal.com (August 2012).
4. Ibid.
5. Lu, “USPS Expanding Village Post Offices inside Libraries,” Postal Reporter.com News Blog, May 2014.
6. Sarah Hollenbeck, “US Postal Service opening two new post offices in Kansas City public libraries,” KSHB 41 Kansas City, May 5, 2014.
7. Meredith Schwartz, “Libraries Could Double As Post Offices,” Library Journal.com (August 2012).

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Eva, and the group with which she visits, have been Library Insiders since 2008. Eva and her friends feel confident using the library because they have been welcomed with inclusive, fun, and educational monthly programs. Navigating the library boldly, Eva uses self-service machines, explores the collection, and self-assuredly asks questions at the Information Desk. It wasn’t always like this. For years, Eva and other adults in the group who visited the library, flew under the radar, kept to themselves, and rarely explored beyond their comfort zones; some fell asleep from boredom. They simply did not feel welcome or included enough to explore on their own. It took a planned effort by library staff to reach members of the group, inviting them to participate and training them to use the library.

Today, Library Insiders enjoy logging onto public computers, participating in Wii tournaments, and attending monthly programs. Participating in Adult Summer Reading, they join with others in the community, reading and completing activity logs. They not only participate in library activities that provide lifelong learning, but they also attain life skills such as borrowing, using, and returning materials, and managing a library account—essential skills that can be utilized in any public library setting.

With the trend toward independence and the fall of institutionalism, public libraries have quite naturally become the destination of choice for people in community groups who rely on public spaces to meet, learn, and explore their community. Approximately 7– 8 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) live in the United States, and the number of those living within our communities has grown. It was the intent of President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to bring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities “out of the shadows.”[1]  Over the past 45 years, the number of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who were institutionalized dropped from 187,000 to 34,000.[2] As a result, adults with I/DD live, and have new opportunities to participate in the community. The majority of these adults live with family members, and others in out-of-home residences. Library Insiders programs expand learning opportunities in the positive and welcoming environment of the community library.

People with I/DD meet in public libraries every day. Library Insiders programs have grown beyond Contra Costa County Library, California to several locations out of state. It’s amazing what a personalized library tour, scavenger hunt or staff introductions can do to start positive interactions and add to the overall library experience for visitors and staff. Any number of additional monthly Insider programs can be presented, based on feedback from Library Insiders like Eva, who are eager to share their ideas. The majority of people with I/DD gain their education through public schools and want to continue to join opportunities for life-long learning.

Public librarians are in the position to provide those essential lifelong learning opportunities for adults with I/DD who visit our libraries every day with a message of inclusion and acceptance. Thousands of people like Eva visit public libraries with a community-based group every day. Let’s welcome them inside.

“Thank you for inviting us inside”– A note from Eva to library staff.

Citations
1. http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/JFK-and-People-with-Intellectual-Disabilities.aspx
2. The ARC. Still in the Shadows with Their Future Uncertain: A Report on Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS), 2011.p. 2.

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ALA, and a number of other library organizations, illuminated the relevance of libraries and librarians to the tech industry through an amazing array of creative sessions. As you’ll see the titles alone exemplify creativity and originality

• We Will Not Be Shushed: Guerrilla Library Advocacy
• Library #IDEAdrop House 2014
• Library Machines: A Lo-Fi Design Conversation
• The New Startup Garage for Innovation? Libraries

Take a few minutes to peruse the list and identify your favorites. Go ahead and enjoy some personal creative time and consider what aspects of interactive thinking might be put to use in your library? How might we expand collaboration through conversation? My personal favorite idea from SXSWi was the mobile pedicab library. It was designed by librarians Cindy Fisher and Andrea Davis, and features a little zebra print library which houses paperbacks along with a digital

Your library’s own creativity is the limit when using technology innovations to create community. For instance, Sallymags blogs in “Impact by Collaboration: A SXSWi Phenomenon” about how the sxswLAM team initiated a campaign at the conference entitled, “Do you library?” Participation spread from outside the conference to local libraries across the country through tweets.  Sallymags writes that  “Attendees were asked to tweet to their local libraries to say hello, good job, see ya soon, or even sorry about those overdue fines.  In return, they got a sweet coozie that proudly displayed, Not the same old SHHH.” This was a great way to connect SXSWi attendees from all over the country with their local libraries, and in turn, the libraries learned about sxswLAM.

What is the relevance of SXSWi for public libraries? To start with, sessions drove home the message that public libraries are already pairing space and technology in a free access environment. Secondly, many SXSWi programs recognize that public librarians support creativity and innovation in the field of technology. Awareness that librarians provide support for business startups and access to work space was shared with attendees both inside and out of this year’s conference. In addition to what public libraries can provide, conference participation allows librarians to gather ideas from other industries, particularly in the area of interactive technologies, which can exponentially grow new library users. If we are to be part of building the public library’s digital future, then let’s count ourselves in! SXSWi demonstrated how participation transforms passive learners into information builders and contributors to a bigger library conversation. As for me, I’m marking March 13-17, 2015 on my calendar.

The post SXSWi Simplified first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Who values library services the most?
When over 6,200 Americans spoke their minds in Pew Research Center’s Library Services Survey published in December 2013, a group of strong library devotees emerged. Would it surprise you to know that although most Americans value the public library, only people who may be facing life’s greatest challenges consistently rated library services as “very important”?

People facing life challenges.
Although 67% of Americans claimed the closure of their local public library would personally “affect” them and their families[1], nearly one-third of library of respondents reported that a library closure would have a “major impact” on them and their families . The following respondents gave library services the highest rating possible, “very important.” They include: 1) Job seekers, 2) Older adults, 3) People living with disabilities, 4) People who live in lower-income households, and 5) People without internet access at home [2].

How do public libraries ensure that people facing life situations receive the amount of help and the level of personal assistance they need? Assisting patrons with online forms, job applications, along with being there to provide assistance for those with mobility or cognitive challenges—all requires extra staff time and patience, and usually in a busy library setting.

Reports of negative library experiences
The majority of people enjoy positive experiences at the public library. Despite librarians’ best intentions, job seekers and those living with a disability were most likely to say they’d received a negative experience at the public library[3], yet they steadfastly rate their need for the library, “very important.” Regardless of whether patrons are unhappy with the level of assistance they receive, they still acknowledge the importance of the public library in their lives. The following were more likely to report negative experiences: 1) Job seekers (13%), 2) People living with a disability (12%), 3) 16-17 year-olds (14%), 4) Students (12%), and Self-employed respondents (17%)[4]. Are these not the folks who often require more one-on-one help?

Personal help, internet and computers are “very important”
The Pew Study also explored responses based on life situations and technology use factors. Many of these factors strongly correlated with lower household incomes and lower levels of education[5]. Personal help for job searches and job applications, and assistance in applying for government programs, permits and licenses are “very important” to people who are unemployed, living with a disability, and for people who have health problems that make reading difficult[6]. In addition, Internet users who do not have home Internet access reported that all services linked to technology use or life situations are “very important” to them and their families[7].

In our busy libraries, how do we ensure that people facing life situations receive “very important” personal library service?

*******************

All citations taken from Pew Research Center, “How Americans Value Public Libraries in their Communities,” December 2013.

1. Page 1.
2. Page 3.
3. Page 28.
4. Ibid.
5. Page 18.
6. Page 19.
7. Ibid.

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